Under Ground: part 35

Chapter 23 continues

The story so far: Lily hints "something big" is going to happen.

When they got to the hallway near the back door, Lily gestured toward the rug that covered the entrance to the secret cellar.

"You can't go down there, Lily."

"I know. But you can. There's someone down there who wants to see you."

"Me? Who would want to see me?" Katka bent over and carefully pulled the rug aside, revealing the latch while Lily kept watch. She opened the entrance. The ladder was already propped up. She gingerly stepped down, carrying an unlit lantern. She had done this enough times to be comfortable navigating her way in the dark. When she landed with her feet on the ground, she put the lantern on the table and pulled the string, which replaced the rug up top.

In complete darkness, Lily lit the lamp on the table and the tiny cellar became eerily illuminated as red shadows danced across the bookshelves, the guns, the crates of alcohol. The three chairs were still around the table and the typewriter, paper and dictionary laid just as she had left them earlier that morning when she had come down to write about the church bake sale.

There, seated and leaning against the back wall of the cellar, was a man. His clothes were dark. His hat was pulled down low, shielding most of his face. He wore a handkerchief around his neck. His right hand was bandaged and his left hand was resting gingerly upon it, as if to protect it.

"Hello?" she whispered, tentatively.

The man snorted in his sleep.

"Wake up," Katka whispered. She gently shook the man, who woke with a start, his good hand reaching for the gun hidden in his coat.

"Don't shoot!" Katka said.

He smiled broadly at Katka. "Hey, Kat," he said. "My cousin treating you all right? She talks a lot, but other than that, is she good to you?"

It was Paul.

Chapter 24

When she was too little to work, but old enough to wander unattended, Katka used to stuff her pockets with bread and cheese and skip to the Creek of Lingering Love.

She would stand on the north side of the rickety, wooden bridge and throw a stick into the swirling water. Then she'd run across to the south side, watch it emerge from underneath her feet and marvel as it disappeared into the current.

"Katka?" Paul said, raising his voice slightly to bring her back from her daydream. He had dragged himself to his feet and was standing in front of her. "Are you all right? You were staring at nothing for a moment. It was as if you disappeared."

"I love you, Paul."

"Come again?"

"I love you."

"You do?"

He smiled. "Sweet bread, huh?" They were face to face, not touching. With his good hand, he grabbed hers. "I have loved you for one year and five days."

• • •

Paul and Katka stayed underground for hours. They stayed there long after the last miner left the tavern, long after Anton had washed the last glass. They sat on the ground, his arm around her shoulder, with a blanket covering them both. She opened some wine from one of the crates and they drank it straight from the bottle. "Where did they take you when you were detained?" she asked. "Were you imprisoned for a very long time? How did you get out? Why didn't you write to me?" He put his fingers on her lips to stop her speech. It didn't work. "Who was the woman with the blue eyes? The one who told me you'd been detained? Was she your sweetheart? And if you're Lily's cousin, why are you hiding down here instead of being waited on in the living room?" He kissed her. Both hands were on her face. She felt faint with pleasure. "Kat, I will tell you everything I can tell you. But not here, not now."

"I know a perfect place."

"In the fields?"