William gulped. “We’re that close?”
Gracie smiled. “We are.”
William looked at the others around the table. Dianna nodded straight away. Artan next. Hawk shrugged, and Matilda nodded. Max said, “I could do with a few days off.”
“Olga?” William said.
“I reckon we should stay.”
Gracie clapped her hands and bounced where she sat. “Amazing. Now come with me. I have something to show you.”
Many of the corridors looked the same, but with a bit of time, William would probably learn his way around the place. Where most entrances to the rooms were single doors, Gracie stopped in front of a set of double doors. A wide grin, she said, “We call this room the pleasure dome.” She pressed the button, and the doors opened, a bright blue glow spilling from the room.
William gasped when he walked in. A domed ceiling at least twenty feet tall at its highest spot. Covered in moving pictures, there were trees around them and clouds above in an azure sky. “What is this?”
“They’re screens,” Gracie said.
A yellow, red, and green bird with a long thick beak flew overhead. It landed on the branch of a vibrant tree. Moisture hung in the warm air.
“We spend a lot of time underground,” Gracie said. “This room is where we come to lift our spirits. It has different settings. This is a rain forest.”
“And it’s real?” Max said.
“It was once. You’re watching recorded footage.”
“So someone has been here?”
“Yeah, when it existed,” Gracie said.
Max’s shoulders slumped. “It doesn’t exist anymore?”
“Who knows?” Gracie shrugged. “This place is on the other side of the planet.”
Matilda turned on the spot, her jaw hanging loose. “It’s beautiful.” She reached out and held William’s hand. The door closed, the back of it a screen that slotted into the others. It fully immersed them in the experience. Matilda pressed a soft kiss against William’s right cheek. Her warm breath tickled the back of his neck when she whispered in his ear, “I think we’ve made the right choice. I think we can call this place home for now. I love you.”
No wonder they called it the pleasure dome. Every one of their group smiled. Max and Olga held hands. Hawk’s stoicism had softened, and he’d moved closer to Dianna. Artan grinned. Maybe they could stay here for a while. William kissed Matilda again. “I love you too.”
End of book eight.
Thank you for reading Between Fury and Fear: Book Eight of Beyond These Walls.
Have you checked out Fury: Book one in Tales from beyond These Walls? It’s a standalone story set in the city of Fury at the same time as this book. I debated calling it book nine in the series because now is the best time to read it, but I decided against it because it doesn’t continue the story for the main characters.
If you’re yet to read it, click HERE to check out Fury: Book one in Tales from Beyond These Walls.
Book nine of Beyond These Walls is being worked on and will be available soon. To be notified when it becomes available, and for all my future updates, you can sign up to my spam-free mailing list HERE.
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Fury: Book one of Tales From Beyond These Walls - Chapter One
“I’m trying to treat today like any other, Mum,” Reuben said. “I’m really trying.” He laid the bread flat and buttered it. When he’d finished, he layered on the thin slices of cheese. “I’m going for a run to see Malcolm. Then I need to get a few things from the shop.” Butterflies danced in his stomach, flitting between anxiety and excitement. He took a steadying breath. “Yep, it’s just like any other day.” But it wasn’t just like any other day. He didn’t need his mum to tell him that.
Reuben shook with adrenaline. He tried to fill Malcolm’s bottle with water and ended up with as much on his hands as in the bottle. “Eighteen today!” He screwed on the lid. “It always seemed so far away. I’ve been training hard like you said. Working at this my whole life. Dad will be so proud. That is, if they think I’m ready. I am ready, aren’t I?”
Very little room to move in his bedsit, breadcrumbs covered the end of Reuben’s bed from where he’d made the sandwich. He swiped them away, grabbed his shoes, and sat on the end. His mattress’ old springs creaked. He tied the laces tight. “Yep, I’ll just keep training. It’s like any other day. I’ll go out for a run and keep busy. I’m gaining nothing waiting here.”
While packing his backpack, the cheese sandwich wrapped in brown cloth, he repeated, “I’ll see Malcolm on my run and then go to the shop to get a few bits. It’s just like any other day.”
Reuben opened his front door, letting in the fresh spring morning. The sun shone on the city. The slightest chill gave the
