Sunset Rising

“Where would you like me to start?”

“I like your attitude, Autumn—ready to dig right in to work. Why don’t I keep you with me today, and we’ll go through everything together. I’ll teach you to sort and how to use the washing machines and dryers. There’s a folding station over there, too, but that takes a while to master. The bourge like their things folded just so. Here, you can start with this cart.” Di led me to where the carts were lined up. “All the bins with dirty laundry are here, and they’ll stack up all day long. The bins are numbered according to where they came from, like this one.” She pulled a cart out to examine. She pointed to the number on the side—5499114. “The five means it’s from the fifth level, the four is the section number on that level, the nine nine means its personal laundry as opposed to dining room or something, and the one one four means the laundry came from apartments one through fourteen. We’ve got a boy working here who runs the carts up and down from the Dome.”

I took the cart and wheeled it to a table beside where Di was working. I was a little hesitant to just dive right into the laundry considering what Di had told me I might find in there. I gave the cart a sniff, but didn’t smell anything foul. Di was shaking her head at me and laughing. I didn’t need to get into trouble on my first day, so I took a deep breath, plunged my hand into the clothes and piled them up on the table. I tried to sort them like she showed me, but Di corrected me a few times. I didn’t know there was a difference between lighter dark shades and darker light shades.

“Might seem a bit picky, but if you put something red in with light colors, then everything might come out with a red tinge to it. And you can bet a couple days’ credits and a beating to boot that you’ll be paying for that!” Di said.

“Supervisor Madi seems very strict.” I hoped she didn’t think I was being too forward, but I needed to know what I was dealing with.

Di stopped what she was doing and looked directly into my eyes. “And don’t you ever think otherwise. That woman is one letter away from being crazier than the president. There’s something wrong with her.” Di tapped the side of her head. She picked up a shirt and examined it for stains. “And make sure you only ever work with one cart at a time too. The last one who mixed up the carts was thrashed until she was bloody.”

That made laundry a whole lot more complicated. If being recognized wasn’t enough stress for me, now I had to worry about being beaten to a pulp if I made a mistake. I had heard about supervisors like Madi, and it didn’t take much to provoke them.

“All sorted?” Di checked over my work. I was glad she was there to teach me. “Let’s take the load of darks.” She gathered the clothes up in her arms and walked over to a machine. “Put them in like this.” She took each piece of clothing and shook it out before putting it in the washing machine. “They wash up better when they’re separated like that and if anything is mixed up in the clothing it will fall out. You don’t need a pen exploding ink into your wash—you’ll pay for that, too.” With all the clothes now in the washer, she shut the door and showed me where to put the detergent. She pressed a few buttons, and the washer started. “Now let’s see how you do with the next load. I’ll just watch this time.”

I did the next load exactly how Di had shown me. It was a mundane task, yet it needed my full attention or my mistake would be Madi’s pleasure. I had difficulty focusing when my entire life had been turned upside down. My dad’s welfare weighed heavily on my mind, and I was anxious to see him, but there was nothing I could do about it right now. I needed to focus and keep myself out of trouble so I would be able to see him later.

I turned my attention back to the task at hand. I added the detergent to the washer like I’d been shown and then pressed a button. Di corrected me. Then I needed to go back to the table for the third load. Doing laundry was a foreign task, and I suddenly missed the familiar ease of the kitchen. If I had never been drafted to work at Jack’s bachelor party, then Summer and I would be working in the kitchen right now, probably peeling carrots or potatoes. That was a mundane task, too, but since I’d done it with my best friend all day, I’d enjoyed it.

I wondered what Summer was doing. Was she working in the kitchen? Or was she up in the Dome with someone she didn’t want to be with? I tried to put that torturous thought out of my head.

I gathered up the last load and went to the next available washing machine. I shook out each piece the way I’d been shown, and my thoughts wandered to Jack. The memory of how much I enjoyed the feel of his naked skin beneath my hand made me blush. I worried about him in the coal mine because he had a quality that set him apart down here. He carried himself with a confidence that the average urchin lacked.

Di stopped me in the middle of getting another cart. “Don’t mix up your carts, Autumn.”

“All my loads are in the wash. I thought I would start sorting a new one.”

“Never work with two carts at one time. You’ll get the clothes mixed up, and they’ll never find their way back to their owner. Keep track of what you have on the go right now. Your first washer will end in about ten minutes, and then you’ll need to sort them again since the clothes don’t dry at the same temperatures or for the same amount of time.”

My head was going to explode. Who knew laundry was this complicated? For the third time that day I told myself to concentrate and put everything else out of my mind. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

I went over to the washer that was about to end and watched the clothes spin around. It reminded me of my little training session with Jack this morning. I wished I could fight like him. He could move so fast. I wondered if he would do as I asked him and show the miners how to fight. If he could pass even a few of his skills on to them, it might give them a chance against abusive guards. The washer stopped, and I opened the door.

“Let’s have a look,” Di said. She started taking the clothes out one by one and shook them again. “Now, see how the pants have a crease down the middle? You’re better off leaving them damp and ru

A young boy interrupted us. “Miss Di, do you have anything for me?” He had a fat lip and seemed to be holding back tears. He looked younger than twelve, but he couldn’t be. Twelve is the earliest age you could be assigned a job, although I’m sure the bourge would like to make it younger. More workers would mean more production.

“Well, there’s my handsome little Kai.” Di gave the boy a hug. “Kai, this is Autumn. She just started working here today.”

“Hello,” I said. He gave me a weak smile.

“Where have you been?” Di asked him gently.

“Supervisor Madi had me take carts up to the main floor. She said they were getting real mad up there because they haven’t had clean clothes in two days.”

“Madi give you that?” Di examined his lip.

“Yes, ma’am. I was late. The stairs were just so crowded after lockdown, and it’s a long way up here from the eighth level.” A tear spilled from the corner of his eye. I remembered the first time I was struck by a supervisor and how awful it had been. I felt sorry for him, but I knew he would get used to it.

“You get docked, too?” she asked.

He nodded. “Half a day’s credits. And since we only get half a day because of the lockdown, I’m not getting anything today.”

“Don’t you worry. You’re still living with your parents, and they can take care of you for a few years yet.” Di kissed the top of the boy’s head and gave him a bone-crushing hug. “I’ve got a couple of carts for you right over here, and by now there’s probably a few more for you to bring down. Come see me when you’re all done.”