10 Reflections ENTER THE MINES

Reflections

Harold wondered later (when he got over the shock and the crying.) what the guards had done with the miner's body. Abraham had said nothing, and he had not asked. He guessed it had to do with yet another dark secret of the Mines, and that Abraham would not tell him.

None of the other miners made any sign, but their faces had turned grim. Death might come often, but that did not make it much easier to bear, for the miners worked and lived together. If they were not sworn enemies, they were sworn friends. The motley crew stood awkwardly about as the Overseer and guards left.

Only Abraham seemed unaffected. "I've seen lot's of miners die, son." he grunted to Harold. "The heart kinda dries up after the first two years of it." Mumbling incoherently, he turned on the miners. "That's enough there! You're lucky that Overseer didn't notice ya hanging around. Now git yourselves movin' afore he gits back here and kills the lot of ya!"

Slowly, the miners began to shamble to their stations. They picked up shovels to clear the debris. Others hoisted the wounded into sitting positions so they could keep working. The ticking of picks began again, slow and scattered. A enormous drillbit shuddered and roared into life. Work continued as usal

Only Harold stayed still. His mind reeled, and his breaths came short and fast. Someone had died less than a yard away. He had already forgotten who, but someone had died. He passed a shuddering hand over his cold and clammy brow. The screams of his mother and grandfather echoed in his head.

Abraham looked at his apprentice. He was pale and trembling, clinging to the rock face as if for life. Abraham nodded his head. Just like the last one, he thought.

Harold's attention was suddenly grabbed by another one of the miners entering the shaft--a Delta miner, with long rat-whisker mustachios. He looked different from anyone else, but it took Harold a moment to figure out why.

Then it hit him.

The man almost looked joyful! In the midst of this pit of death and despair that was the Mines, one man's face shone out with an inward hope. It shone through the dirt and grit covering the man's weary face, but more importantly, it shone through the grief and gloom of Harold, of the other miners, and even of the Mines themselves. Harold himself could not help but feel happier for having looked at him!

The vision passed, the man ducked his head, and only the memory remained to cheer Harold. He watched the man crawl into the low tunnel ahead of him and vanish.

If Abraham was surprised by the sudden smile on his apprentice's face, he made no mention of it.

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This part could have been handled better, but oh well. The picture is a little confusing, hope it comes out okay. By the way, just so everyone knows, this is a three-part story detailing Harold's life in the mines. The story is split up according to the "years" that he spends there. This is the first part, which mostly sets up things and gives you an idea of the world.
The second part introduces the main conflict, and then in the third part, things get pretty interesting. In case you're wondering, the story does not end with everyone in the Mines revolting and returning to the surface, but it does end happy. (Or at least I think so.)