OWEN'S POV

My dreams made no sense, but that didn't make them any less horrifying.

There were many wild Pokémon invading my visions. Most of them wanted to kill me, while others wanted food. Both light and darkness danced before my eyes at various points.

Every so often, I would wake briefly, just long enough for a Lucario to tip a glass of water down my throat. However, I didn't have energy to do much more than swallow the drink, and I soon went under again.

This went on for quite some time. Whenever I woke, I tried to retain my grasp on consciousness, but it would elude me once more. And I'd sink back into the world of nightmares, beyond the reach of those who wanted to help me.

Why can't I stay awake?, I kept wondering, my frustration growing each time I had a few seconds of awareness.

Well, after what felt like years of nightmares, I eventually had a different vision.

In this dream, I was somewhere else - somewhere I didn't recognize. However, it was very different from the dark, dusty room that greeted me whenever I opened my eyes.

I found myself in the midst of a grassy meadow, the sort that would be ideal for a picnic. The sun overhead was hot, though not overwhelmingly so, and a light breeze carved its way through the green blades. I smelled the sweet scent of fruit growing on a variety of trees and bushes, and heard the trickling of a stream nearby.

Additionally, there was the sense of belonging. This is where I was supposed to be. If this was in fact a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

Maybe I've died and gone to heaven, I thought. But that didn't exactly reassure me, because to surrender to the pearly gates now would mean giving up any chance to help Matty.

A shadow appeared in the grass. I couldn't help but analyze its shape - it resembled a relatively tall teenage boy wearing a baseball cap.

"Matty?" I wondered aloud. "Are you there?"

There was no response, at least not in words. But the shadow beckoned for me to follow it across the meadow, so that's exactly what I did.

After walking for what felt like a few minutes, the shadow gestured that I should sit down. I did so, and a picnic blanket appeared beneath us. What also materialized was a spread of food that I'd been dreaming of for the last few days - pulled pork, salad, cornbread, apple pie for dessert, and some lemonade with which to wash it down.

I could scarcely believe this was real. (In fact, it wasn't real, but I wanted to keep dreaming.) I reached for a block of cornbread.

Well, the cornbread had other ideas, or maybe it's just that my arm wasn't long enough, because I couldn't reach it.

"Huh, that's strange" I muttered.

So I scooted closer to the food, this time going for a bit of pulled pork. I stabbed it with a fork, and then I dropped said fork into the barbecue sauce.

I laughed dryly, but this was only done to mask my frustration. The succulent meat had been right there, and I'd quite literally dropped it.

"This isn't even funny" I snapped, but the shadow did not reply. In fact, I could not see the person whose shadow it was. Even if I was sure of their identity.

"Matty!" I shouted.

He appeared before me. Not in his Eevee form that he'd assumed upon awakening in that carriage with me, but the old Matty, the one with the baseball cap and hair that was slightly lighter brown than mine.

Matty was dressed in his rowing uniform. That was what he took the most pride in, aside from being a member of the Tendai family. It made sense that he'd wear it even on a more casual occasion than the Head of the Charles.

"Oh my goodness, Matty, you're there!" I exclaimed.

My brother did not say a word in response; he merely sat there, smiling wistfully. He also didn't even try to grab any food.

"I can't believe…I'm so sorry, Matty. I didn't know…I just didn't know I was betraying you like that!"

Again, Matty's expression remained exactly the same. He didn't even acknowledge that I'd said anything, save for a few blinks.

"I'll make it right somehow" I asserted. "It will all be okay. Whatever it takes, I'll make sure of that."

But my brother still didn't respond. For the first time, my excitement at seeing him (and guilt for the reason why I hadn't seen him) diminished, to be replaced with anger. How dare he give me the silent treatment like this?

"Matty, just say something!" I shouted. "Anything!"

Do I need to tell you what he did? No, I didn't think so.

"This isn't funny, Matty. I know you need some time to process everything - I don't blame you for that - but I need you to tell me how you feel. I'm your brother."

And still, no words were forthcoming. So I moved on to the next step.

I stood to my feet (of which I only had two in this dream) and walked over to my brother's side. I held my arms out in order to embrace Matty in a giant bear hug - I would never let him go again. Not as long as we both lived.

As I did so, my brother vanished in a puff of steam. Except for the crease on the picnic blanket, there was no evidence that he'd ever been there to begin with.

"Shit!" I exclaimed. "Matty!"

But he was gone, just like the wind. Suddenly, the warm sun above seemed to weaken, and the grass beneath my feet might as well have been withering away without its strength.

"Matty! You can't be gone! After everything!"

I knelt on the grass, banging my fist against the ground. I knew this would get me nowhere, and that any outside observers would liken me to a 3-year-old having a temper tantrum. But it's exactly how I felt, so can you really blame me?

"I said I was sorry, Matty!" I wailed. "You don't have to forgive me! Just tell me that!"

No answer came, but then, why should I have expected one?

---

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily and soaked in still more sweat. In fact, my bed looked like a miniature swimming pool.

A Lucario was dabbing my face with a washcloth. Noticing that I'd opened my eyes, he sighed with relief.

"Thank Arceus," he said. I noticed that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot - which is saying something, since a Lucario's pupils were always scarlet.

"What…" I began, albeit very groggily. "What happened?"

Cassius gave me a bewildered look. "You didn't know?"

"The last thing I remember with you," I began, "is lying in bed with you and the Pyroar - Father Labrador. You were saying I had that virus."

The Lucario narrowed his eyes. "Owen, that happened three days ago."

I gasped. "Three days?"

Cassius nodded. "You've been a very sick Shinx, Owen. I've barely gotten any sleep the last few days, because I had to make sure you were still drinking water and that you didn't roll off the bed from thrashing so much."

"Way to make me feel guilty" I muttered.

"I didn't mean to!" Cassius protested. "I just…we were all worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Uh…" I began. "Like a plant that spent many hours wilting in the sun."

"That's an analogy I'd rather you didn't use here," the Lucario replied, "but an apt one. You should take it easy, though if you're alert, you're probably out of the woods. Thank Arceus you were able to fight through it."

"Well, thanks" I muttered, blushing a bit.

"No problem," Cassius told me. "I'll go get Theseus - he'll be relieved that you've come around."

A few minutes later, a familiar Umbreon entered the bedroom, wearing a broad smile on his face. Yet it was also an apologetic one, if a smile can even convey such a message.

"Thank Arceus you're okay!" Theseus exclaimed. "But I feel like garbage for making you go through the maze - should have known your immune system wouldn't recognize that virus."

"Well, it's fine," I stated. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it too much."

As a matter of fact, it wasn't quite fine - I would forgive, but I wouldn't forget. However, I saw no reason to maintain a grudge with Theseus when I still needed him very much.

"So what happens now?" I asked eventually after neither Theseus nor Cassius said anything.

Theseus sighed. He glanced at Cassius, evidently reluctant to answer my question. And that's when I came to dread his response.

Finally, he said this: "You've still got to do your work. Your punishment may have been deferred for a few days, but it can't go away forever. So you'll start at the mines tomorrow."

I gasped. "The mines?"

I'd heard stories of miners in Appalachia who'd ended up with black lung disease or whatnot as a result of their work. The idea of ending up an invalid thanks to that job was more than enough to make me dread the day it began.

And that day was tomorrow.

"Theseus, can you get Father Labrador?" Cassius requested of the Umbreon. "He needs to make sure Owen is recovered enough to work in the mines."

"Right," Theseus replied. "I'll fetch him right away." Turning to me, the Umbreon clarified that the Pyroar had indeed been sleeping just outside the guild hall for the last few days. He'd assisted Cassius in watching over my delirious body as I battled the virus.

"Well, that's nice of him," I muttered weakly.

"It is," Cassius said. Then, he asked me something I wasn't prepared for.

"Owen?"

"What is it?" I wondered aloud. Suddenly, my stomach growled, which made sense given that I'd had nothing to eat (and hardly anything to drink) in three days.

"While you were out, I remember you writhing around. And you shouted something - a name."

For a moment, I was too foggy-headed to remember what the Lucario was talking about. Of course, I didn't really want to discuss it, but that's beside the point.

"What…what name did I shout?" I wondered aloud, though if I'm being honest, I already knew the answer.

Cassius grimaced. "You were talking about someone named Matty. At least, that's the name you kept shouting."

Dread filled my lungs. "In what context? I mean…what else did I say?"

"Something about…you can't be gone, after everything?"

At that very instant, the last dream I'd experienced before waking up came back to me. I knew exactly why I'd shouted those words.

"I don't know who Matty is," I lied. "Or maybe I do. Maybe he's just some character who keeps showing up in my nightmares."

"Welcome to the club," Cassius muttered.

"You have nightmares about Matty too?"

The Lucario shrugged. "Again, I don't know who this Matty even is. But yes, bad dreams are quite common down here. It's just a symptom of living in Ketchum, even when you're not fighting a fever."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just laid there for a few minutes. Neither of us spoke - I wondered if Cassius had a secret to hide too. Or maybe he just didn't want to make me expose mine.

Eventually, Father Labrador entered the room. Compared to Cassius, he didn't look nearly as depleted, but he still sighed as soon as he saw me.

"Well, you're awake" the Pyroar said unnecessarily. "I'll just have to examine you a bit. Does your head still hurt?"

As a matter of fact, it did, but it was more of a subtle throb than an agonizing ice pick behind my skull. I told him this, and Father Labrador responded with, "That's to be expected. It takes some time to bounce back from being as sick as you were."

"Right."

"Can you touch your chin to your chest?"

I paused. "What?"

"You probably weren't conscious enough to try this, but plenty of virus patients find it impossible to touch their chin to their chest. As in, it's literally impossible, not just painful."

I frowned. "I don't think I could do that normally. I mean, look at me."

"But your neck doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

"Nope."

Father Labrador asked me a few more questions, and I answered them as honestly as I could. After this series of questions was complete, he took a step back and smiled.

"I think you're good to go, Owen. Just take it easy for the next…ah, roughly 24 hours. I have to get ready for a sermon soon."

"But it isn't Sunday, is it?" I remarked. Honestly, I'd lost track of the days of the week - you could have told me it was any day and I'd have believed you in the absence of any other evidence.

"No, it's Saturday," Father Labrador stated. "I actually preach on Saturdays at 11 AM too. You're only obligated to attend one of my sermons a week, but - ".

"Tomorrow's Sunday" I mouthed.

The Pyroar chuckled without any humor. "Yes, Owen. Sunday comes after Saturday."

"I have to go to work tomorrow. I don't know how long a shift in the mines is - ".

"It's from 9 AM to 5 PM, and let me tell you, I've done that work before. It's enough to drive you insane if you allow it to."

"Great," I muttered sarcastically.

"In other words," Father Labrador continued, "I suppose you need to attend the service. Since you're no longer on death's door, you're not exempt today. But that's fine - we've got another reading from the Book of Catastrophes this morning, and I hope you will find it enlightening."

After a quick breakfast in the mess hall, during which I practically inhaled the unappetizing stuff brought before me (not eating for several days will do that to you), I was ready to head to church.

The exact contents of the sermon weren't particularly memorable. To this day, I could not tell you precisely what Father Labrador preached that day, nor did I really care. We also had our "focus groups" surrounding the selected verses from the Book of Catastrophes, and that's when I paid attention.

Father Labrador cleared his throat. "And so it is told in the Book of Catastrophes, which you will now open to the Book of Labor, Chapter 8, Verse 4…".

We did as we were told, and then the Pyroar continued to read.

"And so the Pokémon, expelled from their rightful home on the surface of the Earth, retreated inward. Some of them resisted this trend, refusing to give up their territory - they were, without exception, slaughtered by the depraved human race.

"Those who traveled into the planet's crust were suddenly faced with the challenges of building a society. This was far from an easy task, given the multitudes of infrastructure that needed to be constructed. However, those Pokémon who rose to the occasion were rewarded.

"These rewards were not strictly Earthly pleasures. Indeed, those most virtuous of Pokémon were expected not to indulge in such vises. The band Billy Talonflame even penned a song titled "Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rattatas" in which it is stated that one always pays the day after a feast.

"What does this mean for those living today? It suggests that work will set one free, and that sloth is the ultimate sin - the one unforgivable sin aside from upsetting the balance of nature between humans and the Earth."

Father Labrador closed his copy of the holy book, then turned to the rest of us. "In your focus groups, now, please discuss your interpretations of this verse."

Much like with what the Pyroar priest had told us prior to the reading, I couldn't have told you exactly what was said in the focus group. Nor did I want to draw attention to the fact that I'd be put to work the next day - as a result, I didn't talk much.

That is, until Alana Sylveon (who happened to be sitting next to me) nudged me. "Owen?"

"Yes?" I asked, feeling a trace amount of dread rise within me. "What is it?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Alana asserted. "You're going to help make Ketchum a better place to live - that's the goal, after all, of working in the mines. And you know what they all say - work will set you free."

That's what I wanted to believe. Indeed, there's the practice of "fake it 'till you make it", which I took to heart at that very moment. If I wanted to be happy about my new life in the underworld, I could be.

---

Throughout the rest of the day, I felt my sensitivity to light reduce to its normal level. I felt the energy return to my body. And I was able to think considerably more clearly.

If I'd wanted to, I could have stayed up all night. Certainly, it was ironic that after being asleep for three whole days, the first thing I needed was more sleep. But, Cassius assured me, that's exactly what my body required.

"If you don't sleep, you'll be useless at work tomorrow" the Lucario asserted. "So make sure you rest tonight."

"I'll try, Cassius" I said with a snort. "I'll try."

But this was easier said than done. Once I crawled beneath the covers, I was afraid to close my eyes. Whatever chemicals the brain produced during sleep, whose names I couldn't recall, might as well have been literal nightmare fuel.

I tossed and turned for quite a while, but at some point, probably about 2 AM, I finally sank into a deep slumber. Mercifully, no dreams found me during that period, but I would have loved more time to recharge my batteries, because…

'WAKE UP!'

I sat bolt upright, crushing my Shinx tail in the process. I grimaced as I glanced up at Cassius.

"Okay, good," the Lucario stated. "You're up."

"Just five more minutes, please" I pleaded, but Cassius would not be so accommodating.

"You can't have five more minutes, Owen, because five more minutes can become another hour before you know it" he stated.

"Okay…" I sighed. "But it feels like it's only been minutes. Is it really morning?"

He nodded. "You'd better go downstairs. It's a long walk to the mines. Your shift is from nine to five…".

"Like that song" I muttered.

Cassius gave me a dirty look.

"Right," I mumbled. "No Dolly Parton references are allowed here."

"Just go down there, scarf down your food, and then join the other workers from the guild. Banditt's also got a shift today."

"What was he punished for?" I wondered aloud. "Can I even know?"

Cassius shrugged. "I mean, you can probably guess it. But it hardly matters. You've got an eight-hour shift today - apparently it's every day for the next month except Saturday."

"I guess that's the Sabbath here."

After another glare from the Lucario, I clarified: "The day of rest. The day you're supposed to keep holy by not doing work."

"Exactly. Anyway, like I said, a month of eight-hour shifts, six days a week."

I had never worked a full-time job, even though everyone on the surface is expected to work from nine to five. That being said, I could never have envisioned my first such gig being in a mine.

"A month?"

"It could be worse," Cassius stated. "There are worse jobs than mining. So you'd better buck up and get used to it, because again, you don't know how good you have it."

As I gingerly headed to the mess hall, I reflected on just how ludicrous it was to suggest that I had it good. I don't think I even need to take inventory of my situation for you - it sucked.

My meal was as pitiful as it always was. Don't ask me how or why, but I ended up sitting next to Banditt during breakfast. He was scraping his foot paws against the floor, setting as he did so.

"I can't believe I have to work with the newbie," the Krookodile complained, refusing to even glance at me. (Though, in all honesty, I didn't mind that part.)

"Banditt," Alana scolded him, "we were all new here at one point."

That didn't seem to mollify the Krookodile as much as she'd hoped. Banditt stood up off the bench, turned ninety degrees toward Alana, and raised a fist.

"So? I was inferior then, and now I'm not!"

Alana readied what appeared to be a Tail Whip, and Banditt conjured a rock out of thin air. The two of them were now baring their fangs at one another, seemingly ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Well, that escalated quickly," I mumbled.

"You'd better leave her alone!" Theseus bellowed. "Banditt, you need to calm down! If you make it physical, I promise I'll kick you out!"

"So what?" the Krookodile shouted. "I'd be free from your hellhole!"

"The city wouldn't accept you again" Theseus stated in a measured tone. "If you'd want to hedge your bets, then be my guest. But don't be surprised if you're Banished to the Second Level."

The mention of the Second Level had an immediate effect on Banditt. The Krookodile immediately put down the rock, then returned to his seat. (Though not to his bowl of mushroom gruel, because he'd already polished it off.)

It was then that I knew just how harsh a punishment Banishment must have been. If it made Banditt Krookodile of all Pokémon cower in fear and suddenly obey Theseus, it should have scared the literal shit out of me.

And Matty.

Oh my Arceus, I thought. Matty's either still languishing in that cell, or he's been Banished to the Second Level. And I don't even want to think about what's down there.

Right now, though, I had more important matters to attend to. Namely, preparing myself mentally for my first day of work.

"Some of you," Theseus announced once our plates were all clean, "have to complete a shift in the mines today. Follow Banditt Krookodile to the path, where those townspeople also assigned shifts will lead you to your worksite."

Banditt grumbled a bit at the mention of his name, but didn't escalate things any further. For this, at least, I was immensely grateful.

After that, we bade goodbye to the other residents of the guild hall and started the trek. Of course, given that I didn't know the way myself, I was forced to follow Banditt.

The whole time it was just the two of us, Banditt could be heard seething and grunting. That's how I knew that, if I could avoid it at all, I didn't want to get on his bad side. (Well, I knew that already, but once he was armed with a pickaxe, or whatever miners used to break through the rocks, he would be far more dangerous.)

There was something different about the air today, too. It felt drier than usual, as though all the moisture had been leached out of it in one fell swoop.

I knew better than to ask Banditt about this, though. Something told me that his patience with me was wearing thin.

And then, it happened.

A gust of what had to be wind blew right past us, ruffling my fur and making it stand on end.

Why would there be wind down here, anyway?, I wondered. We're underground - aren't the forces that would create wind completely different underground, if they exist at all?

Just then, the wind picked up so enormously that I was nearly swept off my feet. I had to dig my paws into the dirt just to stay where I was, and even then it was a struggle. (Of course, given that Banditt was far heavier than me, he didn't have to try so hard.)

I had instinctively closed my eyes when the gale-force wind began, but I opened them a few moments later. Big mistake.

No sooner had I disengaged my eyelids than my eyes began to sting. And that's when I realized that it was not just wind floating around in the stale subterranean air, but sand as well.

"Do the sand storms happen all the time down here?" I wondered aloud. I didn't mean for it to be loud enough for Banditt to hear, but apparently he heard me.

"Of course they do, you little brat! There was one the day before yesterday, but you got to sleep through it!"

He was ignoring, of course, the type of sleep it had been (if he even knew), and I wasn't eager to correct him on that. Simply put, I had no desire to relive my recent illness anytime soon.

"Isn't that horrible for your lungs, though, being in air that bad for that long?" I asked.

The Krookodile stomped one of his giant paws. "Do you think we have another option, Shinx?"

"I guess you're right," I muttered sheepishly, keeping my mouth open only slightly so as not to swallow too much sand.

Just as suddenly as the sandstorm had begun, it ceased abruptly, and I was able to open my eyes again.

"It's not even nine yet," I said bitterly, "and I've already been through a sand gale."

"Yeah, well, that's life in the mines for you."

A few minutes later, we found a single-file line weaving its way through the city and toward a sign. If the Pokémon within said line hadn't been continuing on past the sign, you could have convinced me that it was a bus stop. But there was no bus here - we had to trek to the mines on our own paws.

"Well, here goes nothing," I said.

I cut the line in between a Tepig and a Weavile, the latter of whom grimaced. I didn't bother to apologize, though - there were more important things to do, like blending in.

The walk was long, slightly more than an hour by my estimate. Along the way, we passed fields of mushrooms (which I assumed were pennybuns), small dark ponds that I didn't dare touch, and even a black stream.

Maybe I'll want to take a dip in that after I'm all sweaty from work, I thought.

As though reading my mind, the Tepig slapped me in the back. "Don't even think about it" he told me.

I snorted. "What did you think I was going to do? Jump in the river?"

"That river," the Tepig told me, "is cursed. Everyone in Ketchum knows that if they bathe in the river, they will lose their memory. Everything, wiped. Gone. You'll be just like a newborn baby; in other words, that river does to your memory what measles does to your immune system."

"Right," I muttered. "Like the…I think I know what it was called. That river in Greek mythology?"

"Dude, drop it" Banditt commanded me in a very loud whisper. "If you know what's good for you, that is."

A little ways past the river, we hiked through an opening in the cavern wall. And then, here we were.

We'd come to a second cavern. This one was not illuminated by the occasional light orbs that were so ubiquitous within the city - rather, there were no lights at all. I guess that's why we had to go single-file.

There was a pair of bright, jewel-like eyes in front of us. I realized that the source of those eyes was in fact a Sableye.

"Good morning, everyone!" the Sableye exclaimed. "Remember our motto here in the mines: Work will set you free!"

"Work will set us free!" the Pokémon around us all chanted. But I got the feeling they weren't actually drinking the Sableye's Kool-Aid.

"That is right!" the Sableye yelled. "I am Foreman McCormick, and all of you know what your objective is today! Mine, ya tarriers, mine!"

Nobody laughed at that reference to an old song about building the American railroads, and Foreman McCormick cleared his throat a few seconds later.

"Right, so each of you should climb into a harness at the edge of your plot."

I frowned. "Harness? What would we need a harness for? We're on the ground!"

If looks could kill, I would have been a bloody mess before Foreman McCormick.

"You're digging into the ground. Sometimes you will fall through, and then your partner will have to hoist you back up. You work as a team, and you'd do well to remember that!"

I was assigned to the same circular plot as the Tepig. He helped me into my harness, then donned his. "I guess you're new here?" he remarked.

I grimaced.

"Well, I shouldn't say new," the Tepig stated. "I guess it's more accurate to say that you haven't done this job before?"

"You are correct," I muttered.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. The name's Aikan. And yours is…?"

"Owen," I told him.

"Right," Aikan replied. "Anyway, we each have a shovel, and we have to dig out gemstones. We'll be digging holes for the next eight hours…".

"What about our lunch break?"

"There isn't one," Aikan responded simply. "They must really need those gemstones, because it's work all day for us. But that's okay, because work will set us free." (Aikan said those last five words not like he believed them, but rather as though he were mocking the other workers for buying Foreman McCormick's narrative.)

"Great," I muttered. "Just great."

"The digging won't do itself," the Tepig asserted. "Just grab your shovel and get started."

The rope tethered to my harness minimized the ground I could cover; I could only make it slightly more than halfway across the plot. It seemed that Aikan had been granted the other half. I didn't give this much thought as I handled the shovel.

Within seconds, I knew I'd have blisters tomorrow from the effort. That shovel might not have been too heavy from an objective standpoint, but it was different when you were a mere Shinx.

Luckily for me, Aikan didn't seem to notice the trouble I was having with it. That would have likely led to some uncomfortable questions that I didn't want to field.

Eventually, I was able to get a solid grip on the shovel and start digging. The dirt gave way quickly, and I was soon making decent progress.

"Hey, Aikan?" I asked eventually.

The Tepig turned in my direction. "Yes?"

"How deep do I have to dig? Or do I just dig around?"

Aikan shrugged. "It's probably best if you dig further down - that's where the gemstones are likely to be. Arceus didn't hide them close to the surface - I guess we've got to work for them."

"Ha."

The further down I went, the more resistant the dirt became to the shovel. More than once I encountered a rock, which I had to dig around until I was able to excavate it. Still, I was getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.

This went on for some time. It might have been an hour or two - with no clock of any sort, I was left to guess baselessly. Even with my having grown accustomed to the shovel, I was flagging quickly.

After what felt like quite a while, I glanced over to the other side of our plot and noticed that Aikan had a pile of dirt at least twice the size of mine. "Hey, that's not fair!" I quipped.

The Tepig snorted. "You'll get the hang of it eventually" he asserted.

"Maybe" I muttered. No answer from Aikan was forthcoming, so I continued to dig. I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

I don't know what I moved aside, but apparently that was the only thing keeping the ground beneath me stable. The dirt near me collapsed, and so did I!

I screamed as I plummeted in what seemed like slow motion through the hole that had just been created, dirt all around me. For a moment, I wondered how far down this crevasse went.

"I'll get you back up!" I heard Aikan shout, but his voice sounded so far away. That's when I realized that the rope had arrested my fall, and now I was dangling in the darkness.

Speaking of the darkness, I could not see what lay below me. Maybe the cavern was only a couple stories deep, or maybe this hole went all the way down to the Second Level. Either way, I was grateful for Aikan.

With surprising speed that I wouldn't have expected from a Tepig, I rose back to the surface of the hole. It must have only been a minute or two that I was down there, though it felt much longer.

If that's the Second Level, it looks pretty dark down there. I mean, I guess that's what I'd expect, isn't it?

Soon enough, I was back on solid ground. I heard Aikan panting from the exertion.

"Try to be more careful next time," the Tepig remarked.

I frowned. "I did my best. The ground just collapsed, you know?"

"It happens," Aikan conceded. "But that doesn't mean I have to enjoy dragging you back up."

"Fair enough."

After that, both of us went wordlessly back to work. Before long, I was flat-out exhausted, but I knew I still had hours left to go before my shift would be over.

It's no wonder that they sentence criminals to labor like this, I thought bitterly. This sure is a harsh punishment!

At some point, maybe an hour or so later, Foreman McCormick came over to our plot. "How's it going, you two?" he barked.

"Uh…" I began.

"It's going fine!" Aikan exclaimed. "Owen fell through at one point, but I hoisted him back up. That's what partners do, is it not?"

"It is!" Foreman McCormick asserted. Turning to me, he said, "Look, Owen. You'd do well to be careful about which parts you dig - some segments of dirt are more stable than others."

"I had no warning" I stated, which was true.

"Still, just be careful. The more times you fall down, the less time you'll have to find gemstones. The more time you're dangling there, the less you're working, and remember, work will set you free!"

The foreman was about to leave, but I had one more question for him.

"Yes?" the Sableye replied.

"What are we doing this for?" I asked.

Foreman McCormick frowned. "You're doing this because you know, deep down, you deserve to be punished. Why else?"

"I mean," I replied, "what's the point? I know we have to find gems, but why?"

"The gemstones are used to power the light orbs" the foreman stated. This line sounded prepared, manufactured, as though he'd practiced reciting it hundreds of times. Which, admittedly, he probably had. Still, something told me this wasn't true - or at least, not the whole truth.

Still, what choice did I have?

"Get back to work," the Sableye commanded me. "Every minute you talk to me is wasted! Stop slacking off!"

I half-expected the foreman to hit me with a shovel at that moment, even though he wasn't carrying one. Even so, that was all the reason I needed to return to digging - no need to incur the Sableye's wrath. It might make my recent illness feel like a walk in the park.

After another period of time, I finally came across another stone. This one, however, was bright green in color, to the point that it practically glowed in the dark.

"I found one," I muttered. By this point I felt so depleted that even discovering a gem wasn't that exciting.

"Congratulations," Aikan responded. "I've got twelve already."

"Twelve?"

"Yep," the Tepig told me. "I'd show you, but that would probably fall under the heading of slacking off, and Foreman McCormick takes a dim view of that."

"No shit" I muttered under my breath.

Still, to hear Aikan "brag" about having already found twelve gems stung a small amount. I mean, I'd been laboring here for what felt like several hours, and I had found one!

Maybe I should appreciate what I have, I thought. It was at that very moment that a line from the Book of Catastrophes occurred to me: Just because something is good doesn't mean more is better.

"Evidently that doesn't apply to hard labor" I muttered.

Aikan gave me a quizzical look. "What?"

"Nothing" I stated.

"Didn't sound like it was nothing, but okay."

"Whatever." And then I went back to work. Maybe Foreman McCormick was right - work would set me free, especially from having to answer Aikan's question.

I don't know how much time is left in my shift, I realized, but the fact that I have to do this most days for a month is starting to make me hate my life.