Free INK: Red (INK Trilogy Book 1) by Al K. Line Page A

don't.
    "Wait, just a minute." Edsel ran into a WH Smiths and came back out a minute later, stuffing a spiral-bound map into his now bulging backpack. "Okay, lead the way Superman. You've heard of him, right?"
    "Duh. Everyone knows about Superman."
    "Right, sorry."
    Cheeky bugger.
    "Who, me?" said Aiden, obviously still listening in now and then.
    Edsel couldn't help but smile.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    DEEP
    "What is this place?"
    "It's part of the railway. I never went on a train though, not a moving one anyway. But it's safe, it's hard to find people in The Noise through all the concrete. It needs to be all around you to hide you, so I thought this would be a good idea."
    Smart kid.
    "Nice thinking dude, good job."
    It was a vast tunnel, absolutely huge. Part of the massive rejuvenation project where networks of underground trains were to revolutionize travel around not only the city itself but would link up with high speed above ground railways from both the north and south of the country — bringing life and commerce back to the north. Much of the preliminary work for the network had been completed, but as The Lethargy took hold it all came to a total standstill — it would never be finished now.
    This place is incredible, amazing what people could do. How come we all reverted to animals so quickly when we had it in us to be so much more?
    They'd moved fast across just a few streets, praying that they wouldn't be seen or sensed if there were any Awoken in the area, then it was down shiny steps that never saw the footsteps of the millions of passengers that were expected. Once past the unfinished ticket booths and spaces for the obligatory concession stands and ever-present brand coffee shops, they came to a huge escalator with the wrapping still on, eerie with its lack of movement. They moved deeper and deeper into the unfinished, still raw tunnels until they were in the huge empty space that was to be Manchester's pride and glory, only it wasn't. Rails weren't laid, trains never ran, and for a short while it had become a refuge for those who found life above ground too dangerous. There was a sense of peace and safety, and the clever natural lighting system by a series of reflective devices meant the main areas and platforms were perfect for those trying to escape the madness above.
    Most died eventually, hiding away, hoping life would somehow get better.
    "Time?"
    "Half four now."
    "Okay, listen, we need to talk and I need you to listen. I have to take my clothes off and smear this gel on. It ain't going to be pretty but I could really do with a little help. Just on my back, if you don't mind. This Ink is killing me, I feel like a crispy duck I'm so frazzled. And we have to get food. I don't know about you but I'm totally famished. I had a load back at my house, but there wasn't any time. We'll have to move again soon, get food from somewhere, if you're up for it?"
    "I'm up for it," smiled Aiden. "How bad are the tattoos? My dad told me about what The Eventuals do, they want all people to die, right?"
    "Yeah, their leader — Varik, he set it up, it got out of hand really quickly. Anyway, he, they, all of them, believe that The Lethargy was like a message from God or something, that people need to become extinct. So they try to convert you, and if they can't then they kill you. They think nature should rule, and anything man-made is blasphemous and wrong. It's mostly full of suicidal people that have lost everything, or those that are so scared of getting The Lethargy that it all just kind of makes sense to them."
    "But why are they all red? Why did they do it to you?"
    "Because their leader got burned in a horrible fire, so the story goes, so they do it to show their commitment, and they see it as a way to strip their identity, the same as they aren't allowed to keep their names, just have a random set of letters assigned to them. They're bonkers in other words."
    Aiden looked worried. "So you were joining them? You