Excerpt: Never Enough

So many people were already gathered, and more were coming up behind Auberlynn. She could see the top of the Great Doors from where she was, but she was short for being twenty one, and couldn’t see over the heads of those in front of her. Thus, she wouldn’t be able to see who it was that was to come in. There were two hunting parties out right now: one to go East, and the other South. But hardly anyone traveled at night, as the temperature was so cold. Something serious must have happened to have forced one of the parties to return so soon. The first wasn’t to return for another week, and the second at least another two.

Pushing herself up onto her toes, Auberlynn strained to obtain a clear look at the base of the doors. Still not good enough. But she was likely to be hit if she were to attempt to get closer for a better look. So she stayed where she was. Surely it wouldn’t take too long for whoever it was to get through the Tube and to the Great Doors.

As her mind continued to run through the possibilities of what could have happened and who it might be, the massive pieces of metal began to break apart. The sound of them was deafening. Many people around her covered their ears to try to keep the noise out. But it had to fight against the shriek of the alarm, which was still going off around them. People began to press forward, eager to find out what was going on. Auberlynn stood her ground, though tousled this way and that as the crowd surged one way, then the other. Then the doors began to close again, and those who couldn’t see knew that whoever it was had finally made it inside. The Great Doors scraped to a halt, winding and molding themselves back together to keep out the world, and in that same instant the alarm ceased. Everything was unremarkably silent.