There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane Page A

mouth, but I quickly close my lips, suddenly aware he’s staring at them. Under my thin shirt my heart races and my stomach flip-flops in unison. My cheeks get hot, and I cover them with my hands, as a tingle runs under my skin.
    He leans back in his seat and bites his lower lip, still watching me, waiting for something. Does he want me to answer? What would I say—I wonder what his lips would feel like against mine? My face heats up even more—I can’t believe I thought that. I grab my tray and stand up, holding it between us in defense.
    “Let’s go to the lab,”
    “Oh, Greyes,” Evan says, getting up. “You are too easy.”
    We ride the elevator in silence. There’s an electric hum between us, or maybe I just feel that way. I need to know more about him. From the corner of my eye, I stare at his face. The corner of his jaw clenches and releases. For a brief moment, I picture myself grasping the side of his face while my lips press against his, my fingers sliding through his hair and twining into his locks. Sweat breaks across my skin, spreading down my neck. I shake the thought from my head and clear my throat.
    “Where did you come from?”
    “The outside. You know that. You saw me.”
    Another tiny gasp escapes my lips. So he saw me, too. He knows what no one else does, that I was in the clearing.
    I know our ride will end quickly. The elevators at the Axis are nothing if not efficient. “Please, I want to know. Where is your home?”
    “I came from a place very much like this one,” Evan shrugs.
    “Another dome?”
    “You could say that.” His jaw clenches again, but this time it doesn’t let go.
    His answers are vague, but the elevator doors open, interrupting my questions. Evan walks out, leaving me alone. Another dome … I knew there were others. I don’t understand why he would have left his.
    When I walk into the lab, Waldorf waves me over. “Did Roe tell you I would show you the ropes before we leave tomorrow?” he asks kindly.
    “She sure did.” I glance around the lab. Steel tables are arranged in rows, and pairs of scientists work on both sides. Some sit at monitors, probably looking up old reports. Others are cleaning tools. Where Waldorf stands, he has some files open, ready to show me what we’re supposed to do.
    “Great.” Waldorf smiles. “Our department handles retrievals. We go into areas where people once lived and retrieve items that are of use.”
    “There are still cities out there?”
    Waldorf squints from behind his glasses. “Sort of. Most places were annihilated in the war. We have to map out sites, where there once were cities, and then we dig until we find something. Sometimes you can see the outlines of old foundations, but most things of use are hidden in the earth.”
    I look at the open file on the table, where photos of objects lie inside. Some items are familiar, like pots and pans, pieces of jewelry, and old coins; others are photos of things I’ve never seen before, odd shapes and items I can’t see would be of any use; sculptures of faces, paintings of people dressed in weird clothes, and jewelry like my locket.
    “These are all kept in the Hall of Records. Of course, we learn from each item, building off old technology to benefit the residents of our dome.”
    My hand pauses over the photo of a locket like the one in my bag, back in my room.
    “I remember that one.” Waldorf smiles fondly. “Your mother found it. She wanted it cleaned up before your birthday. I brought it back with an early shipment.”
    “That was the last expedition, wasn’t it?”
    “Yes.” Waldorf looks away. “I knew your parents well.”
    “Aren’t you afraid to go back out again? Afraid of the radiation and whatever it was that killed everyone?”
    Waldorf’s eyes grow wide, revealing the red veins that cover his whites. He grabs my arm, squeezing it tight as he leans toward me. His breath makes my nose scrunch up as he spits out his words. “It was radiation that