Wednesday, November 18, 2009
pride and prejudice and zombies
This is about someone else's writing. Am reading pride and prejudice and zombies and wonder what ever happened to Mrs. Collins?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Nov 5
“Bub-bye dumb boy,” said Crinae.
“See yah never,” said Hyla.
After the giggles we got back to practice again. We were all in a good mood and I felt like I was getting somewhere with my training. Then it was time to go home.
Sometimes I felt guilty about having fun when my family had been ripped apart. Sometimes I felt I shouldn’t laugh or enjoy my day. Then it means I’m not doing anything to help. I catch myself giggling and I wonder if Elody, dad or mum are somewhere in pain and here I am not doing anything.
Crinae, I’m not sure if she feels the same way. I think she does but she’s younger. She knows she can talk to me about things if she really needs too. At least I hope she knows this. Who I can talk to? Maybe after the evening meal I’ll talk to Joanna.
At Solomon’s and Joanna’s I set the table and prepared a salad. I never had a salad before. There were all sorts of vegetables I had never heard of before. I ate a cucumber and lettuce and even a piece of aubergine. I didn’t like that too much but swallowed it down. I was brought up never to waste a food.
When the meal was finished I went over to Joanna.
“Would you mind talking with me for a bit please?” I asked.
“Why certainly,” she answered. “Want to take a walk?”
A walk was welcome. Joanna and I strolled through the passageway and I asked a few questions about the place. I was getting up the nerve to ask the real questions. The hard questions.
She took me down several flights of stairs and I felt as if we were descending deep into the heart of the cave system. I could hear water – not trickling or a faint sound but a roar. It shocked me and Joanna could tell.
“That’s an underground river,” she told me. “It’s been here longer than any of us.”
“Aeternians or regulars?”
Joanna laughed.
“Humans,” she said. “We’re all humans. Some of us have things we can do differently but never forget – you’re a human too. I think that’s what Sebastian has failed to remember. He thinks aeternians can give him everlasting life. If he knew the truth he would leave us alone.”
“Was it always like this?” I questioned. “My parents didn’t tell me about being an aeternian until I found out myself.”
“No, it wasn’t always like this. We were never hunted for our skills in the past but we were never fully accepted either. Aeterinans have been called many things throughout history. We’ve been witches and warlock and even dragons and wizards. Society has never let us be us.”
“Why?”
Joanna shrugged her shoulders.
“Because we are human and it’s in our nature to be jealous of one another.”
The water noise had drown out Joanna’s speech. We were standing above a giant rushing and gushing river. It was spectacular. I could feel the breeze from the moving water and it was beautiful.
“Thought you would like this,” said Joanna with a smile. “This is a natural source – nothing to do with aeterians. There are probably other sources in other caves around the world. It’ll help water and heal the land.”
Standing there looking at the force I felt proud that I was associated with this strong force of nature. It inspired me to keep learning all I could about my abilities.
“I need to find my family!” I yelled to Joanna over the din. “I need to find them now!”
Joanna motioned for us to climb back up. The steps were a bit slippery because of the water spray.
“I need to find my family,” I repeated. “Waiting around is driving me crazy.”
“I know darling,” soothed Joanna. “But it’s not the right time yet. You hardly know how to use your skills. Like Solomon told you before, you need to be able to control your abilities before you can be any help to anyone else. Do you want them to take Crinae next?”
“No,” I said.
“They will,” Joanna warned. “If you’re not prepared the riders will grab Crinae and then you will loose her. You don’t want to loose her.”
“No,” I admitted.
“Hold out for another few weeks. Learn all you can and practice all you can. Use Hyla, use me, use anyone you can as a training partner. Encourage Crinae too. She needs to be just as ready as you are. Can you do this?”
“I can do this,” I said, with what I hoped was conviction.
“Great! Let’s get back.”
Neither Hyla nor Crinae wanted to know where we had been. They continued with a card game they started with Solomon when Joanna and I returned. I was buzzing with energy and couldn’t stay still. I wanted to cram as much practice in as I could so I decided to go to the training room solo.
Practice and practice and practice. Train, train, train. That’s all I did until Hyla came to fetch me.
“Solomon told me to tell you that’s enough for now,” repeated Hyla. “I’d be tired if I was you.”
“I’m not,” I said. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“He said now,” Hyla ordered.
“Ah, OK.”
I got my things together and we left. I was more at ease anyway because of the talk I had had with Joanna. There was a plan and part of the plan involved me.
Climbing into bed I realized I was tired. I was exhausted. Getting up tomorrow wouldn’t be a problem though, I wanted to learn. I closed my eyes and had a great sleep. Finally.
--
Crinae and I had an uneventful morning and at class we were improving. Even Mr. Cho gave us a smile or two to show his approval. I was way more relaxed and so was my sister. At the end of the day when we were leaving he gave us a high five and told us to keep up the good work.
“Maybe we’ll move into another class without the babies,” Crinae suggested when we were walking home.
“Don’t think so,” I said. “Still got lots more stuff to learn.”
“Whatever. Hey, think we can go outside for a bit?”
“As long as we go out the front. I think we can.”
Aeternians like Crinae can build sunlight so we get vitamin D and all that stuff so we weren’t in dire need of real light. Being raised virtually and living outside everyday of your life, you kind of miss fresh air and orange-tinted sky.
There was one place where we allowed access to the outdoors. This was a space highly guarded by the settlers. If there was any sort of threat from riders everyone was ushered inside.
The park was tiny and consisted of hard packed dirt sunken several metres below an entrance in a hill. Five sentinels were on top of the rise and walked the perimeter. When anything moved on the opposite side, they were responsible for getting us back under ground.
Emerging from the cave and into the park was an experience in itself. There were people going in and people going out and no one was polite.
“Ouch,” I gruffly told a man who stepped on my foot. He grunted at me. Didn’t even say he was sorry. Jerk.
Crinae got pushed up into a wall and I had to grab her hand and pull her along with me. I ended up stepping on someone’s else’s’ foot in the fray. At least I apologized.
In the yard crowds were milling around. There had to be at least one thousand people out here. It was standing room only, actually running room because that’s what many were doing. Jogging.
Crinae and I started to trot too. It felt great to be in the open air and breathe in the faint ordour of charred earth. If you’re lucky, you can’t smell the acid that coats the air during various times. The stench is worse during the warm season, which used to be summer. There are only two times of the year now – hot and slightly hotter.
A few minutes of running and I had had enough. Crinae wanted to keep going.
“Come on!” she said. “Let’s go faster.”
I didn’t want to but also didn’t want to leave her alone. I submitted to her request.
Huffing and puffing some more minutes later I had had more than enough.
“That’s it,” I ordered. “Stop.”
“Ah,” she whined.
“It’s time for homework anyway,” I told her.
“Homework!” she exclaimed. “Mr. Cho told us it’s not due until three days from now.”
“But we’re finishing ours now. Then we’re going to get more until we’re done learning all we can learn. Let’s go.”
I ran to get back into the caves and Crinae followed me. We shoved and pushed our way through the throngs at the door and then took a left to hopefully get to the training room.
“We are going the right way right?” queried my sister.
“Sure,” I said confidently. “I’m pretty sure anyway.”
All the corridors were feeling familiar. Taking a corner though we almost ended outside again. I could see light streaming in from a doorway.
“Let’s take a peek,” I told Crinae.
“I don’t think we should,” she said warily. “What if we get in trouble like last time?”
“Stay here if you’re scared,” I told her. She did. I crept up to the door and carefully opened it. I think it was an overflow door for the park because I could hear the people and a sentinel’s shadow went over me.
There wasn’t much to look at seeing as one side lead to the park and the other side looked over a cliff. Hey, wait a second. Straight down at the bottom of the cliff there was a path. Who was on that path? Dodney and his mother.
Moving slowly they were pushing a cart in front of them. It was loaded with some much stuff the pair was having a hard time getting it up the small incline. If they couldn’t even get it up that hill, how were they going to get it out of the mountains?
They were too far away to see the look on their faces. The slow way they were moving though made me sad. Like they were trudging to some place they didn’t want to go. Dodney’s shoulders were slumped. So were Fujita’s.
I didn’t want to remember them this way. I moved away from the door, shut it and went back to Crinae.
“What’s there?” she asked.
“Um, nothing.”
“You were there for a long time. I was about to go get you.”
“Yeah, well, there was nothing there. Come on, let’s get back.”
We found our way to the training room and Hyla. Started our homework and practiced until it was time to go eat. Hyla didn’t notice that I was quiet. Perhaps she thought I was focused on my task. Crinae noticed. She didn’t say anything to me.
At supper there was more silence. Not only from me. Solomon broke the quietness with a cough. Joanna put out her hand and touched his arm.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” he said, brushing her off. “Fine. I’m a little run down. All the stress of today is getting to me. Need some sleep? That’s all.”
He went back to his meal. I was curious to know what he was talking about. He didn’t seem like telling us. I wondered if it had to do with Dodney and his mother leaving. I brought it up.
“Saw Dodney and Fujita leaving today.”
Solomon stopped chewing. Stared at me. Then started to chew again. Spoke through clenched teeth.
“The exodus has begun. Seven people left Nakimu today. I had to let seven people walk to their deaths. Seven people.”
Joanna reached out to her husband once again and cararressed his back.
“It wasn’t you,” she said. “It was their choice. Not yours.”
Solomon shook his head. Took a drink of water and excused himself from the table.
Joanna watched him go and then addressed us.
“He’s tired. He’ll be OK in the morning. Finish you meal.”
We did and then Joanna left to join Solomon. Hyla and I cleaned up while Crinae read a book. Then it was time for us to go to sleep too.
Throughout the next week things flowed into a routine. There was school and then homework and then bed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Crinae and I learned so much I didn’t think I had anymore room inside my brain.
Not only did I have to know how to control the water works, I also had to remember what Crinae and everyone else could do. As well, Mr. Cho taught us more about the history of aeternians. I knew little about what I was.
The teacher told us aeternians’ skills were around since the beginning of time. In the ancient world the Greeks and Romans called us dryads or nymphs. In Japan we were the kodama. In Scotland we were the Ghillie Dhu.
As the planet progressed, our skills made us targets for accusations of witchcraft. Witchfinders were actually tasked in England in the 17th century to seek out sorcerers. When we were found it usually always meant death.
The witch-hunt forced us underground and to keep our secrets. Since modern life was improving and there were many ways to put food on the table without having to grow it ourselves, our abilities weren’t put to the test anymore.
“Many aeternians don’t know they have any skills at all,” explained Mr. Cho. “Their families have chosen to forget what they are and haven’t handed down the knowledge.”
That statement struck home. If I hadn’t been forced to defend myself against the waterstealers, I probably still wouldn’t know I was an aeternian.
Mr. Cho said our skills should have advanced over the thousands of years. However, when we stopped practicing and learning – we stopping increasing our expertise and instead, slid backwards.
“The abilities are impossible to lose,” clarified Mr. Cho. “They’re bonded to our DNA.”
The language of science was easier for me to understand. My parents had made sure my sisters and I knew the basics of the human body. I could follow what my teacher was telling me.
“Epigenetics is a big word,” said Mr. Cho. “It’s an even bigger concept. It’s a natural process that hasn’t been studied to its fullest potential. Basically, it’s changes to genetic sequencing without changes to DNA. What your grandparents and they’re parents and so on experienced before you has made modifications in your gene pool.
“Let’s say one of your ancestors’s lived through a famine. Her body would imprint this information and when she had children, the change would express itself epigenetically. Does this make any sense?”
It was sort of making some kind of sense to me. I thought maybe if I described for Crinae she might get it too.
“This is what I understand,” I told Mr. Cho. “DNA is the building blocks of life. DNA is what makes us human. Epigenetics is what makes us aeternians.”
Mr. Cho nodded in agreement so I carried on.
“Epigenetics is experiences. My parents and their parents have the aeternian cell code and have passed it to me and my sisters.”
“Very good Naia,” praised Mr. Cho. “I think you have the makings of a teacher.”
“Our mother is a teacher,” piped up Crinae.
“That must be why you’re so smart,” said Mr. Cho to Crinae.
“She left us,” Crinae added.
“Oh!” Mr. Cho was flustered. “I’m sure she’ll come back.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said flatly.
It was hard for me wrestling with my emotions over my mother. I did the “what ifs” over and over in my head.
What if she had been around when the riders had arrived to look for us?
What if she had been there to protect Elody?
What if she was part of the resistance?
What if she had already freed dad and Elody?
What if she was dead too?
What if, what if, what if…?
When Crinae and I were alone I asked her why she brought up mum’s disappearance in front of Mr. Cho.
“You guys were talking about parents and grandparents and I couldn’t help think about mum. I wanted to tell Mr. Cho that we didn’t have a mother so maybe this epi-whatever wouldn’t work on us.”
At this point I knew Crinae hadn’t understood a word the teacher and I had been saying. Although she did understand one thing – what our mother did had made an affect on us.
Each day when we went through Nakimu we witnessed people moving out. Some folks carried their possessions on their backs, some had carts piled with valuables and some had nothing more than a bag full of food. The departures were constant and I was beginning to wonder who would be left.
At another community meeting there were more inhabitants left than I had imagined. Solomon told the crowd only about one hundred people were gone.
“Others are scheduled to leave. Has anyone heard anything from Fujita? She left with her son about a month ago for the new city.”
Rumblings started through the crowd. No, no one had heard from Fujita. In fact, no one had heard from anyone making their way to Sebastian’s metropolis. This inspired another emotional plea from John.
“Don’t you see now how big a mistake going to the new city is?” he shouted. “Can’t you see you’re falling into a trap?”
A woman from the assembly stood up.
“Maybe it’s taking them longer to get there? Roads aren’t what they used to be and if they had to cross the ocean who knows what kind of ship they were on.”
Another man spoke out.
“The ocean is a lot wider too. It could take months to get from here to Europe.”
“Don’t be foolish!” John scoffed. “They’ve been picked up by the riders and flown to Europe. There’s no way Sebastian is going to let aeternians go freely at their own pace. He wants us and wants us as prisoners. Not cruise passengers.”
“I thought there wasn’t any fuel for aircrafts left?” queried a man in the corner.
“Are you kidding me?” said an incredulous John. “That’s what the worldgov wants you to believe. They have fuel. They have everything and anything you and I used to have before the wars. They just don’t want us and the regulars to have it.”
Again the room filled with chitterchatter. I saw the pain in John’s eyes and the clenched fists when he was telling the settlers about Sebastian. He was fighting for their lives. Unfortunately, lots of them didn’t care.
Then a woman walked into the chamber and changed everything. She held up a piece of paper.
“They’ve arrived! They’ve arrived!” she announced jubilantly. “Fujita and her son are safe and well in new city.”
The woman was rushed by people wanting to hear all about it. Solomon held up his hand to control the crowd but they weren’t having it. He took a seat and waited for the lunacy to slow.
Finally the woman emerged out of the mass and went to the front of the room.
“My name is Vesta. I’m good friends with Fujita and she told me I would be the first to hear the good news.
“She sent me this letter via the companions. She said new city is brilliant and wonderful and she’s found a home she feels she can raise Dodney properly in.
“Fujita wants us all to know we can come to new city anytime. She said the companions will help us get there. Sebastian is waiting for us and wants to fulfill our every needs and wants. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and go. Go!”
With that exuberant order the half of the room that hadn’t mobbed Vesta jumped to their feet. There was lots of clapping and cheering and laughing and one man broke out into a jig.
John and a few others didn’t move from their seats. They stared glumly at the merrymakers. Solomon seemed to be made of stone too. He didn’t move even when a couple of folks approached him with smiles.
As for me, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the spirit of the moment. I too wanted to dance around only because it looked like fun. However, my instincts kicked in and told me this occasion was nothing worth celebrating. It was a strange reaction.
Crinae and Hyla were busy watching all the hijinxs. We had to get up and move because we were about to get run over by the throng.
“Let’s go get Solomon,” I suggested.
I grabbed Solomon’s hand and he stood up.
“Well girls,” he said. “Guess it’s time to go.”
He dropped us off at our rooms and told us to go inside.
“There are things I have to straighten out,” he said. “Tell Joanna I’ll be back soon.”
“Sure,” replied Crinae.
Usually Joanna is at the meetings and I didn’t know why she wouldn’t have been at this one. She was preoccupied when we went in through the door. She barely lifted her head to say hello.
“Solomon told us to tell you he’ll be back shortly,” mentioned Crinae.
“Thanks,” mumbled Joanna and she went back to the maps she was studying.
Hyla peeked over Joanna’s shoulder to see what she was scrutinizing. Joanna moved the papers out of the young girl’s sight.
“Would you girls please go to the training room?” she requested. “I have some work here that has to be done.”
“Sure,” replied Crinae and we left.
Almost every chamber we passed had people packing. They seemed to be in a hurry to get out of Nakimu and get to new city.
“This is weird,” I said. “There’s going to be no one left in this whole place.”
“Good,” clipped Hyla. “It’s time to get rid of the people who don’t belong.”
Since we were relinquished to the training room we didn’t want to do anything other than sit around. We should have been practicing or at least reading up on our skills but we didn’t. Instead we lolled around.
“I’m bored,” said Crinae.
“Draw a picture then,” said Hyla.
“Don’t want to.”
“Then shut up.”
That made me slightly angry.
“Don’t tell my sister to shut up,” I said with a hard edge.
“You shut up too,” retorted Hyla.
What was with that girl? She was purposely trying to pick a fight with us. And if she thinks I won’t do battle with her, she’s got another thing coming.
“You shut up,” I said back.
“Alight I will.”
For the next hour Hyla wouldn’t say anything. She was giving us the silent treatment. I don’t know which is worse – having someone tell you off or having someone pretend you don’t exist.
“Oh come on Hyla,” I pleaded. “Stop this.”
Nope. She wouldn’t. Not a word escaped from her lips. She actually turned around and sat facing the wall so we couldn’t see her.
“Fine,” I said. “Have it your way. Crinae, let’s play tic tac toe.”
That’s when I noticed Hyla’s shoulders shaking. Like she was crying. I wasn’t going to ask her what was wrong since she wasn’t even talking to me. However, she started to sob and I had to ask.
“What’s wrong?”
“You don’t get it,” Hyla said shakily. “You don’t at all.”
“Ah – I don’t get what?”
“You and Crinae have each other. You still have family. I have no one.”
“You have your dad,” said Crinae.
“No I don’t!”
Hyla whipped around and faced us. Her eyes flashing.
“My father is probably dead. Just like my mother. The riders got her and I know they got my dad.”
“They got my baby sister and dad too,” I said, “and probably my mother too.”
“But you still have Crinae. If you guys decide to go to new city, you’ll leave me and then I’ll have no one.”
So that’s what this was all about. She thought we were going to new city without her.
“There’s no way we’re moving to new city,” I told her. “No way at all. How could you even think that?”
“Because it all sounds so good.”
“It sounds good but it’s too good to be true,” I said. “We’re staying here. Besides, we’ll never leave you.”
Hyla stopped sniffling and dried her tears with her shirt.
“Are you positive you’ll never leave me?”
“You have our word. We promise you. Right Crinae?
“Right.”
“I think we should leave this room,” I said, making Hyla smile.
“We should see who is leaving,” she proposed.
“Yep. Let’s go.”
At the front entrance we climbed up a wall and sat on a ledge. We were still sitting inside the caves but could see out into the sunlight. Adam was at the opening and winked when he saw us. We didn’t dare set foot outside after that.
At this point it was just a trickle of settlers leaving. They walked into the orange dust filled air with their belongings. A couple bid farewell to Adam. He tipped his hat to them. Only one person stopped, looked back towards the cave, hesitated…and then kept going.
I wonder what his intuition was telling him. He should have listened to it.
A few kids from our class went by. We waved to them. They waved back. It was hard to tell if they were excited about their trip or just following their parents. Anyway, Mr. Cho wasn’t going to have a lot of students tomorrow.
A flicker against the side of a hill caught my attention. It also caught Adam’s. I saw him turn towards the movement.
“Did you guys see that too?” I question Crinae and Hyla.
“See what?”
“Out there,” I pointed. “Over to the left of that hill, near the trail.”
“Silly, that’s people,” scoffed Hyla.
But it wasn’t. I could see the movers. It was too small to be a person. Too small to be a rider. Maybe it was a child who was running around.
Adam took out a pair of binoculars and was scanning the mountain. Then he took off running. For a big man, he ran fast and silently. We watched him speed off into the distance until he was just a flicker himself.
He walked back with something struggling behind him. Something small. As Adam got closer and closer I could see what it was. Who it was.
Trunken.
I think I gasped aloud. Both Crinae and Hyla turned to me.
“What?” asked Crinae. “What is it?”
“Don’t you see who it is?” I asked Hyla quickly.
“No,” she said.
“It’s Trunken!” I remarked.
“The waterstealer?”
“No, Trunken the fairy.” I said sarcastically. “Of course Trunken the waterstealer.”
“Oh no,” Hyla breathed. “We have to get out of her.”
Too late. Adam was at the gate with the thrashing troll. Trunken appeared more grotesque than I had remembered him. He was also howling and rasping bad words to Adam.
“Shut up,” growled Adam. “Unless you know what’s good for you.”
The waterstealer unleashed another torrent of verbal abuse on Adam as he brought him through the door. Just as the two passed us, Crinae kicked a rock over the side of the ledge.
Trunken looked up. Saw us.
“Oh,” he said in a nauseating sweet voice. “Hello there. I’ve met you lovely ladies before.”
His voice, his manner, him – he made me want to throw up. There was no way I was going to answer him. Adam spoke for us.
“Leave them alone,” he ordered.
“Ok, Ok,” simpered Trunken. “I was only being nice.”
Our eyes locked as Adam dragged the waterstealer down the corridor. They faded away in the darkness of the tunnel.
The scene made me shiver. Trunken was one of the most frightening things I had ever encountered. I think I’d rather be taken by a rider than that waterstealer.
“How creepy is that thing?” said Crinae.
She had never had to see Trunken. I kept her hidden from him on the trail. I wish I could have hidden her from him this time too.
“He’s very creepy,” Hyla and I agreed.
The fun of watching the settlers had waned. The sight of Trunken had drained all energy and I was tired. I wanted to go to sleep.
“Let’s go” I said. And we did.
==
Arriving at Solomon’s and Joanna’s no one was around. They probably were with Adam questioning Trunken. Kathleen did visit and prepared us a meal. She wouldn’t tell us where the couple was.
“I’m supposed to tell you to go to sleep now,” she said. “I’ll be by in the morning to help you get ready for school.”
“Good night,” we all told her and went to bed.
I couldn’t fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes a vision of Trunken would appear. I tossed and turned until Crinae hit me.
“Stop it!” she complained. Then turned over and fell asleep again.
I calmed down and willed all the mental pictures of the waterstealer to vanish. They did and I got a chance to drift off until morning.
Kathleen got us up and fed and washed and to school. She still wasn’t giving us any idea where and what Solomon and Joanna were doing. I assumed they must be tied up with the Trunken ordeal somehow.
Class was indeed small. Enrollment had dropped from 25 to 12. Mr. Cho appeared pale and his eyes were puffy. He hadn’t had much sleep either.
We still had instruction throughout the day but towards the end he called us together.
“This is the last day of school for a few days,” he said. “There are going to be changes made to the curriculum and I had to be in meetings with your parents to see what is appropriate. Until then, I am going to give you homework that I expect you to do finish for next week. Got it?”
We all nodded. This was not the time to groan about homework.
“I want you all to do lessons 86 to 92. These are defensive exercises including fire, water, wind and earth. You must have supervision with these tutorials. It must be a grown up. Good luck.”
We had skipped lessons 30 to 85. Why was Mr. Cho doing this? There was no time for questions as Mr. Cho dismissed the class and hurriedly left the room.
Crinae and I left too and went home. Solomon and Joanna were there too and I was glad to see them. I gave them both a big hug when I saw them.
“I’m glad to see you too Naia,” said Joanna. “Sorry we were away for so long. There’s a lot to do right now.”
Solomon was back to normal and his booming voice asked us if we had been good girls.
“Yep!” said Crinae.
Solomon patted her on the head and told her to go get a drink of water for him. While she was out of the room Solomon had some questions for me.
“Adam told me that goblin of a creature Trunken said he knew you and Hyla. How is that?”
“Trunken’s a waterstealer,” I told him.
“See yah never,” said Hyla.
After the giggles we got back to practice again. We were all in a good mood and I felt like I was getting somewhere with my training. Then it was time to go home.
Sometimes I felt guilty about having fun when my family had been ripped apart. Sometimes I felt I shouldn’t laugh or enjoy my day. Then it means I’m not doing anything to help. I catch myself giggling and I wonder if Elody, dad or mum are somewhere in pain and here I am not doing anything.
Crinae, I’m not sure if she feels the same way. I think she does but she’s younger. She knows she can talk to me about things if she really needs too. At least I hope she knows this. Who I can talk to? Maybe after the evening meal I’ll talk to Joanna.
At Solomon’s and Joanna’s I set the table and prepared a salad. I never had a salad before. There were all sorts of vegetables I had never heard of before. I ate a cucumber and lettuce and even a piece of aubergine. I didn’t like that too much but swallowed it down. I was brought up never to waste a food.
When the meal was finished I went over to Joanna.
“Would you mind talking with me for a bit please?” I asked.
“Why certainly,” she answered. “Want to take a walk?”
A walk was welcome. Joanna and I strolled through the passageway and I asked a few questions about the place. I was getting up the nerve to ask the real questions. The hard questions.
She took me down several flights of stairs and I felt as if we were descending deep into the heart of the cave system. I could hear water – not trickling or a faint sound but a roar. It shocked me and Joanna could tell.
“That’s an underground river,” she told me. “It’s been here longer than any of us.”
“Aeternians or regulars?”
Joanna laughed.
“Humans,” she said. “We’re all humans. Some of us have things we can do differently but never forget – you’re a human too. I think that’s what Sebastian has failed to remember. He thinks aeternians can give him everlasting life. If he knew the truth he would leave us alone.”
“Was it always like this?” I questioned. “My parents didn’t tell me about being an aeternian until I found out myself.”
“No, it wasn’t always like this. We were never hunted for our skills in the past but we were never fully accepted either. Aeterinans have been called many things throughout history. We’ve been witches and warlock and even dragons and wizards. Society has never let us be us.”
“Why?”
Joanna shrugged her shoulders.
“Because we are human and it’s in our nature to be jealous of one another.”
The water noise had drown out Joanna’s speech. We were standing above a giant rushing and gushing river. It was spectacular. I could feel the breeze from the moving water and it was beautiful.
“Thought you would like this,” said Joanna with a smile. “This is a natural source – nothing to do with aeterians. There are probably other sources in other caves around the world. It’ll help water and heal the land.”
Standing there looking at the force I felt proud that I was associated with this strong force of nature. It inspired me to keep learning all I could about my abilities.
“I need to find my family!” I yelled to Joanna over the din. “I need to find them now!”
Joanna motioned for us to climb back up. The steps were a bit slippery because of the water spray.
“I need to find my family,” I repeated. “Waiting around is driving me crazy.”
“I know darling,” soothed Joanna. “But it’s not the right time yet. You hardly know how to use your skills. Like Solomon told you before, you need to be able to control your abilities before you can be any help to anyone else. Do you want them to take Crinae next?”
“No,” I said.
“They will,” Joanna warned. “If you’re not prepared the riders will grab Crinae and then you will loose her. You don’t want to loose her.”
“No,” I admitted.
“Hold out for another few weeks. Learn all you can and practice all you can. Use Hyla, use me, use anyone you can as a training partner. Encourage Crinae too. She needs to be just as ready as you are. Can you do this?”
“I can do this,” I said, with what I hoped was conviction.
“Great! Let’s get back.”
Neither Hyla nor Crinae wanted to know where we had been. They continued with a card game they started with Solomon when Joanna and I returned. I was buzzing with energy and couldn’t stay still. I wanted to cram as much practice in as I could so I decided to go to the training room solo.
Practice and practice and practice. Train, train, train. That’s all I did until Hyla came to fetch me.
“Solomon told me to tell you that’s enough for now,” repeated Hyla. “I’d be tired if I was you.”
“I’m not,” I said. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“He said now,” Hyla ordered.
“Ah, OK.”
I got my things together and we left. I was more at ease anyway because of the talk I had had with Joanna. There was a plan and part of the plan involved me.
Climbing into bed I realized I was tired. I was exhausted. Getting up tomorrow wouldn’t be a problem though, I wanted to learn. I closed my eyes and had a great sleep. Finally.
--
Crinae and I had an uneventful morning and at class we were improving. Even Mr. Cho gave us a smile or two to show his approval. I was way more relaxed and so was my sister. At the end of the day when we were leaving he gave us a high five and told us to keep up the good work.
“Maybe we’ll move into another class without the babies,” Crinae suggested when we were walking home.
“Don’t think so,” I said. “Still got lots more stuff to learn.”
“Whatever. Hey, think we can go outside for a bit?”
“As long as we go out the front. I think we can.”
Aeternians like Crinae can build sunlight so we get vitamin D and all that stuff so we weren’t in dire need of real light. Being raised virtually and living outside everyday of your life, you kind of miss fresh air and orange-tinted sky.
There was one place where we allowed access to the outdoors. This was a space highly guarded by the settlers. If there was any sort of threat from riders everyone was ushered inside.
The park was tiny and consisted of hard packed dirt sunken several metres below an entrance in a hill. Five sentinels were on top of the rise and walked the perimeter. When anything moved on the opposite side, they were responsible for getting us back under ground.
Emerging from the cave and into the park was an experience in itself. There were people going in and people going out and no one was polite.
“Ouch,” I gruffly told a man who stepped on my foot. He grunted at me. Didn’t even say he was sorry. Jerk.
Crinae got pushed up into a wall and I had to grab her hand and pull her along with me. I ended up stepping on someone’s else’s’ foot in the fray. At least I apologized.
In the yard crowds were milling around. There had to be at least one thousand people out here. It was standing room only, actually running room because that’s what many were doing. Jogging.
Crinae and I started to trot too. It felt great to be in the open air and breathe in the faint ordour of charred earth. If you’re lucky, you can’t smell the acid that coats the air during various times. The stench is worse during the warm season, which used to be summer. There are only two times of the year now – hot and slightly hotter.
A few minutes of running and I had had enough. Crinae wanted to keep going.
“Come on!” she said. “Let’s go faster.”
I didn’t want to but also didn’t want to leave her alone. I submitted to her request.
Huffing and puffing some more minutes later I had had more than enough.
“That’s it,” I ordered. “Stop.”
“Ah,” she whined.
“It’s time for homework anyway,” I told her.
“Homework!” she exclaimed. “Mr. Cho told us it’s not due until three days from now.”
“But we’re finishing ours now. Then we’re going to get more until we’re done learning all we can learn. Let’s go.”
I ran to get back into the caves and Crinae followed me. We shoved and pushed our way through the throngs at the door and then took a left to hopefully get to the training room.
“We are going the right way right?” queried my sister.
“Sure,” I said confidently. “I’m pretty sure anyway.”
All the corridors were feeling familiar. Taking a corner though we almost ended outside again. I could see light streaming in from a doorway.
“Let’s take a peek,” I told Crinae.
“I don’t think we should,” she said warily. “What if we get in trouble like last time?”
“Stay here if you’re scared,” I told her. She did. I crept up to the door and carefully opened it. I think it was an overflow door for the park because I could hear the people and a sentinel’s shadow went over me.
There wasn’t much to look at seeing as one side lead to the park and the other side looked over a cliff. Hey, wait a second. Straight down at the bottom of the cliff there was a path. Who was on that path? Dodney and his mother.
Moving slowly they were pushing a cart in front of them. It was loaded with some much stuff the pair was having a hard time getting it up the small incline. If they couldn’t even get it up that hill, how were they going to get it out of the mountains?
They were too far away to see the look on their faces. The slow way they were moving though made me sad. Like they were trudging to some place they didn’t want to go. Dodney’s shoulders were slumped. So were Fujita’s.
I didn’t want to remember them this way. I moved away from the door, shut it and went back to Crinae.
“What’s there?” she asked.
“Um, nothing.”
“You were there for a long time. I was about to go get you.”
“Yeah, well, there was nothing there. Come on, let’s get back.”
We found our way to the training room and Hyla. Started our homework and practiced until it was time to go eat. Hyla didn’t notice that I was quiet. Perhaps she thought I was focused on my task. Crinae noticed. She didn’t say anything to me.
At supper there was more silence. Not only from me. Solomon broke the quietness with a cough. Joanna put out her hand and touched his arm.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” he said, brushing her off. “Fine. I’m a little run down. All the stress of today is getting to me. Need some sleep? That’s all.”
He went back to his meal. I was curious to know what he was talking about. He didn’t seem like telling us. I wondered if it had to do with Dodney and his mother leaving. I brought it up.
“Saw Dodney and Fujita leaving today.”
Solomon stopped chewing. Stared at me. Then started to chew again. Spoke through clenched teeth.
“The exodus has begun. Seven people left Nakimu today. I had to let seven people walk to their deaths. Seven people.”
Joanna reached out to her husband once again and cararressed his back.
“It wasn’t you,” she said. “It was their choice. Not yours.”
Solomon shook his head. Took a drink of water and excused himself from the table.
Joanna watched him go and then addressed us.
“He’s tired. He’ll be OK in the morning. Finish you meal.”
We did and then Joanna left to join Solomon. Hyla and I cleaned up while Crinae read a book. Then it was time for us to go to sleep too.
Throughout the next week things flowed into a routine. There was school and then homework and then bed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Crinae and I learned so much I didn’t think I had anymore room inside my brain.
Not only did I have to know how to control the water works, I also had to remember what Crinae and everyone else could do. As well, Mr. Cho taught us more about the history of aeternians. I knew little about what I was.
The teacher told us aeternians’ skills were around since the beginning of time. In the ancient world the Greeks and Romans called us dryads or nymphs. In Japan we were the kodama. In Scotland we were the Ghillie Dhu.
As the planet progressed, our skills made us targets for accusations of witchcraft. Witchfinders were actually tasked in England in the 17th century to seek out sorcerers. When we were found it usually always meant death.
The witch-hunt forced us underground and to keep our secrets. Since modern life was improving and there were many ways to put food on the table without having to grow it ourselves, our abilities weren’t put to the test anymore.
“Many aeternians don’t know they have any skills at all,” explained Mr. Cho. “Their families have chosen to forget what they are and haven’t handed down the knowledge.”
That statement struck home. If I hadn’t been forced to defend myself against the waterstealers, I probably still wouldn’t know I was an aeternian.
Mr. Cho said our skills should have advanced over the thousands of years. However, when we stopped practicing and learning – we stopping increasing our expertise and instead, slid backwards.
“The abilities are impossible to lose,” clarified Mr. Cho. “They’re bonded to our DNA.”
The language of science was easier for me to understand. My parents had made sure my sisters and I knew the basics of the human body. I could follow what my teacher was telling me.
“Epigenetics is a big word,” said Mr. Cho. “It’s an even bigger concept. It’s a natural process that hasn’t been studied to its fullest potential. Basically, it’s changes to genetic sequencing without changes to DNA. What your grandparents and they’re parents and so on experienced before you has made modifications in your gene pool.
“Let’s say one of your ancestors’s lived through a famine. Her body would imprint this information and when she had children, the change would express itself epigenetically. Does this make any sense?”
It was sort of making some kind of sense to me. I thought maybe if I described for Crinae she might get it too.
“This is what I understand,” I told Mr. Cho. “DNA is the building blocks of life. DNA is what makes us human. Epigenetics is what makes us aeternians.”
Mr. Cho nodded in agreement so I carried on.
“Epigenetics is experiences. My parents and their parents have the aeternian cell code and have passed it to me and my sisters.”
“Very good Naia,” praised Mr. Cho. “I think you have the makings of a teacher.”
“Our mother is a teacher,” piped up Crinae.
“That must be why you’re so smart,” said Mr. Cho to Crinae.
“She left us,” Crinae added.
“Oh!” Mr. Cho was flustered. “I’m sure she’ll come back.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said flatly.
It was hard for me wrestling with my emotions over my mother. I did the “what ifs” over and over in my head.
What if she had been around when the riders had arrived to look for us?
What if she had been there to protect Elody?
What if she was part of the resistance?
What if she had already freed dad and Elody?
What if she was dead too?
What if, what if, what if…?
When Crinae and I were alone I asked her why she brought up mum’s disappearance in front of Mr. Cho.
“You guys were talking about parents and grandparents and I couldn’t help think about mum. I wanted to tell Mr. Cho that we didn’t have a mother so maybe this epi-whatever wouldn’t work on us.”
At this point I knew Crinae hadn’t understood a word the teacher and I had been saying. Although she did understand one thing – what our mother did had made an affect on us.
Each day when we went through Nakimu we witnessed people moving out. Some folks carried their possessions on their backs, some had carts piled with valuables and some had nothing more than a bag full of food. The departures were constant and I was beginning to wonder who would be left.
At another community meeting there were more inhabitants left than I had imagined. Solomon told the crowd only about one hundred people were gone.
“Others are scheduled to leave. Has anyone heard anything from Fujita? She left with her son about a month ago for the new city.”
Rumblings started through the crowd. No, no one had heard from Fujita. In fact, no one had heard from anyone making their way to Sebastian’s metropolis. This inspired another emotional plea from John.
“Don’t you see now how big a mistake going to the new city is?” he shouted. “Can’t you see you’re falling into a trap?”
A woman from the assembly stood up.
“Maybe it’s taking them longer to get there? Roads aren’t what they used to be and if they had to cross the ocean who knows what kind of ship they were on.”
Another man spoke out.
“The ocean is a lot wider too. It could take months to get from here to Europe.”
“Don’t be foolish!” John scoffed. “They’ve been picked up by the riders and flown to Europe. There’s no way Sebastian is going to let aeternians go freely at their own pace. He wants us and wants us as prisoners. Not cruise passengers.”
“I thought there wasn’t any fuel for aircrafts left?” queried a man in the corner.
“Are you kidding me?” said an incredulous John. “That’s what the worldgov wants you to believe. They have fuel. They have everything and anything you and I used to have before the wars. They just don’t want us and the regulars to have it.”
Again the room filled with chitterchatter. I saw the pain in John’s eyes and the clenched fists when he was telling the settlers about Sebastian. He was fighting for their lives. Unfortunately, lots of them didn’t care.
Then a woman walked into the chamber and changed everything. She held up a piece of paper.
“They’ve arrived! They’ve arrived!” she announced jubilantly. “Fujita and her son are safe and well in new city.”
The woman was rushed by people wanting to hear all about it. Solomon held up his hand to control the crowd but they weren’t having it. He took a seat and waited for the lunacy to slow.
Finally the woman emerged out of the mass and went to the front of the room.
“My name is Vesta. I’m good friends with Fujita and she told me I would be the first to hear the good news.
“She sent me this letter via the companions. She said new city is brilliant and wonderful and she’s found a home she feels she can raise Dodney properly in.
“Fujita wants us all to know we can come to new city anytime. She said the companions will help us get there. Sebastian is waiting for us and wants to fulfill our every needs and wants. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and go. Go!”
With that exuberant order the half of the room that hadn’t mobbed Vesta jumped to their feet. There was lots of clapping and cheering and laughing and one man broke out into a jig.
John and a few others didn’t move from their seats. They stared glumly at the merrymakers. Solomon seemed to be made of stone too. He didn’t move even when a couple of folks approached him with smiles.
As for me, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the spirit of the moment. I too wanted to dance around only because it looked like fun. However, my instincts kicked in and told me this occasion was nothing worth celebrating. It was a strange reaction.
Crinae and Hyla were busy watching all the hijinxs. We had to get up and move because we were about to get run over by the throng.
“Let’s go get Solomon,” I suggested.
I grabbed Solomon’s hand and he stood up.
“Well girls,” he said. “Guess it’s time to go.”
He dropped us off at our rooms and told us to go inside.
“There are things I have to straighten out,” he said. “Tell Joanna I’ll be back soon.”
“Sure,” replied Crinae.
Usually Joanna is at the meetings and I didn’t know why she wouldn’t have been at this one. She was preoccupied when we went in through the door. She barely lifted her head to say hello.
“Solomon told us to tell you he’ll be back shortly,” mentioned Crinae.
“Thanks,” mumbled Joanna and she went back to the maps she was studying.
Hyla peeked over Joanna’s shoulder to see what she was scrutinizing. Joanna moved the papers out of the young girl’s sight.
“Would you girls please go to the training room?” she requested. “I have some work here that has to be done.”
“Sure,” replied Crinae and we left.
Almost every chamber we passed had people packing. They seemed to be in a hurry to get out of Nakimu and get to new city.
“This is weird,” I said. “There’s going to be no one left in this whole place.”
“Good,” clipped Hyla. “It’s time to get rid of the people who don’t belong.”
Since we were relinquished to the training room we didn’t want to do anything other than sit around. We should have been practicing or at least reading up on our skills but we didn’t. Instead we lolled around.
“I’m bored,” said Crinae.
“Draw a picture then,” said Hyla.
“Don’t want to.”
“Then shut up.”
That made me slightly angry.
“Don’t tell my sister to shut up,” I said with a hard edge.
“You shut up too,” retorted Hyla.
What was with that girl? She was purposely trying to pick a fight with us. And if she thinks I won’t do battle with her, she’s got another thing coming.
“You shut up,” I said back.
“Alight I will.”
For the next hour Hyla wouldn’t say anything. She was giving us the silent treatment. I don’t know which is worse – having someone tell you off or having someone pretend you don’t exist.
“Oh come on Hyla,” I pleaded. “Stop this.”
Nope. She wouldn’t. Not a word escaped from her lips. She actually turned around and sat facing the wall so we couldn’t see her.
“Fine,” I said. “Have it your way. Crinae, let’s play tic tac toe.”
That’s when I noticed Hyla’s shoulders shaking. Like she was crying. I wasn’t going to ask her what was wrong since she wasn’t even talking to me. However, she started to sob and I had to ask.
“What’s wrong?”
“You don’t get it,” Hyla said shakily. “You don’t at all.”
“Ah – I don’t get what?”
“You and Crinae have each other. You still have family. I have no one.”
“You have your dad,” said Crinae.
“No I don’t!”
Hyla whipped around and faced us. Her eyes flashing.
“My father is probably dead. Just like my mother. The riders got her and I know they got my dad.”
“They got my baby sister and dad too,” I said, “and probably my mother too.”
“But you still have Crinae. If you guys decide to go to new city, you’ll leave me and then I’ll have no one.”
So that’s what this was all about. She thought we were going to new city without her.
“There’s no way we’re moving to new city,” I told her. “No way at all. How could you even think that?”
“Because it all sounds so good.”
“It sounds good but it’s too good to be true,” I said. “We’re staying here. Besides, we’ll never leave you.”
Hyla stopped sniffling and dried her tears with her shirt.
“Are you positive you’ll never leave me?”
“You have our word. We promise you. Right Crinae?
“Right.”
“I think we should leave this room,” I said, making Hyla smile.
“We should see who is leaving,” she proposed.
“Yep. Let’s go.”
At the front entrance we climbed up a wall and sat on a ledge. We were still sitting inside the caves but could see out into the sunlight. Adam was at the opening and winked when he saw us. We didn’t dare set foot outside after that.
At this point it was just a trickle of settlers leaving. They walked into the orange dust filled air with their belongings. A couple bid farewell to Adam. He tipped his hat to them. Only one person stopped, looked back towards the cave, hesitated…and then kept going.
I wonder what his intuition was telling him. He should have listened to it.
A few kids from our class went by. We waved to them. They waved back. It was hard to tell if they were excited about their trip or just following their parents. Anyway, Mr. Cho wasn’t going to have a lot of students tomorrow.
A flicker against the side of a hill caught my attention. It also caught Adam’s. I saw him turn towards the movement.
“Did you guys see that too?” I question Crinae and Hyla.
“See what?”
“Out there,” I pointed. “Over to the left of that hill, near the trail.”
“Silly, that’s people,” scoffed Hyla.
But it wasn’t. I could see the movers. It was too small to be a person. Too small to be a rider. Maybe it was a child who was running around.
Adam took out a pair of binoculars and was scanning the mountain. Then he took off running. For a big man, he ran fast and silently. We watched him speed off into the distance until he was just a flicker himself.
He walked back with something struggling behind him. Something small. As Adam got closer and closer I could see what it was. Who it was.
Trunken.
I think I gasped aloud. Both Crinae and Hyla turned to me.
“What?” asked Crinae. “What is it?”
“Don’t you see who it is?” I asked Hyla quickly.
“No,” she said.
“It’s Trunken!” I remarked.
“The waterstealer?”
“No, Trunken the fairy.” I said sarcastically. “Of course Trunken the waterstealer.”
“Oh no,” Hyla breathed. “We have to get out of her.”
Too late. Adam was at the gate with the thrashing troll. Trunken appeared more grotesque than I had remembered him. He was also howling and rasping bad words to Adam.
“Shut up,” growled Adam. “Unless you know what’s good for you.”
The waterstealer unleashed another torrent of verbal abuse on Adam as he brought him through the door. Just as the two passed us, Crinae kicked a rock over the side of the ledge.
Trunken looked up. Saw us.
“Oh,” he said in a nauseating sweet voice. “Hello there. I’ve met you lovely ladies before.”
His voice, his manner, him – he made me want to throw up. There was no way I was going to answer him. Adam spoke for us.
“Leave them alone,” he ordered.
“Ok, Ok,” simpered Trunken. “I was only being nice.”
Our eyes locked as Adam dragged the waterstealer down the corridor. They faded away in the darkness of the tunnel.
The scene made me shiver. Trunken was one of the most frightening things I had ever encountered. I think I’d rather be taken by a rider than that waterstealer.
“How creepy is that thing?” said Crinae.
She had never had to see Trunken. I kept her hidden from him on the trail. I wish I could have hidden her from him this time too.
“He’s very creepy,” Hyla and I agreed.
The fun of watching the settlers had waned. The sight of Trunken had drained all energy and I was tired. I wanted to go to sleep.
“Let’s go” I said. And we did.
==
Arriving at Solomon’s and Joanna’s no one was around. They probably were with Adam questioning Trunken. Kathleen did visit and prepared us a meal. She wouldn’t tell us where the couple was.
“I’m supposed to tell you to go to sleep now,” she said. “I’ll be by in the morning to help you get ready for school.”
“Good night,” we all told her and went to bed.
I couldn’t fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes a vision of Trunken would appear. I tossed and turned until Crinae hit me.
“Stop it!” she complained. Then turned over and fell asleep again.
I calmed down and willed all the mental pictures of the waterstealer to vanish. They did and I got a chance to drift off until morning.
Kathleen got us up and fed and washed and to school. She still wasn’t giving us any idea where and what Solomon and Joanna were doing. I assumed they must be tied up with the Trunken ordeal somehow.
Class was indeed small. Enrollment had dropped from 25 to 12. Mr. Cho appeared pale and his eyes were puffy. He hadn’t had much sleep either.
We still had instruction throughout the day but towards the end he called us together.
“This is the last day of school for a few days,” he said. “There are going to be changes made to the curriculum and I had to be in meetings with your parents to see what is appropriate. Until then, I am going to give you homework that I expect you to do finish for next week. Got it?”
We all nodded. This was not the time to groan about homework.
“I want you all to do lessons 86 to 92. These are defensive exercises including fire, water, wind and earth. You must have supervision with these tutorials. It must be a grown up. Good luck.”
We had skipped lessons 30 to 85. Why was Mr. Cho doing this? There was no time for questions as Mr. Cho dismissed the class and hurriedly left the room.
Crinae and I left too and went home. Solomon and Joanna were there too and I was glad to see them. I gave them both a big hug when I saw them.
“I’m glad to see you too Naia,” said Joanna. “Sorry we were away for so long. There’s a lot to do right now.”
Solomon was back to normal and his booming voice asked us if we had been good girls.
“Yep!” said Crinae.
Solomon patted her on the head and told her to go get a drink of water for him. While she was out of the room Solomon had some questions for me.
“Adam told me that goblin of a creature Trunken said he knew you and Hyla. How is that?”
“Trunken’s a waterstealer,” I told him.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Nov 1
“Alright,” said Solomon. “Thanks for your participation. Thanks for coming.”
We stayed on the floor while people walked around us to leave. Bits and pieces of their conversation flowed past us. A couple were confused about their choices. Do they stay or do they go? One man was decidedly for the new city.
“Better start packing,” he told his wife.
Another few said there was no way they would trust a rider to bring them safely to Sebastian’s metropolis.
“Besides, we have everything here. Why would we leave?”
With all the talk I thought about what if I was a family and had to make the decision. I already knew the answer. I would not go. Was it an informed decision?
Being raised in an anti-world government home, it was in my bones to discount everything Sebastian did or said or stood for. However, there are two sides to every store. Saying this though, the riders did take my father and sister and who knows where my mother was – maybe she was part of the resistance too?
Several people approached Solomon to talk further. I could see him gesturing and he seemed upset. After a few minutes of conversation he waved goodbye to them and came to collect us.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
We got up and followed him out of the chamber. He walked heavily, like he was thinking. Joanna didn’t come with us.
“Where is Joanna?” asked Crinae.
Solomon glanced back at us. Sighed.
“She is helping John. He is terribly upset at what is happening. He can’t understand why people are ready to believe in Sebastian with all that has happened in the past.”
I took this as an opportunity to ask some questions that had been weighing on my mind.
“Is there a chance Sebastian’s new city is a real possibility for aetearnians? That he really wants to make a place for us?”
“Naia, there is no possibility Sebastian has a place for us. I know this. John knows this but the others, well; they will have to find out for themselves. We are not dictators. We each must make our own way.
“Here we are at home. It’s been a long day so I suggest you three go to sleep. You have lots to do tomorrow,” said Solomon.
“Good night,” we told him as he went into another part of the dwelling.
I washed my face, which was a luxury I had never had before. I enjoyed the feeling the water splashing on my face and way it felt after I dried my cheeks with a towel. It was a small thing but it made me happy.
Hyla didn’t stay in the same room as us. She had her own down the hall.
“Were you there last night too?” I asked her.
“Yeah.”
“Did you know we were in the room beside you?”
“Yeah.”
I wonder why she hadn’t come and seen us. At least said hello? Oh well. She’s a strange one. I don’t know why I keep forgetting this.
“Have a good sleep,” I told her. I wasn’t going to be weird.
“Yeah.”
Crinae and I got into bed. I was drifting off when my sister began talking.
“Do you think mum was in the resistance? That’s why she left?”
I saw up.
“Yeah! I do,” I exclaimed. “I was thinking that exact same thing.”
“Dad was in it so you’d think mum was too. They must have needed her for something and that’s why she took off and didn’t tell us.”
“Because if she told us where she was going and a rider got us, we’d spill where she was.”
“It makes sense doesn’t it?”
There was hope in Crinae’s question. Hope that I was holding on too as well.
“It makes total sense.”
Doesn’t it?
---
In the morning Joanna got us up and fed us breakfast. Hyla wasn’t there. She was probably in her advance class where Crinae and I were stuck with the babies.
Kathleen was tasked with taking us to school. She picked us up on her way to her job.
“Do you know what I do?” she asked us during our walk.
“No,” Crinae and I answered.
“I’m in charge of environmentally monitoring the settlement. I take temperature readings, humidity readings, check the air for particulates and stuff like that.”
She had thrown a whole bunch of stuff at me that I had no idea about. Of course I knew what temperature was but no humidity and that other “stuff”.
“Oh yeah,” I said without much enthusiasm. My reply made Kathleen laugh.
“Sorry,” she said. “I forgot you guys were born after all of this was outlawed. I used to work at a hydro station before the wars and my work was very important. My company was trying to keep the earth green.”
Kathleen stopped.
“I’m having a hard time explaining this to you guys. Anyway, before the land burned and the water dried up, some of us dedicated our careers to caring for the earth. It didn’t help. Look what happened. Anyway, here we are. Have a good day!”
She ushered us in to the class and we were the first ones there. We greeted the teacher and sat down. I felt like I had just had a lesson from Kathleen and I wasn’t up for more learning. But when the room filled up with kids at least 10 years younger than me, the lectures began.
Mr. Cho had to take Crinae and me off to the side a few times because we didn’t comprehend the skill. I could tell he was frustrated with us but trying not to show it. There was one point when he was demonstrating how to move objects with our individual abilities’ and my sister and I weren’t getting the hang of it. Pun intended.
The smaller kids could do it. They could move the apple on the table at the front of class and hand it to someone else. One did this by controlling a gust of wind he conjured up. Another unleashed a thin leafy vine. Me, every time I spun a water funnel and tried to take the fruit, it smashed it to bits. Sending pieces everywhere including into Mr. Cho’s face.
My actions did cause everyone to laugh. Except for the teacher.
“Order!” he said sternly to the other students.
Crinae wasn’t as bad as me. She could produce the vine, send it to the apple and pick it up. However, as soon as she attempted to give it to someone she couldn’t let go and it ended in a tug-of-war.
I like to think my ability was harder to control than Crinae’s. That thought was shattered, like the apple, by Mr. Cho.
“You two,” he signalled to us. “Over here.”
Once we were in front of him he gave us some tips for managing the skill.
“Think of the water or the vine as an extension of you. It’s part of you so use it as such –
Like an extra hand. You’re both using it like it’s a strange source from who knows where. Naia, working with water is by far easier than what your sister has to do. Water is fluid. It’ll do and move and spread any which way you choose. Crinae, you’re doing great. Try to not try so much. OK?”
“OK,” we echoed.
Feeling dejected, I vowed I would practice later and show the teacher I could do it. Maybe I could get Hyla to help me? Nah.
After class we met up with Hyla in the training room.
“What can you do now?” she ordered, being aggressive with her words and body language.
“Um, not much,” said Crinae.
I didn’t like hearing how frustrated Crinae was so I defended her.
“You’re doing great!” I turned to her. “Mr. Cho said you’re doing a lot better than me.”
“Oh yeah?” said Hyla.
“Ah,” I stumbled, not willing to give Hyla anymore information. Alas… “I can’t seem to grasp the grasping concept,” I admitted.
“I can show you,” she said.
“Really? That would be great.”
Hyla is constantly making me re-think my thinking of her. I thought for sure she would be gloating about this. She didn’t. Huh.
Once she demonstrated the skill by picking up a pencil and handing it to me, I saw what I had been missing. Yes, it was what Mr. Cho was saying but I put it together. I didn’t have to think so much about it.
Say you have an itch on you ear. You don’t think twice about moving your hand to your head to scratch it. You do it automatically. Well, that’s what I needed to do – not over think. When you think of it – so easy! Who knew!
“I got it!” I exclaimed. “Crinae, don’t think. That’s the trick.”
Crinae tried and she got it too.
“Look at that!” she said, surprised she got it without much thought too. “Brilliant!”
All three of us jumped up and down and hugged. It was a moment to share our joy. Then Dodney walked by and took the happiness out of it.
“Barf,” he said. “I knew I’d find you here.”
“Oh get lost,” Hyla suggested to the boy.
“Can’t. I know every tunnel and room in this place. I was born here.”
Funny, I didn’t believe him. Especially when he couldn’t lead us home yesterday.
“What do you want Dodney?” I asked.
“Thought I’d come and tell you we’re leaving in a couple of days. My mother is packing and then we’re taking off.”
Chills ran up and down my back. So they were leaving. Even though Dodney wasn’t my favourite person, I didn’t want to see harm come to him and his family. My instincts told me this was the last time I would talk to him.
“Good luck,” I said to him. “I hope you and your mother will be happy in the new city.”
Dodney peered at me with suspicion. He wrinkled up his nose at me.
“I’d rather be there than here,” he muttered.
Usually I don’t like hugs but I was compelled to wrap my arms around Dodney. It wasn’t a long embrace but I wanted him to go on his journey thinking he wasn’t that bad of a guy.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Get off me!”
Pushing my arms off he ran off quickly down the dark hall. We all heard him stumble and fall. I had to admit it made us laugh again.
“Bub-bye dumb boy,” said Crinae.
We stayed on the floor while people walked around us to leave. Bits and pieces of their conversation flowed past us. A couple were confused about their choices. Do they stay or do they go? One man was decidedly for the new city.
“Better start packing,” he told his wife.
Another few said there was no way they would trust a rider to bring them safely to Sebastian’s metropolis.
“Besides, we have everything here. Why would we leave?”
With all the talk I thought about what if I was a family and had to make the decision. I already knew the answer. I would not go. Was it an informed decision?
Being raised in an anti-world government home, it was in my bones to discount everything Sebastian did or said or stood for. However, there are two sides to every store. Saying this though, the riders did take my father and sister and who knows where my mother was – maybe she was part of the resistance too?
Several people approached Solomon to talk further. I could see him gesturing and he seemed upset. After a few minutes of conversation he waved goodbye to them and came to collect us.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
We got up and followed him out of the chamber. He walked heavily, like he was thinking. Joanna didn’t come with us.
“Where is Joanna?” asked Crinae.
Solomon glanced back at us. Sighed.
“She is helping John. He is terribly upset at what is happening. He can’t understand why people are ready to believe in Sebastian with all that has happened in the past.”
I took this as an opportunity to ask some questions that had been weighing on my mind.
“Is there a chance Sebastian’s new city is a real possibility for aetearnians? That he really wants to make a place for us?”
“Naia, there is no possibility Sebastian has a place for us. I know this. John knows this but the others, well; they will have to find out for themselves. We are not dictators. We each must make our own way.
“Here we are at home. It’s been a long day so I suggest you three go to sleep. You have lots to do tomorrow,” said Solomon.
“Good night,” we told him as he went into another part of the dwelling.
I washed my face, which was a luxury I had never had before. I enjoyed the feeling the water splashing on my face and way it felt after I dried my cheeks with a towel. It was a small thing but it made me happy.
Hyla didn’t stay in the same room as us. She had her own down the hall.
“Were you there last night too?” I asked her.
“Yeah.”
“Did you know we were in the room beside you?”
“Yeah.”
I wonder why she hadn’t come and seen us. At least said hello? Oh well. She’s a strange one. I don’t know why I keep forgetting this.
“Have a good sleep,” I told her. I wasn’t going to be weird.
“Yeah.”
Crinae and I got into bed. I was drifting off when my sister began talking.
“Do you think mum was in the resistance? That’s why she left?”
I saw up.
“Yeah! I do,” I exclaimed. “I was thinking that exact same thing.”
“Dad was in it so you’d think mum was too. They must have needed her for something and that’s why she took off and didn’t tell us.”
“Because if she told us where she was going and a rider got us, we’d spill where she was.”
“It makes sense doesn’t it?”
There was hope in Crinae’s question. Hope that I was holding on too as well.
“It makes total sense.”
Doesn’t it?
---
In the morning Joanna got us up and fed us breakfast. Hyla wasn’t there. She was probably in her advance class where Crinae and I were stuck with the babies.
Kathleen was tasked with taking us to school. She picked us up on her way to her job.
“Do you know what I do?” she asked us during our walk.
“No,” Crinae and I answered.
“I’m in charge of environmentally monitoring the settlement. I take temperature readings, humidity readings, check the air for particulates and stuff like that.”
She had thrown a whole bunch of stuff at me that I had no idea about. Of course I knew what temperature was but no humidity and that other “stuff”.
“Oh yeah,” I said without much enthusiasm. My reply made Kathleen laugh.
“Sorry,” she said. “I forgot you guys were born after all of this was outlawed. I used to work at a hydro station before the wars and my work was very important. My company was trying to keep the earth green.”
Kathleen stopped.
“I’m having a hard time explaining this to you guys. Anyway, before the land burned and the water dried up, some of us dedicated our careers to caring for the earth. It didn’t help. Look what happened. Anyway, here we are. Have a good day!”
She ushered us in to the class and we were the first ones there. We greeted the teacher and sat down. I felt like I had just had a lesson from Kathleen and I wasn’t up for more learning. But when the room filled up with kids at least 10 years younger than me, the lectures began.
Mr. Cho had to take Crinae and me off to the side a few times because we didn’t comprehend the skill. I could tell he was frustrated with us but trying not to show it. There was one point when he was demonstrating how to move objects with our individual abilities’ and my sister and I weren’t getting the hang of it. Pun intended.
The smaller kids could do it. They could move the apple on the table at the front of class and hand it to someone else. One did this by controlling a gust of wind he conjured up. Another unleashed a thin leafy vine. Me, every time I spun a water funnel and tried to take the fruit, it smashed it to bits. Sending pieces everywhere including into Mr. Cho’s face.
My actions did cause everyone to laugh. Except for the teacher.
“Order!” he said sternly to the other students.
Crinae wasn’t as bad as me. She could produce the vine, send it to the apple and pick it up. However, as soon as she attempted to give it to someone she couldn’t let go and it ended in a tug-of-war.
I like to think my ability was harder to control than Crinae’s. That thought was shattered, like the apple, by Mr. Cho.
“You two,” he signalled to us. “Over here.”
Once we were in front of him he gave us some tips for managing the skill.
“Think of the water or the vine as an extension of you. It’s part of you so use it as such –
Like an extra hand. You’re both using it like it’s a strange source from who knows where. Naia, working with water is by far easier than what your sister has to do. Water is fluid. It’ll do and move and spread any which way you choose. Crinae, you’re doing great. Try to not try so much. OK?”
“OK,” we echoed.
Feeling dejected, I vowed I would practice later and show the teacher I could do it. Maybe I could get Hyla to help me? Nah.
After class we met up with Hyla in the training room.
“What can you do now?” she ordered, being aggressive with her words and body language.
“Um, not much,” said Crinae.
I didn’t like hearing how frustrated Crinae was so I defended her.
“You’re doing great!” I turned to her. “Mr. Cho said you’re doing a lot better than me.”
“Oh yeah?” said Hyla.
“Ah,” I stumbled, not willing to give Hyla anymore information. Alas… “I can’t seem to grasp the grasping concept,” I admitted.
“I can show you,” she said.
“Really? That would be great.”
Hyla is constantly making me re-think my thinking of her. I thought for sure she would be gloating about this. She didn’t. Huh.
Once she demonstrated the skill by picking up a pencil and handing it to me, I saw what I had been missing. Yes, it was what Mr. Cho was saying but I put it together. I didn’t have to think so much about it.
Say you have an itch on you ear. You don’t think twice about moving your hand to your head to scratch it. You do it automatically. Well, that’s what I needed to do – not over think. When you think of it – so easy! Who knew!
“I got it!” I exclaimed. “Crinae, don’t think. That’s the trick.”
Crinae tried and she got it too.
“Look at that!” she said, surprised she got it without much thought too. “Brilliant!”
All three of us jumped up and down and hugged. It was a moment to share our joy. Then Dodney walked by and took the happiness out of it.
“Barf,” he said. “I knew I’d find you here.”
“Oh get lost,” Hyla suggested to the boy.
“Can’t. I know every tunnel and room in this place. I was born here.”
Funny, I didn’t believe him. Especially when he couldn’t lead us home yesterday.
“What do you want Dodney?” I asked.
“Thought I’d come and tell you we’re leaving in a couple of days. My mother is packing and then we’re taking off.”
Chills ran up and down my back. So they were leaving. Even though Dodney wasn’t my favourite person, I didn’t want to see harm come to him and his family. My instincts told me this was the last time I would talk to him.
“Good luck,” I said to him. “I hope you and your mother will be happy in the new city.”
Dodney peered at me with suspicion. He wrinkled up his nose at me.
“I’d rather be there than here,” he muttered.
Usually I don’t like hugs but I was compelled to wrap my arms around Dodney. It wasn’t a long embrace but I wanted him to go on his journey thinking he wasn’t that bad of a guy.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Get off me!”
Pushing my arms off he ran off quickly down the dark hall. We all heard him stumble and fall. I had to admit it made us laugh again.
“Bub-bye dumb boy,” said Crinae.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oct 29
The meeting chamber was huge – it was tall and wide and lit by three suns hanging from the ceiling. Many people sat on the floor. Some had brought their children and some hadn’t. I saw Dodney in the crowd and waved to him. He turned away.
I shrugged my shoulders. Oh well. Won’t be nice to that guy anymore. It’s not like I particularly liked him anyway. I couldn’t stand him.
Joanna motioned for me, Crinae and Hyla to sit near the front of the room. Our placing was near a raised platform where five others sat on chairs. Solomon and Joanna took the two last seats.
A young man stood up and placed his arm in the air. With this movement, the mass quieted.
“Good to see all of you,” he began. “You may know my name but I’ll tell you in case you don’t know. I’m John and I’m one of the organizers of this gathering.
“What is facing us today is more terrible than we could imagine. I wasn’t around during the war but I’ve heard the stories from my parents. They told me about the devastation, the hurt, the pain and how Sebastian turned aeternians into freaks and declared us sub-humans.”
John took a gulp of water from a glass Solomon handed him.
“I’ve experienced the suffering and humiliation from this proclamation. I’ve been shunned by my own community in former Vernon. I’ve had to go into hiding to escape the riders just like many of you. But, but this is the very least of Sebastian’s doings. I’ve witnessed these horrific riders taking my mother and torturing her on the spot.”
He paused. Put his hand over his eyes like he was trying hard not to remember. He lifted his head to the crowd. He had fire in his voice – literally. There were flames shooting out of his mouth like a dragon. I guessed this is another aeterian skill that I had yet to find out about.
“These are the actions of a depraved force,” said John about the riders. “One that is ruled by a megalomaniac. You should never, ever believe a word of what Sebastian tells you. He is only out for one person and one person only. He does not care about you and me – the aeternians.”
With that John sat down. A woman then stood up and started to talk.
“Hello,” she said nervously. “I’m Fujina. I’m a mum. I have a son named Dodney and we are thinking about moving to the new city. We heard about the offer from a friend of a friend. She said Sebastian is offering all us aeternians a home and food and clothing for free. We also can practice our abilities. I would like my son to be able to use his skills and not have to worry. This is why we are going. Thank you.”
Fujina hurriedly sat down. Her speech left me wondering what kind of skills Dodney had. There was lots I had to learn about aeternians – maybe too much?
After the two speakers Solomon rose again.
“Both sides have been presented,” he said. “Now let’s hear questions and information from the floor.”
A man stood up.
“What I want to know is how John is sure the new city is a trap? I mean, I’ve heard the rumours too but how do we separate truth from fiction?”
John spoke out.
“Our own resistance members brought back the information. He said Sebastian is building the new city to keep aeteranins prisoners in there. To work for him and him only.”
“But again,” said the man forcefully, “how do you KNOW?”
“I guess I really don’t know the answer to your question. I admit, no one has seen this city and come to us about it. Maybe no one is alive who could tell us about it.”
A woman’s voice from the back voiced a proposal.
“What if the people who want to leave for the new city, leave and then come back and tell us how it is?”
Fujina replied.
“I would be more than willing to send word to anyone about our life in Sebastian’s city. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for us. We won’t have to hide anymore. We won’t have to live in fear.”
“Even talking about the new city is scary,” said John. “Please, please, please will you remember history? Those of you old enough know how the world government came into being. You know what they did to us. You know what they will do to us.”
The room erupted into chatter. It hurt my ears and I put my hands over them to plug out the noise. Crinae did the same thing but not Hyla. She was elated by the discussion.
“Stop that,” she hissed. “You need to hear what’s they’re talking about.”
Slowly. Reluctantly I took my hands down. Solomon hushed the crowd by waving his arm.
“Let’s talk in the open,” he said. “Not amongst ourselves. This meeting is supposed to air concerns. Let’s do that.”
Another woman began to talk. She had tears running down her face and hugged herself close in a ratty shawl.
“I was 17 when the wars broke out. First there were skirmishes overseas and we thought they would stay over there. Not travel across the ocean. We went on with our daily lives. You all know we had enough to deal with already here – the heat was killing crops and animals, clean water was next to impossible to find for the regulars and food was scare.
“Friends from Nova Scotia moved in with us in Calgary. They had been forced out of their house by the rising seas. Then the dust storm hit and annihilated any food source. We were all starving, even us aeternians, who can grow our own harvests. I’ll never forget that feeling, that achy feeling of hunger. It’s so strong it make me want to throw up even when I had nothing in my stomach.
“Then Sebastian’s army came along. At first we thought they were there to help us. We thought they were going to save us. No. They were doing nothing of the sort. Instead they raided our homes for food and water. Took food from my baby sister’s mouth. Then when they couldn’t get anything more from us they bombed our houses and rounded us up.
“We aeternains used our skills to defend ourselves. But the army saw a way to stop that too – by threatening to kill our families. Then the soldiers started to take aeternains and ship them off. We didn’t know where and what was happening. But we knew it wasn’t a good thing. That’s when my parents decided to pretend we were regulars.
“I lost several relatives and friends. I’ve never heard from them again and I feel if they were living this grand and great life in the new city they would have brought us there already.
“Sebastian is an evil, evil man. He lives only for himself. This new city is only a way for him to amass wealth and power while he waits for the rest of the world to wilt and die. Only it’s not happening. We’re getting stronger. And if we work together, we can get rid of him.”
The lady sat down. Not gracefully but with a thud. Almost like an exclamation point at the end of her speech.
No one had an answer or observation for her. Solomon cleared his throat and asked for more quires or dialogue.
“Where is this new city?” shouted someone.
“Fujina,” asked Solomon. “Would you please respond to this?”
“I would be delighted,” she nodded. “The new city is in what used to be known as Pristina, Kosovo.”
“How are we supposed to get there?” called another.
“Any rider has information on travelling to the new city,” replied Fujina. “Go talk to one.”
“Are you kidding me?” said John, aghast. “Put your life in the hands of a rider?”
“If you want to go, that’s what you have to do,” said Fujina, primly.
“How many of you are deciding to leave for the new city?” John summoned the crowd. “Put up your hands.”
A few people did raise their hands. More than I thought would take a chance on Sebastian’s development.
“Are you all stupid?” cried John. “Haven’t you listened to a word we’ve said?”
“Now, now,” said Solomon. “We’re allowed to make our own decisions. However, there will have to be some policies and procedures for people making the trip to the new city. Those going won’t be able to divulge our current settlement location. These things we’ll have to have the ordinance council deal with. Anything else anyone wants to say?”
Quiet from the floor.
“Alright,” said Solomon. “Thanks for your participation.”
I shrugged my shoulders. Oh well. Won’t be nice to that guy anymore. It’s not like I particularly liked him anyway. I couldn’t stand him.
Joanna motioned for me, Crinae and Hyla to sit near the front of the room. Our placing was near a raised platform where five others sat on chairs. Solomon and Joanna took the two last seats.
A young man stood up and placed his arm in the air. With this movement, the mass quieted.
“Good to see all of you,” he began. “You may know my name but I’ll tell you in case you don’t know. I’m John and I’m one of the organizers of this gathering.
“What is facing us today is more terrible than we could imagine. I wasn’t around during the war but I’ve heard the stories from my parents. They told me about the devastation, the hurt, the pain and how Sebastian turned aeternians into freaks and declared us sub-humans.”
John took a gulp of water from a glass Solomon handed him.
“I’ve experienced the suffering and humiliation from this proclamation. I’ve been shunned by my own community in former Vernon. I’ve had to go into hiding to escape the riders just like many of you. But, but this is the very least of Sebastian’s doings. I’ve witnessed these horrific riders taking my mother and torturing her on the spot.”
He paused. Put his hand over his eyes like he was trying hard not to remember. He lifted his head to the crowd. He had fire in his voice – literally. There were flames shooting out of his mouth like a dragon. I guessed this is another aeterian skill that I had yet to find out about.
“These are the actions of a depraved force,” said John about the riders. “One that is ruled by a megalomaniac. You should never, ever believe a word of what Sebastian tells you. He is only out for one person and one person only. He does not care about you and me – the aeternians.”
With that John sat down. A woman then stood up and started to talk.
“Hello,” she said nervously. “I’m Fujina. I’m a mum. I have a son named Dodney and we are thinking about moving to the new city. We heard about the offer from a friend of a friend. She said Sebastian is offering all us aeternians a home and food and clothing for free. We also can practice our abilities. I would like my son to be able to use his skills and not have to worry. This is why we are going. Thank you.”
Fujina hurriedly sat down. Her speech left me wondering what kind of skills Dodney had. There was lots I had to learn about aeternians – maybe too much?
After the two speakers Solomon rose again.
“Both sides have been presented,” he said. “Now let’s hear questions and information from the floor.”
A man stood up.
“What I want to know is how John is sure the new city is a trap? I mean, I’ve heard the rumours too but how do we separate truth from fiction?”
John spoke out.
“Our own resistance members brought back the information. He said Sebastian is building the new city to keep aeteranins prisoners in there. To work for him and him only.”
“But again,” said the man forcefully, “how do you KNOW?”
“I guess I really don’t know the answer to your question. I admit, no one has seen this city and come to us about it. Maybe no one is alive who could tell us about it.”
A woman’s voice from the back voiced a proposal.
“What if the people who want to leave for the new city, leave and then come back and tell us how it is?”
Fujina replied.
“I would be more than willing to send word to anyone about our life in Sebastian’s city. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for us. We won’t have to hide anymore. We won’t have to live in fear.”
“Even talking about the new city is scary,” said John. “Please, please, please will you remember history? Those of you old enough know how the world government came into being. You know what they did to us. You know what they will do to us.”
The room erupted into chatter. It hurt my ears and I put my hands over them to plug out the noise. Crinae did the same thing but not Hyla. She was elated by the discussion.
“Stop that,” she hissed. “You need to hear what’s they’re talking about.”
Slowly. Reluctantly I took my hands down. Solomon hushed the crowd by waving his arm.
“Let’s talk in the open,” he said. “Not amongst ourselves. This meeting is supposed to air concerns. Let’s do that.”
Another woman began to talk. She had tears running down her face and hugged herself close in a ratty shawl.
“I was 17 when the wars broke out. First there were skirmishes overseas and we thought they would stay over there. Not travel across the ocean. We went on with our daily lives. You all know we had enough to deal with already here – the heat was killing crops and animals, clean water was next to impossible to find for the regulars and food was scare.
“Friends from Nova Scotia moved in with us in Calgary. They had been forced out of their house by the rising seas. Then the dust storm hit and annihilated any food source. We were all starving, even us aeternians, who can grow our own harvests. I’ll never forget that feeling, that achy feeling of hunger. It’s so strong it make me want to throw up even when I had nothing in my stomach.
“Then Sebastian’s army came along. At first we thought they were there to help us. We thought they were going to save us. No. They were doing nothing of the sort. Instead they raided our homes for food and water. Took food from my baby sister’s mouth. Then when they couldn’t get anything more from us they bombed our houses and rounded us up.
“We aeternains used our skills to defend ourselves. But the army saw a way to stop that too – by threatening to kill our families. Then the soldiers started to take aeternains and ship them off. We didn’t know where and what was happening. But we knew it wasn’t a good thing. That’s when my parents decided to pretend we were regulars.
“I lost several relatives and friends. I’ve never heard from them again and I feel if they were living this grand and great life in the new city they would have brought us there already.
“Sebastian is an evil, evil man. He lives only for himself. This new city is only a way for him to amass wealth and power while he waits for the rest of the world to wilt and die. Only it’s not happening. We’re getting stronger. And if we work together, we can get rid of him.”
The lady sat down. Not gracefully but with a thud. Almost like an exclamation point at the end of her speech.
No one had an answer or observation for her. Solomon cleared his throat and asked for more quires or dialogue.
“Where is this new city?” shouted someone.
“Fujina,” asked Solomon. “Would you please respond to this?”
“I would be delighted,” she nodded. “The new city is in what used to be known as Pristina, Kosovo.”
“How are we supposed to get there?” called another.
“Any rider has information on travelling to the new city,” replied Fujina. “Go talk to one.”
“Are you kidding me?” said John, aghast. “Put your life in the hands of a rider?”
“If you want to go, that’s what you have to do,” said Fujina, primly.
“How many of you are deciding to leave for the new city?” John summoned the crowd. “Put up your hands.”
A few people did raise their hands. More than I thought would take a chance on Sebastian’s development.
“Are you all stupid?” cried John. “Haven’t you listened to a word we’ve said?”
“Now, now,” said Solomon. “We’re allowed to make our own decisions. However, there will have to be some policies and procedures for people making the trip to the new city. Those going won’t be able to divulge our current settlement location. These things we’ll have to have the ordinance council deal with. Anything else anyone wants to say?”
Quiet from the floor.
“Alright,” said Solomon. “Thanks for your participation.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Published
Guess I was published. But with different titles.
http://northvillereview.com/?p=840
I don't like it.
http://northvillereview.com/?p=840
I don't like it.
Friend
A friend of mine passed away on Monday. I kept meaning to e-mail him all last week. But then I would get busy and forget. I heard yesterday from a Vernon competitor/collegue that George died.
There is a service on Sunday but I'm not sure I can get to Vernon. I would like to but there is no easy way.
George was a good friend to me - taking me out for lunch, cooking me supper and helping me move.
Yesterday was also the publishing date for some poems I submitted to a site. But they never published them. Oh well.
Here is what I wrote to send to George's family:
George was one of my first friends in Vernon when I moved to the city last year. There was at least 50 years between us but he liked to joke that I was his “boss” at the Vernon Daily Courier. However, there was nothing I, as an editor, could tell Dobie – the original newsman. He had a lifetime of experiences that he shared with me over many lunches and conversations.
Dobie was also my link to stories. He always gave me tips and they were always great ones. He followed my articles through the paper and if he didn’t like what I wrote – he let me know how to improve it. He also told me when he liked what I wrote – and that never failed to make my day.
“Don’t get into trouble kid,” he constantly told me. Although he knew I would. Because that’s what makes for the best stories.
There is a service on Sunday but I'm not sure I can get to Vernon. I would like to but there is no easy way.
George was a good friend to me - taking me out for lunch, cooking me supper and helping me move.
Yesterday was also the publishing date for some poems I submitted to a site. But they never published them. Oh well.
Here is what I wrote to send to George's family:
George was one of my first friends in Vernon when I moved to the city last year. There was at least 50 years between us but he liked to joke that I was his “boss” at the Vernon Daily Courier. However, there was nothing I, as an editor, could tell Dobie – the original newsman. He had a lifetime of experiences that he shared with me over many lunches and conversations.
Dobie was also my link to stories. He always gave me tips and they were always great ones. He followed my articles through the paper and if he didn’t like what I wrote – he let me know how to improve it. He also told me when he liked what I wrote – and that never failed to make my day.
“Don’t get into trouble kid,” he constantly told me. Although he knew I would. Because that’s what makes for the best stories.
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