Nature Rules - 2022 WATTY'S SHORTLIST

Light It Up

I leave Mom and Dad alone in their bedroom. Before I go, Mom sinks into the covers of her bed, closes her eyes and drifts away from us. Her mouth is turned down and her skin is pale. She must be getting sick or something. Dad tucks an extra blanket around her feet (they are always cold) and settles himself against the wall. I go into the main room where my sisters are waiting.

"Mom and Dad are having some quiet time," I say to them.

"Can we go for an adventure?" asks Elody.

"Can we?" I admonish her like Mom, the schoolteacher.

"We can!" she shouts with glee as Crinae tells her to shush.

Outside, we begin climbing up the rocks above our house and climb to the ledge above that has a couple of homes on it. We giggle as we try to peek in through the cracks in the sheet doors. Our neighbours yell at us a couple of times to get away.

Climbing past more tiers of caves, there's a dip in the rock where we stop to take a breather and look at the view. Nothing ever seems to change in the landscape. The sky is orange and hot with the light of the sun. The earth is dusty and barren. Just once, I wish I looked out and saw green trees and green grass. However, as usual, there are barely any other colours than red and brown and orange as far as the eye can see.

"This is ugly and boring," says Crinae, gazing at the mundane mountain pass. "I bet I could make something prettier like the pictures in our books at home."

"You're not supposed to," I say firmly.

"Says who?" she demands.

"Says Mom and Dad. They said not to ever, ever use our skills unless they are with us. Plus, Elody doesn't know what skills she has. You'll scare her."

"So what?"

"Don't do it Crinae," I warn. "Don't."

"It's only going to be a little bit. Tiny bit. That's all. I promise."

I stare her straight in the eyes.

"Do it and I'll punch you in the stomach."

Elody has a frown on her face. We all fight, and fight often, but not like this. She stares at the ground, dragging the tip of her blue sneaker over some crumbs of dirt that accumulated on the little ridge.

"You're not the boss of me, Naia," retorts Crinae. She leans down and touches the thin soil. As her fingers make contact with the rough ground, her whole body turns yellow and emits a golden light. It's super bright and Elody and I have to shield our faces from the heat and intensity.

There's no way to punch her now.

"Stop it!" I shout.

"Stop it, Crinae," Elody screams. "You're turning into a monster!"

She starts crying as Crinae's light bounds over the rocks and spills onto the ridges below. I'm sure people as far away as in the Valley can see the yellow rays radiating into the orange daylight. She might as well have walked around the Four-Way with a sign declaring she's Aeternian.

Crinae must have frightened herself because all of a sudden she stands up, causing the light to dim and then, goes out. Her face is as pale as the only two clouds I've seen in my lifetime.

"Oops," she says.

"Oops, all right," I whisper as angrily as I can. "I think the whole world probably saw that. Run!"

We scramble down the slopes. Kicking stones here and there. Raising dust during our downward plunge. I have the longer legs and can outrun my sisters but I have to make sure Elody isn't left behind. It's a task trying to pull her along and make sure we keep the quick pace.

Panting heavily, we push into our haven. Home.

"Mom! Dad!" I shout in-between heaves. "Crinae. She. Showed."

"Yeah!" repeats Elody. "She was all yellow."

Mom and Dad rush into the main room and when my heart rate finally slows, I tell them that Crinae basically beamed to the village that she's an Aeternian.

"Who saw you?" asks Dad standing over Crinae, making her cringe.

"I.. I... don't know," she stutters.

Dad looks at Elody and me for answers.

"I don't know either," I say, licking my parched lips. "We ran all the way here and never stopped."

"God help us," whispers Mom. She hugs Crinae. "This is why we asked you not to use your abilities unless you're with us. You put us all in danger." Mom turns to Dad. "What are we going to do now? You could be dead in an hour if the Motos find us. I'm so angry and frustrated with you, Dmitri. We should never have told the kids about their heritage."

"Listen to me Peggy, we stay put. If we bolt, they'll know it was us. We'll wait it out until morning. We've told people that's when we're going to leave for the census so that's when we'll leave. Let's play it cool."

"I'm sorry," says Crinae in a quiet voice. "I didn't know."

"You did know," says Mom. "You knew not to show your abilities. You've been told and these are the consequences. You've put your whole family in danger. I don't know what to do with you. Go to your room."

***

No SCMs come barreling through our door that night. No neighbour comes to talk about the weird light on the ridge. It's life as usual.

Mom is jumpy. She investigates every noise outside and sits with her back against the door. She doesn't want to leave our home either. Dad makes her go to the Four-Way to barter some tomatoes for a hunk of goat meat.

"This is all in the name of acting normal," he explains to her. "You always go to the market with vegetables on Monday evening."

"I don't want to do it."

"I can't do it. Look at my face! People are going to ask what happened and then what do I tell them?"

"You're right," she says. She stands up and walks to the kitchen where she puts some tomatoes into a green cloth bag. Her hands are shaking so she clasps them around the strap of the bag so tightly her knuckles are turning white. She heads towards the door, stopping before she goes out. She turns around and kisses each of her daughters on the cheek. And then again.

"Mom!" I complain. Wiping my cheek with my sleeve. "Once was enough."

"I love you girls," says Mom, not listening to my comment. "I love you girls so much. Too much."

"Love you too!" Crinae and Elody holler. I don't respond. There's a hit of sadness in Mom's voice. Like there are tears dragging down her words. I look at her. She looks at me. For a moment and then breaks eye contact.

"Bye, Dimitri," she says, and walks outside.

Elody, Crinae and I get up and run after her. To see her down the trail to where it branches off to the Four-Way.

"No," she tells us. Firmly. "Don't follow me."

We stop. Immediately. I watch as my mother, with her head down, moves away from us. There are more grey strands in her black hair than there were yesterday. She hasn't brushed her hair since the feast and it's swirled up into a knot on her head. The way she is moving is not like her as well. Her confident steps have been replaced by an unsteady gait. Her shoulders are slumped. A blue spark flies into the air.

"If she doesn't come back," I whisper into Crinae's ear so Elody can't hear, "it'll be all your fault."

Crinae pushes me off the trail and strides past me, drying her eyes.

"What a terrible thing to say, Naia."