Nature Rules - 2022 WATTY'S SHORTLIST

Nursing Hope

"How far is east is Old Calgary from here?" Crinae asks as she struggles to lift the duffel bag and put it on her back.

I don't know. I do know it'll take us forever if it takes her this long to get the pack on.

"Stop," I say, grabbing her kit. Going through the bag I take out some heavy items like a pot, two large metal spoons and a container of water. Why would we need that? I can make water anytime. Next, I empty out some of the clothing that was stuffed in the bag.

There. The pack's about half the weight and size now.

Crinae is still dwarfed.

She can walk through the door though.

"Which way?" she asks while standing outside our home. "To the Four-Way?"

Why does Crinae think I know more than she does?

I do know we have to go east, thus past the Four-Way. I wonder if the Motos are gathered there. It's an obvious spot to catch Aeternians leaving the area. However, even if the Motos aren't there, someone might snitch on us if they see us. Mom and Dad thought they had hidden our secret so well but it turns out, many people, including Magda, knew we were Aeternians.

Another option is climbing up the mountains. It means climbing away from dangerous Motos and people but it also means climbing towards dangerous Waterstealers and climbing away from Elody, Dad and Mom.

Crinae and I could hide? Hiding in the mountains to escape people is good but hiding is bad because I need people to help us find our parents and my sister and Calgary. I need answers to questions. People give you those.

"Turn left," I say to Crinae, hoisting my heavy pack on my shoulders. "We're going to the Four-Way."

It's long past dawn and some settlers are starting to come out of their homes and into the morning light to see the damage and gather what used to be their belongings. No one looks at us. They turn away when we pass and stare in the opposite direction. It's an odd feeling not being greeted with a nod at least.

"You kids are the reason all this happened," a woman calls out as we pass.

I stop and look at her.

"Excuse me?"

"The SCMs told me they're hunting for Aeternian Resistance fighters. You might not be a rebel yet but you're an Aeternian. Your stupid Aeternian parents brought you into our quiet settlement and now look what happened. You're the problem."

My fingers clench into fists that I want to use. I stand straighter. I no longer feel the load of my pack. I only feel anger and loathing spreading through my body like the wind spreading sand particles across the flatlands. I want to explode and say a million different things but...I won't.

It's not worth it. We need to put our energy into leaving 33 and putting the Motos and people who don't understand far, far, behind us. I grab Crinae's hand and we walk on. Ignoring the stares and the curse words thrown at our backs.

We're going to have to get used to this. We're living in a world where Aeternians are scum and only bring trouble. I see why Mom and Dad attempted to shield us from knowing this misery.

Further down the mountainside we stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Four-Way to see if there are any GlobalGov forces at the crossroads. From here, I don't think there are any Motos down there. There appears to be no police parked anywhere on site. We'll have to descend anyway despite the fact that someone, a neighbour, a fellow farmer, is bound to squeal on us, if someone hasn't already. We've lived here all our lives and that's either going to help us or not.