Nature Rules - 2022 WATTY'S SHORTLIST

He Who Controls the Weather

Crap. I open my eyes when the bus slows down and squeals to a stop. I haven't managed to do a good job of being awake. I look out the window and we're at another gate. I'm not sure how far we've driven. There's no sense of time but it must be late evening by now. The sun has dropped. My stomach growls and my head hurts from the glass pillow and my wrist is sore from the rope rubbing on it. There's no spit in my mouth and when I tell Crinae to wake up, only a croak emerges from my lips.

The rest of the passengers have been sleeping, too and are waking up with me. We're being driven through some gates into a wide-open field dotted with brown tents. The camp?

The driver opens the door and motions for us to get out. Dragmoren virtually skips off the bus but the rest of the settlers follow him slowly. They're immediately surrounded by Motos. We're last to get off and Hyla tugs the rope as she goes down the stairs. The rough cable burns into my skin.

Suddenly, a Moto pulls me off the stairs by grabbing my sore wrist. He then fills his fist with my hair and jerks my head back.

"I told you to hurry," he snaps, his beady green eyes inches from mine. "We don't have all day."

He lets me go and I rub the back of my head while glaring at his tall, skinny body. He doesn't give me a second look while he cuts through the rope with a large serrated knife. He saws back and forth and the pain from the scratching of the rope and the knife makes me want to scream and kick him. At last, the rope drops off my wrist and he moves on to the others. (At least he was kinder with Crinae and Chuck.)

"When I read your name, take a step forward," he barks. "Hyla, Crinae, Naia and Chuck."

The three of us take a small step in the Moto's direction. (Hyla gestures at Chuck, who eventually moves.) The Moto signals another guard to come over to us.

"You four," she says, "this way."

We follow her as she winds her way quickly through the heavy tents. I hear the same ticking noise that I had noticed at the Saddledome. It keeps a steady pace with my feet. Tick, tick, tick...

The Moto stops at a plain brown tent. I can't tell it apart from all the other brown tents surrounding it. She points at Crinae.

"You're 3321."

Then Chuck.

"You're 3322."

Then Hyla.

"You're 3323."

Then me.

"You're 3324. Remember your numbers. Now you'd better get yourselves into that tent before there's any trouble. The other Habitants will inform you of the rules."

With that, she walks away, her butt bouncing behind her.

I look towards the tent door and see eyes staring back at me through a hole in the canvas fold. They disappear when I walk towards them.

"Naia," whispers Crinae loudly. "Be careful."

I throw open the fabric door and step into the tent. It's filled with people. Young and old. All wearing the same dark blue uniform. All sitting on the floor. All looking at me.

"Who are you?" asks a woman. I can't see her. Her voice blossoms out of the middle of the group.

"I'm Naia," I say.

An elderly woman stands up. She has blue, blue eyes set in a brown face framed by white hair.

"Hi Naia, I'm Tal. Why don't you bring your friends inside?"

I wave the three others over and we all squeeze into the tent.

"This is my sister Crinae," I say, "and our friends, Hyla and Chuck."