Eidos

Chapter 1: Such A Silly Place

Chapter 1: Such a Silly Place

"No more! I just can't do this anymore today!"

Harmonia screamed the words, but as her voice echoed across the surrounding mountains of Sky, no one was around to hear it. She threw the small tin spade she had made out of scrap bitterly into the dirt. Her hands were covered in mud, her face was smeared with sweat and grime, and above all else, Harmonia was exhausted. What had made matters worse was the realization that this was only one of more than a dozen gardens she had planted throughout the mountains.

It was her second year planting potato and various vegetable gardens throughout hidden spots amongst the hills. It had been no small task finding the right places to do so. The mountains of Sky were wild and it was hard enough finding a flat piece of land, let alone enough to fit a garden. But Harmonia had an ever fortunate friend on her side, Lady Luck. So each spot was picked just far enough from any of the nearby towns to make sure no one would stumble upon her crops.

Harmonia's first season of planting had not gone very well. Most of her crops had not grown at all due to the lack of sunlight. What few had sprouted had either been devoured by silly children, with nothing better to do with their time, or eaten by dogs and coyotes, the only animals left on Sky. Part of her was sad when she thought about the diversity of animals she had seen as a little girl. Now, most species of birds, fish, and even insects, had long since disappeared.

The other half of her, the part that only thought about the importance of food and money needed for survival, was thankful. The mistakes of the past were the lessons for the future. Only having dogs and bothersome children to contend with meant that there was more hope for her food to grow in peace. Her motto quickly became: high enough up and far enough out.

"Pull it together Harmony. You can't just think about yourself," she stated aloud to no one in particular.

It had become an unshakeable habit to speak to the air and then answer her own questions. There was little else to occupy her mind on the long walks home. Even gardening did not sate the need to keep her thoughts occupied. Despite how badly she dreaded gardening, she knew there was no other choice.

Harmonia was no longer a little girl, she was fourteen now. She had become one of the Big Kids. When children in their town turned ten, they officially became a Big Kid, and that meant they were now responsible for taking care of the younger, or older, members of their family. Little Kids still did their part in the estranged remains of the towns the grown-ups had left behind when they were taken away. So that meant with age came responsibility, and Harmonia's responsibility was to no one but her grandfather.

Grandpa George had grown weak and tired with each passing year. A few months before Harmonia's eleventh birthday he had fallen ill, promising he would quickly get better. But weeks passed with no sign of improvement, then months, and then years. Grandpa George could no longer stand on his feet, let alone get out of bed. That was why it was up to Harmonia to make sure they always had enough to survive.

And so Harmonia sighed and turned back towards her crops, talking aloud all the while, "I don't understand why it never rains anymore. I mean, it used to rain after all. I remember when I was a kid there was a storm that lasted for almost an hour once. That was the longest anyone had seen in a long time. Ha, ha!"

Harmonia continued her routine for the next hour or so, discussing different topics with herself and all the while laughing at her silliness. The hour had raced by in no time at all as she mechanically pulled out as many potatoes as she could fit into her basket. She even managed to pack a few into the worn green backpack she had preserved from her childhood. If she put in any more than a few, it would break from too much strain. It did not matter to Harmonia, she had gathered just enough to sell back at the market in town, and still what they would need at home.