The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*8

       

I wiped my brow and stretched my aching arms, relieved my shift was over. After exiting the factory, I lined up with the rest of the workers outside. The orange airdrones dismissed us with a shrill ring—the Sleep Trill allowed 45 minutes for each worker to get back to their tent and zip up into the partition. We were allowed to converse and meander a bit, as long as we returned to our plots in the allotted time and didn't stray too far from our assigned paths.

My grandfather was slow coming out of the factory. I rushed up to him when he finally emerged and put my arm around him. "Don't," said Granddad with a groan, pushing my arm away. "I'm fine."

"This isn't fair," I protested. "They're working you too long."

Granddad straightened his back. "Live to work, work to live. I'll be okay. Just do your job and worry about yourself. The last thing I need is your doting attention convincing the Privus my usefulness is at an end."

I nodded. "I suppose you're right."

"Go ahead and catch up with your little friend, but you better be zipped up in your partition by the time I get back."

"I will Granddad, I promise," I said, rushing away.

I caught up with Binjin about a quarter mile up the road. "Hey!" I yelled. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

"One of those damn machines gushed oil all over me. It soaked through my clothes. I'm rushing to get home and bathe in the stream before time's up."

I laughed. "Wow, it really got you good. I'm surprised you still met quota."

"I always do," said Binjin, proudly. "You seem pretty clean. Were you scrubbing equipment tonight?"

"No, I was punching out big triangles. They looked like oversized fish fins. What were you making?"

"I was threading these huge, hollow cones. Having to crank those suckers around in a circle about tore my arm off. The next guy in the line was manning a machine that screwed them on to some kind of casing."

I sighed. "I wish I knew what this stuff was for."

"Ours is not to question—"

"Shut up, you sound like Granddad," I groaned.

Binjin shook his head. "I was working near your grandfather tonight. Poor guy is barely keeping up with the rest of us. What's he going to do if he falls behind?"

"How should I know?" I said, feeling angry. I didn't like thinking about him getting the Rake again.

"Alright, relax," said Binjin. "Ugh, I'm going to sprint on home, I can't stand this grease."

"See ya soon," I yelled as Binjin ran off. I had been meaning to tell him about the Privus' lost hour of surveillance, but the time never seemed right.

After saying hello to a few other people I knew, I decided to crouch down and wait for my grandfather. He came shambling up the road, not the last person in the line, but close. "Granddad, come on already."

He was breathing hard when he reached me. Despite his objections, I put my arm around him and helped him the rest of the way home. As soon as we arrived at the tent, he went to his partition and zipped up his flap without a word.

"He's not looking good," said Marta, concerned.

"Shut up," I said. "You don't know anything."

"Shut up," said Annie, giggling.

Marta cut her eyes at me. "You need to grow up, Danth. We all love granddad, but his quota is bound to go down soon. Then we'll have to fend for ourselves. We need to start thinking about—"

"Enough. Stop," I interrupted, exhausted. I looked at my watch. "Time's up in eight minutes. Just...get Annie to bed and try to keep her quiet."

I could tell Marta was fuming as she stormed off with Annie. She slammed the canvas flap of her partition, but it couldn't have been very satisfying. After drinking a few ladles of water, I flopped on my bed roll and whittled a scrap of pine into the shape of a river trout until I passed out.