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

*18

       

I burst into the music room, trying to look between throngs of people as they swirled around in their grey coveralls. A violin, a snare drum and a single guitar combined to make a surprising racket, shaking the walls with a syncopated rhythm.

Finally, I saw a man crouched in the corner next to my little niece. It was Sams. We made eye contact and he became noticeably nervous. I walked closer, holding back my rage as he put a dried date in Annie's outstretched hand. Before I could close in, he pulled a blade halfway out of his belt then held a finger to his lips. I stopped in my tracks as he lowered his hand to Annie's shoulder.

Binjin's eyes lit up as he turned around and spotted me. He hurried beside me, dancing the entire way. "Hey Danth, where the hell were you? I couldn't get to the instruments in time, but these guys are pretty good. I—"

"Shut up!" I interrupted, keeping my eyes on Sams.

"What's going on?" asked Binjin, noticing my stress.

Marta stepped into the room and ran over to me. "Who's that guy with Annie?"

"Stay back, both of you," I instructed. I walked within a few steps of Sams and could see the tension rippling throughout his body.

Sams put Annie on his knee and bounced her around, making her giggle. Back off, he mouthed quietly, motioning to the knife on his hip.

"You want our ration cards, is that it?" I asked, unable to remain quiet. "Do you really think the people here will let you get away?"

A tear streaked down Sams' face. "I...I don't have a choice. My entire field's diseased. When I couldn't make quota they took away my rations. All of them." He laughed. "Today they doubled my Cultivation Quota, but there's nothing to harvest—nothing."

"Don't do this," I told him, stepping closer. "We can work this out. I'll give you some rations to get you through."

Sams stiffened. "Only trades are allowed! One card for one card. You know charity is forbidden!"

It was true. The drones held no qualms about cards being stolen, but anyone who willingly gave rations away usually disappeared in the night. "Sams, stop!"

"Stop?" asked Annie, finally acknowledging the anger filling the tent.

I knelt closer to Annie. "Annie, come on, it's time to go," I said, reaching for her with one hand while dipping my fingers toward my knife with the other.

"No!" yelled Sams. He pushed me to the floor and grabbed Annie around the chest, holding her tight to him. He wept openly, pointing his blade toward me while my niece screamed and kicked.

"Annie! Just relax, don't move!" I begged.

"I'm taking those rations!" screamed Sams. The music stopped and everyone turned toward us. "I'm not going to starve to death on that goddamn dirt patch they put me on!"

"Let her go, you bastard!" yelled Marta, clenching her fists. Binjin was holding her back.

"Alright!" I said. "Here! Just let her—"

I was interrupted by the deep blare of the drone above us. A wash of red light streaked across the tent, directly over Sams. He looked up, completely stunned and dropped his knife. Moving quickly, I kicked his weapon across the floor and grabbed Annie.

Another deep tone sounded, warning me to stop moving as I ran across the room. I slid to a halt and turned slowly back toward Sams. In the meantime, another T-drone had slipped inside the room. You must be kidding, I thought.

The second drone hovered over Marta and illuminated her pale skin with red light. "No!" she gasped, beginning to tremble.

"Whoa," said Binjin, backing away from Marta slowly.

Sams stared in Marta's eyes, his face still wet with tears. "I didn't mean...please, not like this..." he trailed off.

The red light led Marta next to Sams, and she had no choice but to stand beside him. "Danth?" she questioned, looking on the verge of passing out as her eyes met mine.

"Don't fight it! We'll...we'll figure it all out," I whispered.

One of the T-drones left while the other lowered in front of the new Life Partners. People in the room clapped slowly, as expectations demanded. The drone's black face flashed H4—the new plot my sister would share with Sams.

As soon as the orb lifted again, I rushed over to Marta, shoving Sams aside. I didn't know what else to do besides hug her. She held to me tight and sobbed against my shoulder.

Sams let out a gasping laugh and sank to his knees. "I'm...I'm saved!" A life partner meant a new patch of land to cultivate, along with completely reset quotas. It was a second chance.

"Goddamn coward!" I said, turning to face Sams. I was fighting back my own tears. "If I hear you've mistreated Marta at all during the next IP, I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

Sams stood up quickly. "I'm sorry. I swear, I never would have hurt the little girl—"

Another deep tone. I couldn't believe it. The crowd was visibly shaken. The red light crept over the floor and fixed on Annie, flashing twice. She squinted then curled up on the floor, hugging her knees. The drone then shined a second beam of light directly on Marta then flashed "H4" followed by a double-sided arrow: the symbol for reassignment. Annie would go with Marta to the new plot.

Just like that, my family had been reduced by half.