What? Delta's starting a new story?! Yawn, nothing new! I bet she'll never finish it! YOU'RE RIGHT random person who's reading this! I will start this and it will likely never be finished, but I can still try! Ok, keep going please!
Chapter One : Lilac[]
It was raining.
Again.
You know, at this point I would be more surprised if it wasn't raining. It had been raining for as long as I could remember, maybe even LONGER than I could remember.
At this point, I was SO SICK OF IT. I wanted to take all the clouds covering the sky and mash them into a ball and then do something like . . . like EAT IT. I wanted to see the sky, I had read and heard in some stories that the sky was BLUE. Can you imagine! Would the sky be like grandmother's dress, big and bright blue? Hmm, maybe, though I was pretty sure that the sky wouldn't smell like cinnamon.
But what if it did? I certainly had no idea. No one in my village, even the oldest elders could remember a time when the sky wasn't covered. It was SO FRUSTRATING that the only image of a clear sky I got was from a BOOK. A book was OK, of course, but books are BORING AND ANNOYING AND OBVIOUSLY can't replicate what the sky would look like.
And the sun! A big ball of pure FIRE. Could you imagine? Stem said he had seen it once, peeking through a tiny hole in the clouds, like a circle of molten gold, shining down and filling him with warmth. WARMTH. FROM THE SKY. Of course, Stem was full of nothing but fake stories and rumors, so none of us believed him.
I wanted to believe him though. Imagine light like that. Unlike the sky though, I had seen gold fire before, in the fires in our house, hallways and the lanterns hanging from our roads to guide the gatherers home. But I'm sure that the fire coming from the sky would be MUCH more amazing. I wrapped the deep maroon blanket closer around my thin shoulders, shivering.
Also warmth! From the sky! Down here, the only warmth came from the fires that were lit around the clock. If you weren't near a fire, then oops, it was just cold winds and smooth rock walls for you. I glanced over at the fire next to me, scooching a few inches towards it, then turned my gaze back to the outside, the rain pitter pattering against the window, dripping down the smooth glass.
How badly I wanted to go outside! But it was early spring now, the snow from a few monthes ago was just starting to melt and turn into slush. I wrinkled my nose as a particularly fat raindrop splatted onto the window. I guess snow was better than rain, it was lighter, softer, but much harder to walk in. But now that it was melting, floods were becoming even more common than usual.
Flooding was always a danger in our village. It probably was a danger all over the world, in all the villages, if there even were other villages. I mean, it WAS raining basically ALL the time.
Most people grew up with that danger in the back of their minds. We were trained practically since birth how to get below ground to our caves within minutes, our floodwatchers careful, though we still lost many people from flooding every year. And now we weren't even allowed outside!
Stupid rain. I thought viciously, glaring up at the stormy sky, my gray eyes narrowed with fury. Stupid clouds. STUPID EVERYTHING.
"More brooding huh?" A voice suddenly offered, the tone silverly and playful. I whipped around, my face neutral, though my eyes were flashing, and spotted my older sister Jasmine standing in the doorway of my room, munching on a dirt covered carrot. She was gingerly brushing the dirt off of it, her face calm and cool. Her clothes were dirty and worn from her digging job at the community garden, her golden blonde hair pulled back in a neat bun. The moment I spotted her, my frown deepened, my face creasing with deep lines.
"Out." I snapped, grabbing the nearest pebble and flinging it at her. Jasmine sidestepped it calmly, letting the tiny stone bounce into the hallway beyond, echoing through our family's cave. "This is MY ROOM. Therefore, you are NOT WELCOME." Jasmine twitched her eyebrows in amusement, her blueish grays eyes dancing with amusement.
"Ha." She said in the same tone, a grin on her round face. "That face." My eyes narrowed and I focused on smoothing out my face, but felt my frown only growing deeper. I let out a strange growl deep in my throat, like a mix between a cat and two rocks scraping together and Jasmine made a scrunchy face, her 'trying not to laugh face'. "Oh." She let out a stifled laugh, taking a step back. "You're in one of those moods." She put her hands up in mock surrender, the grin on her pale face wide. "Don't let me disturb you're brooding. Have fun." She saluted with another laugh and whisked down the hallway, probably off to bother her twin, Dahlia.
I listened to their echoing chatter for a moment, probably talking about the latest community garden project, then block them out, trying to focus on the light tapping of the rain and the crackling of the fire. I was not looking forward to the next few monthes. Not only would I be stuck inside with my annoying siblings and nothing to do but watch the rain, but I would be starting work in a few months.
And not the fun kind of work like childsitter or weaver or anything like that, no, I was going to be a gardener. I didn't know why, there were plenty of gardeners in the village. PLENTY. But my mother wouldn't take no for an answer. It was RIDICULOUS. I had fought back against it at least a hundred times.
But my mother said that no one in our family had ever NOT been a gardener as far back as she could remember, so WHO CARED WHAT I THOUGHT. I was ONLY my LIFE.
As if my thoughts had summoned her, my mother appeared in the doorway, smelling like burnt bread. Confirming my thoughts, as I turned around, I noticed that her long white apron was blackened with ashes from our burned dinner and she was wearing her usual disgruntled expression, her dirty blonde hair frizzy and sticking up in every direction.
"Lilac." She said in a sharp voice, crossing her hands over her chest with a frown, her lips pursed as if she was trying to hold in thousands of angry words. "I have told you time and time again that I need your help with the dinner." When I simply rolled my eyes and turned back towards the window, she let out a loud sigh and made a clicking noise with her tongue. "You can't be sitting here like . . . like a rock."
"I don't want to help in the kitchen." I muttered, pulling my knees up to my face as I turned back towards her. From between my dark green leggings I could see her struggling to keep her face smooth and calm. She was much better at it than I was, if I didn't know her so well I probably wouldn't be able to tell that she was angry. But her voice was tight and furious, her foot tapping so hard I thought it was going to break right through the hard stone floor.
"Want. Want want want. That's all you ever talk about. What YOU want. No one ever asks me what I want, now do they? Four kids to feed, work to do and the Offering is coming up soon." She threw her hands up into the air. "It might help if at least ONE OF MY KIDS WAS HELPFUL." She raised her voice to a boom, leaning backwards so that Dahlia and Jasmine could hear.
The twins voices ceased for a moment, then Dahlia poked her head out of their room, frowning, her short sandy brown hair falling into her face, though she looked like she barely noticed.
Please don't go off on another rant about how we're all so useless and whatnot." Dahlia snapped, her eyes flashing. But noticing Mother's expression, she cleared her throat and put on a pensive face. "I do my best, but I have work as well. So does Jasmine. And Bear is too young to help." She raised her eyebrows towards our little brother Bear, who was sitting on the floor, oblivious to everyone else as he played with his carved horses, humming gently to himself. "Buuuuut," She grinned as she turned towards me, her grin becoming slightly sadistic. I narrowed my eyes towards her, trying to give her a 'stop, don't you dare continue' look, but she either didn't notice or didn't care.
The latter probably.
"But?" Mother snapped impatiently, beginning to twist a strand of hair between her long fingers, her foot flying up and down so fast it was practically a blur.
“But Lilac doesn’t do any work.” Dahlia let out a loud sigh, shaking her head with mock primness. “She just sits there, staring mournfully outside all day.” I let out a cat-like hiss, curling my fingers as if I had claws and Dahlia let out a snort, biting down on her lip to keep from laughing too hard. Mother’s gaze shot between us, her expression suspicious and finally made another clicking noise with her tongue.
“She makes a good point Lilac. You’re almost fifteen, you don’t have time to sit around and do nothing all day. You should go to work with Dahlia and Jasmine one day, preparing yourself.” I let out a dismayed groan, burying my face in my hands and I saw Dahlia and Jasmine high five from between my fingers, both of them smirking smugly. “Or better yet, help ME in the kitchen.” She left a significant pause after that statement, shooting a glance at me.
I raised my eyebrows at her, trying to look innocent and she began mumbling angry things, beginning to walk away.
Dahlia shot a wink at me and vanished back into her room and I heard crowing and laughing coming from the cave, and my fingers curled in dangerously. But at the last moment, just when I thought I was free to go back and stare out the window, Mother peeked her head back in, her fingers tapping on the doorframe.
“Lilac.” She said firmly, and though I wanted to ignore her, something in her voice made me turn around. Her face was hard, but her soft gray eyes were sympathetic. “I know you don’t want to start work.” She murmured softly, coming into the room and sitting down next to me. Despite how frustrated I was, I leaned into her and she began to stroke my hair gently, running it between her fingers. “But everyone has to leave childhood behind at some point. You can’t spend your life frolicking around in fields and playing in trees all day. I know it’s hard to accept, but it's how things are.” She pulled away from me after a long moment of silence and stepped away. She paused again before leaving, and her voice was suddenly sharp again. “Come meet me in the kitchen in five minutes or I will block up that window, young lady.”
I wavered for a moment, frowning and then sighed, defeated, and nodded. “Fine.” As she walked away, muttering and talking to herself, I thought about what she had said. It’s how things are. That phrase kept echoing through my thoughts, running through my mind. It was true. That was how things were. Everyone moved on, everyone grew up. My time was coming. That was how it went.
But what if it didn’t have to be? What if I wanted to become, say, a floodwatcher? Mother would probably never allow it, too dangerous. But the danger made it exciting! That’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to dig in the dirt, getting all sweaty and gross stuff like that, harvesting vegetables that I would probably never even get to eat.
The Leaders SAID that the food we harvested was for us, but there was always so little to eat, I couldn’t believe that. No, I was positive I knew where it went.
It went to the Offering.
I wasn’t really sure exactly what the Offering was, it was shrouded in mystery, but years of spying and eavesdropping had led me to believe one thing.
We were giving something, or someone most of our food. The Leaders left food on the highest hilltop, then left, and apparently some big people or something from the sky came down and took it all, in exchange for not drowning us.
Apparently the people in the sky were in charge of the weather. DOING A FINE JOB OF NOT DROWNING US. I wanted to yell at them, glaring up at the stormy sky, just as a flash of lightning pierced the darkness. Honestly, it all sounded like hooey to me. It was more likely that some kids were playing a trick on the whole village, it was all just a prank.
An idea suddenly struck me, like the flash of lightning, piercing through my mind instantly. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands.
It was a great idea.
It was a wonderful idea.
It was a WONDERFULLY TERRIBLE idea.
I could SPY on the Leaders, follow them to the Offering spot and see who came down to get the food. It was brilliant! I mean, yes, spying on the Leaders was BEYOND against the rules, as was going out during the flooding season, but I had been spying on them for a long time before this and, if the Leaders were going out during the flooding season, it couldn’t be THAT BAD.
“LILAC.” Mother suddenly yelled from the kitchen. I jumped and my excitement faded as quickly as it had arrived, like a spark that died. I was being delusional. There was no way I could do this. And what if I did? What did I expect to happen? Did I expect that suddenly, the moment I saw the truth about the Offering, my life would miraculously change.
That sunshine and rainbows would suddenly come cartwheeling from the sky. Nothing was going to change. This was my life. I shuddered, placing a hand on the cold pane, feeling the smooth coolness travel from my hand and down my body, making me shiver harder, inching closer to the fire, the tips of my blanket nearly catching the bright orange flames.
I let out a long sigh, placing my chin on my pale hands, pressing my forehead against the window, barely noticing the cold that sliced through my body. I didn't want this to be my life. I didn't want this. I wanted to explore, to be outside, to live.
I wanted to live.
I didn't want this to be my life.
But did I really have a choice?
Chapter Two : Ava[]
"AVA." I jumped as the voice shot across the library, breaking the quiet stillness, and nearly slammed my head on the ceiling that was about a foot above me. I glared down at the man who was beginning to systematically comb through the shelves of the library.
I shuffled a few steps back towards the wall, ducking a bit lower. He would never find me here. I was perfectly hidden. But my good mood suddenly became flickered and dim and I frowned down at him as he began to look into hammocks that were strung all across the huge library.
What was he doing here? He never came into the library. We had a deal. I didn’t sneak in on his Council Meetings like I used to do when I was young and he didn’t come bother me while I was reading. I shuddered, inching backwards on my hands and knees, before going still, pulling my books close to me as if they could protect me.
Was I in trouble? I shifted nervously, feeling panic rising in my throat. Had Liam told him about me reading under my desk during class? I know education is important, but yawn, Professor O’Halley could seriously make something even as wonderful as Advanced Economics so boring with his endless, nonstop lectures.
So was it really my fault for wanting to escape?
Or was this about the time I tried to sneak down to the Land of the Trolls? I had no idea what was running through my mind when I decided to do that. Trolls sound ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. No one has ever seen them, but there have been stories. They have sharp teeth and are loud and angry and eat people like me!
That’s why we have to constantly generate the big storm. At least, that’s what Father says. Nothing can get through the storm without one of our bracelets. I glanced down at the small black wristband fitted tightly around my freckled wrist, the lights on the underside of it blinking and flickering, lighting up my skin with a strange greenish glow.
The storm may be loud and talked about constantly, which was super annoying, but if it kept us safe from a Troll attack, then I was fine with it.
Well. I thought ruefully, glanced down at the man, who was beginning to search more vigorously, looking under tables with an increasingly angry frown. If I’m going to get in trouble, I should probably go down there fast and prevent him from being even MORE furious at me than he already is.
“Over here Father!” I said in a low yell, waving my hand towards him. He whipped around and about ten different expressions streaked across his face at once.
“What are you doing up there?” He said sharply, though not unkindly. I stood up and balanced on one foot, bringing my other foot up to my knee, shooting him a dazzling smile, despite my nervousness.
“Why Father,” I said as innocently as I could. “What are you talking about?” He narrowed his hazel eyes to slits, his eyebrows knitting together as he frowned.
“Down here Ava.” He said, gesturing with one hand. “Come on, I want to talk to you about something.” I sighed and began climbing down from the bookshelf that I had been reading on top of. The librarian used to be extremely annoyed when I would read on top of a bookshelf, but by now, he had mostly gotten used to it, as long as I put the books I read back.
Oh! That reminds me.
Pulling myself back up with my legs flailing and licking my lips, making small squeaking sounds until I finally sprawled onto the top, beginning to grab the large stack of books sitting next to the small pile of blankets. Balancing three books in each hand and one clamped in my mouth, I hopped back to the ground.
Father opened his mouth, clearly ready to start the lecture, whatever it was about, but quickly taking the book out of my mouth and placing it on the bookshelf behind me, I shook my head with a smile.
“One moment Father.” I murmured, rushing over to another bookshelf. Father’s mouth snapped shut and he grudgingly followed after me. I looked through the books stacked on my hands, trying to balance them as I took a book about Advanced Geometry from the bottom of the pile and placed it into the shelf.
“Ava dear, this is very important.” I didn’t like the tone of his voice, so I quickly smiled and shook my head, skipping off to another section of the library, putting the other two books in my left hand away.
“Hang on.” I said again, peeking around the edge of the bookshelf. I pulled a few more books from the pile in my hands and placed them in my father’s arms. “Can you put these away? Third shelf on the right, in between the one's about History.” Father let out a disgruntled sigh, but walked over to the bookshelf and put them in the right spot, more or less. I would have to fix that later.
“Are you done?” He asked impatiently, turning back towards me with a frown evident on his face. I hesitated, trying to come up with another way to stall, but, not coming up with anything, I sighed and nodded, putting the last book in its place.