Pussy stood on the edge of the gully, her back to the punishing sun, and noted the change in the landscape with stoic equanimity. Of course it was much drier than she remembered it, everything was. She unclipped her radio.
“Pussy to Bunny, over.”
“Go for Bunny.”
“I’m here. It’s dry to about a third the way down, but the bottom’s still green. I’m heading down now. Moles still there?”
“Affirmative, Moles are in the burrow.”
“10-4, I’ll let you know what I find. Over.”
“Look forward to it. Over and Out.”
Pussy clipped her radio on her backpack strap and took a furtive glance at the surrounding trees. Her lookouts were up there, somewhere, but she knew she shouldn’t look for them too hard. She headed down into the gully with a resigned and careful tread.
Pussy’s head always struggled in the silence. Her brain loved a downward spiraling inner monologue. Today was no different. Because THIS was ridiculous. It shouldn’t even have been necessary. There was a time when all of this could have been stopped. They wouldn’t be living in such dire conditions if only-
“10, 9, 8, 7..” She unclenched her fists. She was trying to get a handle on her inner monologues. The past couldn’t be changed. The compound needed her to come through. IF this worked, which it wasn’t going to, but if it did, and they could figure out how to maintain it, it could save the compound. Water rations were getting lower every day, it wouldn’t be long before they’d all be rounded up and moved into refugee camps. If they could gain independence from the ration system, boom! self reliance and a future. Pussy caught herself before she started to ‘what if’ the good things that might lie ahead. That was as useless as anger over the past. More immediately, if this worked, it would help Wildebeest, Pussy would do anything for Wildebeest. Even this ridiculous shit.
The vegetation on the upper slope was crunchy and dry, dust rose and swirled with every step. Pussy coughed and then stopped as the sound echoed in the dry air around her. She held her breath. Her lungs burned, but she waited, listening for the sound of their armored trucks. When nothing stirred but the trees below, she continued, stepping quietly and carefully, a handkerchief held over her mouth.
At the bottom of the gully the air was noticeably cooler. The creek that fed the gully was barely a trickle, but the trees were still alive, for now. Pussy looked up through the tangle of branches to the sun. The tops of most of the trees were dead, burned, devoid of leaves. There was no moss, none living anyway, just prickly grey tufts capping the odd rock. And it was silent. No birds, no critters rustling in leaf litter. She looked up stream and further into the gully. It got greener, darker. There was some hope that she’d find what she needed. Getting away with their plan, that would be harder. The Water Rats patrolled everywhere, hateful, idiotic, murder-
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6...” Pussy unclenched her fists. She had to focus on step one. Find the ferns.
As they often did, her thoughts found their way back to Wildebeest. The teenager was sick, they didn’t know what with, all the doctors had left this region two years ago, but the tea Granny Wolf made her helped. They just didn’t have enough water in the rations. Tea three times a day for Wildebeest meant no water at all for someone else. Though there were always volunteers to give up their rations, Pussy one of the most frequent, it wasn’t sustainable. Someone would die. So many already had.
Pussy’s younger sister had been one of them. Shot by the Water Rationing Enforcement (AKA Water Rats) for trying to cross the boarder into the East without a visa. She hadn’t told anyone she was going. For days Pussy hadn’t known where she’d gone or what had happened to her. Then she’d gone to the Rationing Station one Tuesday morning, at 8:23AM. Laurel’s gibbeted body had been hung above the entrance, dripping decaying juices to the ground below. Her baby sister, just seventeen, stripped and pinned into an iron cage, the bullet’s exit wound exploding like a rose out of her forehead.
She couldn’t save her sister. She needed to save Wildebeest.
After another half hour of walking Pussy caught herself enjoying the shaded walk. Some of the rocks deeper in still had moss, she bent down to touch it, spongy and cool, and soft. It was peaceful, away from the heat that never stopped beating at you, or the hiss of air-conditioning, when Grid Control allowed it anyway. The constant thirst, the exhaustion, the knowledge that winter will bring cold, but no rain, no snow. Not anymore. Just forever sun. The little trickle of water looked so tempting. She was so thirsty, but just kneeling near it she could smell the taint of chemicals. She cleared her throat and stood. She needed stay focused, the Elephants would be waiting on her and every minute they were “loitering with no approved purpose,” they were in danger. It was another twenty minutes before she found what she was looking for, Pteridium aquilinum. The ferns were huge, at least three feet high and clumped in a thick stand.
Pussy touched a leaf and rubbed it between her fingers.
“I’m so sorry for this.” She pulled a machete out of her bag.
Danger
Pussy whirled around.
Danger
She held her machete out in front of her. “Who’s there?”
Danger Danger Danger…Several voices whispered around her.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…” There was no one around. Pussy looked down at the ferns. Was she in such bad shape she was hallucinating, or…
“I guess I’m the danger?” She pursed her lips, “Do you guys bring rain?”
Danger We bring danger
Pussy furrowed her brow, and swung the machete at the base of the first fern. It fell easily. There were no more whispers. In no time she had cut down and bundled the entire stand. Her hike out was going to be a lot harder, with four big bundles of ferns slung over her shoulders, but Wildebeest needed this. They all did. She unclipped her radio.
“Pussy to Bunny, do you read?”
“Go for Bunny.”
“I found them. A lot, too. I’ve harvested them. Jumping in seven stars. Over.” The last bit was code, she’d meet them in an hour.
“Jumping in seven stars, 10-4. Over and out.”
Bunny was always so calm. Never ever sounded rattled. Pussy was shaking as she picked up the bundles. She’d been allowed a small extra ration of water for this mission and she’d been saving it. She drank one sip, just one, then started walking. The bundles were heavier than she’d expected. She’d always thought of ferns as delicate, but these had thick leaves and wide stalks. She took a deep breath and started walking. Pain or no pain. She was meeting the truck in an hour.
The old tan pickup was a welcome sight. The men ran down the sides of the gully to meet her and take the heavy bundles of ferns. Pussy leaned on Tiger for a moment, catching her breath. She took her last sip of water. Her third, and tried to fight the dizziness she felt. Tiger helped her up the hill and helped her into the passenger seat of the truck, he and two others lay down in the bed.
In the cab, Bear shifted the truck into gear and pulled into the road.
“Any trouble from the Water Rats?” Pussy asked, leaning her head against the cool window glass. Despite its age, the truck’s AC still worked well.
“None, we kept moving as much as we could. What’s that water like down there?”
“Stinks.”
“Figures.”
“You think this will work?”
“I don’t think about it at all. I just feel each rain drop.”
Pussy smiled, “Always the poet.”
“Better than the pessimist.”
“Funny, Bear. I went didn’t I? I brought back the ferns. I’m not entirely pessimistic. I just can’t believe we’ve stooped to witchcraft.”
“Lost knowledge, magic, it’s all we’ve got left to us these days. Science is illegal, we need to survive however we can.”
“I guess.”
He wasn’t wrong. The planet was irrevocably damaged at this point. There was nothing humanity could do to stop the climate disaster they’d started. They just had to learn to cope. Could science save them now, even if it were allowed? Pussy doubted it. They needed other methods. In the East, they had it a little easier. No drought, just massive hurricanes and blizzards. While they complained about their storms, they always plenty of water and food. A fact those in the West resented. They were called refugees when they crossed the border. They had a hard time finding work, they were beaten in the streets, denied medical care, it was dire for the Westerners no matter where they went. Not even other countries wanted them. Everywhere was overcrowded. Resources were taxed, famine and disease were on the rise. What was the point?
“Thinking dark thoughts again. I can see it in your face.”
“Sorry, Bear, hard not to.”
“Says the woman who just brought us four bundles of hope.”
“Oh God.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. Bear laughed with her.
“We’re gonna be ok, Pussy.”
“I hope you’re right.”
We bring danger She couldn’t help but hear the whisper in her head as the truck putted forward. Should she say something? She could quite conceivably have been hallucinating, she never ate or drank anywhere near enough…
The compound had once been a sprawling estate in the hills. A multimillion dollar McMansion surrounded by a high, white stucco wall and grounds with peacocks strutting across tennis courts. It was heavily fortified now, razor wire topped the surrounding wall, watch was kept. Around seventy people, all working together toward two goals, survive and bring back the rain, called it home. Tonight, they hoped to further both of those goals. A large ring of stones had been assembled in the compound’s big driveway. The gates were shut. Guards were posted. Guns were standard issue now. Pussy hated them, but the Water Rats were shoot first, fuck asking questions kind of law enforcement who seemed to have unlimited power, so she had a gun. They unloaded the ferns and placed them in the center of the stone circle. Placing a layer of old cardboard underneath.
Pussy found Wildebeest in the crowd.
“Hey, kid, how ya feeling?”
“Kinda scared, actually. They’re gonna see the smoke.”
“Yeah, most likely, but we have a small army here so, it’ll be ok. And it will be raining, maybe they’ll get confused. They’re kinda dumb.” Pussy tried to sound like she believed it, but Wildebeest gave her a look.
“Weather manipulation is illegal, punishable by death.”
“It’s ok to break the stupid laws, remember that.” She put an arm around Wildebeest and they both turned toward the makeshift fire pit. The cardboard had started to burn. When the ferns caught fire, thick white smoke began to rise. Dolphin stood on a chair and rose her arms to the sky. She chanted.
To rise and ruin To rise and feed Smoke for the Devil Rain for my seed
What it meant, Pussy couldn’t say, but as Dolphin repeated the chant more and more in the compound joined her. Pussy and Wildebeest were swept up, chanting and swaying as the smoke rose into the afternoon sun. It was almost unbearably hot by the fire, but no one left. They chanted, pleading to whoever was listening, apparently the Devil, for rain.
Pussy had her eyes closed against the smoke when it happened, so she didn’t see the initial flash. But someone screamed. Then thunder ripped through the sky. Pussy felt it in her core. Felt her heartbeat mimic the rumble. A drop of water hit her face. And then another. She turned toward Wildebeest. The girl grinned so wide. Rain began to pour from the sky. All the rain they hadn’t had in years seemed to be coming down at once.
Above the roar of water, cracks of gunfire came from outside the walls. Pussy looked around frantically. Some members of the compound were lost in the rain, oblivious to the danger. They lay on the pavement, rolling in the cool wet water. Others stood open-mouthed or held out buckets and cups. Pussy thought fleetingly of the big swimming pool, it had been cleaned just for this occasion. Pussy had helped build a cover for it. She told Wildebeest to get inside, take as many with her as would go. But don’t stay outside.
Watching the girl run off, she caught Bear’s eye, he and Tiger, and five others were making their way to the gates. The small gate door opened and the two guards squeezed inside. They dropped the big iron bar down across the gate. She looked up at the Moles, well armed in their hides up in the trees. Boys brought buckets of homemade grenades over from the armory. The ferns may have brought danger, but the compound was ready for a fight. Thunder boomed overhead. The rain was falling so hard it was difficult to see. They had cut angled peepholes in the outer walls, which gave them a view, if incomplete, of the five Water Rats on the other side. More would definitely be coming. Bear barked out orders, everyone who could fight needed to be rounded up. He told Tiger to check in with all the lookouts, access to the wall was difficult along the rest of its length, but not impossible. They needed to be ready. Sirens wailed, backup was close. Less than a block away.
Pussy could not reliably say what had happened later, hers and everyone else’s retellings were vague, even the Moles, who had the best vantage point. But as the sirens screamed up to the gate, a single bolt of lightning shot down from the rain laden sky. The sirens stopped.
Bear’s radio crackled.
“MoleA to Bear.”
“Bear. Over.”
“I think it killed them all.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Well it’s difficult to see clearly through the rain, but the first five are on the ground and the trucks are just sitting there. No lights or anything.”
“Lightning can’t kill you in a car.”
Another bolt of lightning hit a nearby tree.
“Permission to bring the Moles out of the trees, Bear?”
“Granted.”
When they finally opened the gates hours later, the bodies and cruisers were gone.
wow the world building in this! spectacular. you should stick with this story and make It longer. i would read it!!!