The Day Earth Died

3. A Lift in the Square

The next spring, The Lonely Dandelion waits until its yellow petals wilt away, the tale nagged me again the following day, refusing to leave until it reached its end.

I kept walking in the streets and distracted myself as much as I could. My eyes explored my surroundings as if I hadn't done so a couple thousand times already. The same glassy storefronts reflecting the same cloudy afternoon sky, the same people pacing in the soupy mud, the same kids playing cards at the same doorsteps.

It waits, and waits until its fluffy seed head springs out. I huffed as I marched through the crowd. It was June 30 and therefore, Rationing day. The trade happened in the Square, on the South-West side of our neighbourhood. I was on my way there, pockets full with my best finds of the month. It wasn't much; a garnet, a zircon and a gorgeous yet almost worthless agate. If I had found it only a couple months prior, mum and I would have been far better off.

It waits, and waits, and waits until wind scatters its seeds in the field. I went on walking to get to the Square. In the grand space devoid of buildings, when the sun grew droopy, government officials would rise on a lift with rations from Under, ready to trade with us. The lift was only active on the last day of each month and, on top of that, the available rations were limited, especially the cheaper ones. All those factors made for an asphyxiating, crowded area packed with starving people. People who didn't manage their rations well this month, people who didn't get enough rations the month prior, people who haven't found anything good in the river yet still hope to earn the pity of an officer. Or people who struggle to feed their family members but always try their best nonetheless, even if they know it's never enough.

It waits, and waits, and waits, and waits until the shy sprout of a friend peeks out. I shoved my way into the crowd, peppering apologies here and there. The ground buzzed a bit. It meant the lift was coming up. A rumble of joy passed through the crowd. It brought a slight curve to my lips. They were so happy for so little. Maybe it was more than I thought it was. Maybe if I saw through their eyes, I'd be as happy as they are by feeling a mere throb under my boots. Maybe not.

The Lonely Dandelion is no longer lonely until... On the tip of my toes, I peeked past heads to see a large metal slab in the ground rise slowly. Officers, stands, rations. The goods were out and everyone was after them. As collected as people were before, as feral as they went once the lift was up. I was pushed around mercilessly and, for the first time in years, it got the best of me. I stumbled on my feet and fell, swallowed by the crowd. People trampled on me and expressed little remorse when they noticed me down there. With my hands, I shielded my face. Something trembled in me at the idea of not being able to stand back up soon enough to get good rations. An image of mum, starving because of me, made my blood curdle. My heart thumped harder and harder yet my blood stayed still in my veins, refusing to budge. I scrambled around in the runny mud. I need to stand up, now.

A Hungry Rabbit hops by and nibbles on the sprout until it is no more. A strong, firm grip on my hood yanked me up to my feet. I snapped my head back. A middle-aged, lanky, dark-skinned man faced me, eyes jaded. He didn't bother to acknowledge me and just nudged past me. I advanced in the crowd with a newfound focus on keeping my balance. I could finally catch a glimpse of what was left. From what I could afford, not much. It didn't take me long to mentally settle for a bag of wheat grains and some apples. I was able to push my way through and end up in front of a wheat stand. I silently offered the officer my garnet and my agate. He grabbed them and threw a heavy bag at me, already facing the next customer. I clung to it and waddled to another stand. For my zircon, I managed to get half a dozen of apples. I secured everything in my bag and slipped out of the crowd, frustrated.

The Lonely Dandelion is lonely again, compelled to wait until spring comes back around, at last, the tale finished. It didn't have a proper ending. Maybe mum didn't know it. Maybe mum didn't want to tell it. Maybe The Lonely Dandelion was always meant to be lonely. The silence that the end of the tale set off in my head was soon replaced by the loud drumming of anger. I was angry at the government; at its way of treating us. We were starved until we lost our minds to hunger but that was meant to be normal. That was meant to be alright. I didn't feel alright. I felt hurt, belittled, betrayed, and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it. Nobody could do anything. Last March, the government had temporarily blocked the river off to build a new railway. It's nearly impossible to get good finds by just digging or mining. In fact, all prized jewels come from the water, so nearly the whole neighbourhood starved because there was nothing to trade rations with. Most sided with the government—it was a mistake, they argued. It was a warning, I knew it was. A reminder that we had nothing and that they had it all. They were making sure we remembered who had the upper hand. They tightened the leash for a moment just so we could know what choking feels like and never want to ever feel it ever again.

I headed back home. I hunched at the weight of my bag but held on anyway. The stores closed one by one as the sun tucked itself away, under the skyline. The streets gradually emptied themselves. It was time to go home. All along the way, a thin stream of people, mostly boys, stretched through the streets. They all ran past me and headed West; towards the very middle of the neighbourhood. I caught Shawnee, a boy living close by, following the group and called his name. He approached me once he noticed my presence. His shoes were all muddy, just like the bottom of his pants. In his tight sleeveless shirt, it was clear that he was thinner than the last time I had seen him. His family has had a hard time with rations in the last months.

"Where are you going? It's almost evening."

He grinned at me with his missing front tooth and prominent cheek dimples.

"The Recruitment is gonna be tomorrow!" I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Shawnee bounced on his toes, unable to contain his emotions.

"They're coming early, see you Malory!" he blurted out and ran away.

I watched him disappear in the early evening's fog, dazed.