DROUGHT

CHAPTER 6: THE WATER HUNT

   AFTER FOUR MONTHS

What happened to my uncle is still fresh, even though it already happened six months ago. I can still hear the gunshot, which gives me nightmares whenever I close my eyes. The water that he hid at the bunker saved our lives. We plant vegetables and fruits that help us survive, too. We don't have a choice. The animals are dying gently because of drought. The break-in didn't happen once, but it happened twice. The first one is from the thugs, and the second is from the government and what they call governance, a control for everybody will have a water supply. Miller is correct, and the government is trying to control all the water they can get from the civilians. They will get our water, and they will sell it to us. Now we are running out of water, and whenever I see my mother, who is getting crazy every day because of his brother's death is painful to me.

"What are you doing, the two of you?" I asked Lucy and Owen. They are both not wearing shorts because they peed on the pail. Owen looked at me and tried to hide the bucket behind her.

"We peed, mama, and put it here," Lucy said and pointed at the pail behind her.

"Why?" I asked them, but she giggled first before answering.

"Because we want that to boil for drinking," She said. I looked at her because I didn't expect her to say that. The kids already know what is happening and are concerned about water.

"Water, no," Owen said.

"I know," I said.

"Wear your shorts now, and get inside the house," I told them, and they immediately wore their shorts and got inside.

I looked at the pail with their pee and recalled everything before the drought. One day we are happy after the pandemic, and the other day we are not. God gave us only a day of happiness and A lifetime punishment. I looked up, but I didn't see him there anymore. I didn't even know if he was real; I could only see the dark clouds and the thing up there that made us suffer. I looked everywhere, and I didn't know any life anymore. The flowers are all dried, and the trees and the soil are cracking. I tried to touch the ground and felt nothing but total hotness that could burn anything it touched. Even the sun hides behind the dark clouds; it gives total hotness because of the complete dryness. I looked up at the atmosphere and hoped for a miracle, but God was sleeping because he didn't know what was happening here, or maybe he had abandoned us already. I don't know. I know nothing at all but to get water.

"Is he even real?" The voice inside me asked me.

I touched my skin and felt it rough after not taking a bath for many days. We need more water for all of us. Only three containers left, and we are saving them for the kids. I feel my lips, too, and it is already dry. I can't even feel my saliva when I swallow because I only drink a drop of water to conserve it. My mom and dad are getting weak too. The world is in chaos because of the water. People are killing people for water; there is no longer humanity because of water.

"Drought is when you trade your blood for water," The voice inside me said, and I remembered what the man told us before he killed my uncle.

"Sammy! Sammy!" I heard my mother cry in pain. What happened to my uncle is still fresh to her. Our uncle saved us from drought for many months, but we didn't keep him from his killer. Well, we didn't know that it would happen. Nobody anticipates it. We tried to check for flights going back home, but we couldn't find any, besides my mother didn't want to leave my uncle. She is still grieving even though we don't have time to grieve. I took a deep breath while still looking at nowhere. Where is Miller now? I asked myself. It's been a long time. Does he know that my uncle is already dead?

I saw Hope running from nowhere, biting a yellow ribbon. She is dirty and smelly, but I can't bathe her. She put the ribbon in front of me and looked at me while wiggling her tail. I bent to get the ribbon and asked her,