Zero

4 : Rain

P A R T 4

The night sky is a velvet blue. I stare upwards, leaning against a pillar at a corner of the town square that is tucked away. I nibble on some stale bread that I pilfered from the bakery earlier.

Then I sense a presence near me. I look round the pillar and nearly panic when I see a policeman leaning on the other side.

I grab the milk bottle I have not finished, along with my bread, and slowly edge away. A Zero with food is definitely a suspicious sight.

When I am in the shadows I spot a ladder leaning up against the tallest building in the town - the government block of the five numbers that live here. It is not even very tall; the buildings in Zero to Four are just much shorter.

The policeman seems to be heading in my direction now but I'm not sure if he can actually see me.

Quickly, I climb up the ladder, which leads to the rooftop (the building can't be very tall if a mere ladder reaches its roof, can it?).

The roof is just a flat slab of concrete. I stand and finish my dinner while enjoying the view.

From here, I can see everything from the little village of Four to the wasteland that is Zero. In the distance are some taller, glassier buildings - the cities of Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine.

In between those cities and this town is a large circular building. That is the Central Government Firm.

The people in there are the ones who make sure we stick with our numbers.

Just then, it begins to rain. Fat droplets of water land on my skin as I take off my jacket. Rain is almost always a good thing. It does not quite wash off all the dust and dirt but it's better than nothing.

From here, I see children spill out of the warehouse in Zero, dancing and playing in the rain. I smile at this.

Unscrewing the cap of the empty milk bottle, I hold it out in the rain, trying to collect as much water as possible.

The rain soon turns into a storm, and I know I have to get to shelter.

Back at the warehouse, kids are huddled in the dark, getting ready to sleep.

The downpour eases up soon and I doze off.

There is a smell of rainwater lingering in the air the next morning.

I step out of the warehouse, drinking from the milk bottle and catching sight of homeless Zeros scooping up rainwater from puddles left over last night. They look so pitiful.

You're no better off, I chide myself.

Still, I walk up to the adult Zero nearest to me and hand her the milk bottle from yesterday that is now half full of rainwater. At least the rainwater I am handing her is not mixed with gravel and dust.

She snatches the bottle from me, drinks it empty in seconds and tosses it away before scampering off.

"You're welcome!" I shout after her sarcastically.

I sit on the road, not needing to worry about vehicles driving here; Zeros obviously cannot afford any.

In the distance I spot a woman approaching this wasteland. She fits the description Elli gave on the woman who came a few days ago.

I quickly call Elli out of the warehouse. "Is that the woman who came the other day?" I ask her, pointing.

Elli squints in the direction I am pointing. "I don't see anyone," she answers confusedly.

I glance at her. "Is your eyesight okay?" She's only seven and does nothing that would ruin her sight, so I doubt this is the case.

"Yes, it's perfectly fine!" Elli protests indignantly. "Maybe your eyesight is the one with problems."

"No way," I scoff.

We sit there for a while as I watch the woman coming closer and closer. "Oh!" Elli gasps. "I can see her now."

When the woman catches sight of us, she stops in her tracks and stares. And I don't think she is staring at Elli.

A long silence passes. "Your parents never told you to keep your eyes to yourself?" I demand.

The woman is startled out of her gaze. "Pardon me for staring," she apologizes, then extends a hand forwards for me to shake.

"My name is Paige Miles and I have been looking for you."