The Pole Shift

Janet Decides

When Janet woke up it was late Saturday morning, she looked at Mnem who snored lightly, her lips were parted and Janet could see the edge of her teeth, straight even and pearly, looked after. She ran her thumb across her jagged line and frowned. She looked closer at Mnem’s face, her eyelashes curled large and delicate, and her forehead ran blameless of line. Janet felt her forehead, furrows at sixteen. Why? She thought, why was this girl blessed? She knew she wasn’t a pretty girl, and the old feeling of inadequacy filled her for a moment before she cast it off quickly, having dealt with self image as a very young girl.

“I’m cleverer than you though, if that means anything.” She knew that it did not. She was far wiser than her brothers, but did it matter? No. She had a decent take on everyone of their group but did they know that? No they did not. She pursed her lips, then giggled,  having the heart to find it funny.

“The question is, do I want to look after you, you pretty, likable, daft boot.” She lost her sense of humour, her ear tingled and she suspected the voice was going to try and persuade her to stay put, it had been saying things like New World, guardian, survivor, chosen. 

Outside her brother thumped the window, and gave her a questioning shrug. She looked back at Mnem, and put a bare foot on her face, waking her. She looked back at her brother with a big smile, knowing this sort of thing was his cup of tea, but he was looking over his shoulder, his hair was dancing madly as if alive. She got up close to the window, the trees were bending, the tents were flying and the camper-vans were rocking, strange how Mnem’s van hardly budged. There was a great noise outside, she could hear them all screaming but as if it was on a TV from another room, then a deep croak from within the earth started to drown all other sounds out. The one tree of one tree hill fell, sending her people pell mell. 

Mnem was suddenly beside her. Her brother looked at them both, his heart breaking above the fear gripping him, he shouted:

“Won’t you come? Janet! Sister!” Mnem pointed out:

“He wants you to come.” Janet could have slapped her. She looked at her watch, 11:09, She supposed the waters were racing to them. It meant death to leave the van, death with her people and their story scratched out. The voice had said that if she stayed in the van her people would be in the van too, through future story.

She turned to Mnem, taking in her unconcerned eyes, wondering how much she would hate her in the future. Her hand went to ear and her eyes wandered to the van’s door. Outside her brother had disappeared and even Mnem’s van was rocking on its powerful suspension. She said:

“Google or whatever the fuck it is says we should strap in, now.”