The inspiring song for the first round of If Music Be The Food flash fiction is by The Naked & Famous. The song is called “Rotten”. Have a listen before you read the next entry, written by none other than Todd Skaggs!
Eden v2.0
The film lay on the counter, staring back at me, daring me to pick it up. The allotted time had passed. It was ready to deliver its non-biased news, leaving the reaction solely in hands of the recipient.
I couldn’t.
Rin was on a 4-day run. The lottery had not been kind to him these last three weeks. Or me either for that matter. He’d been on three runs in as many weeks. The runs were increasingly hard. The bands had to travel deeper in to the Zone each time. It had taken Rin 3 days to find his smile after the last run. How long would it take this time?
Could I tell him?
I can’t tell him if I don’t know myself.
“Ryja, dear, are you ok in there?” It was the concerned voice of the midwife. Some in the school thought she was a seer as well. I knew better. I knew that she had been a nurse with a focus on maternity care. Not that that mattered here. Here she was a healer.
The school was one of the few structures left standing and had become a natural compound for those of us that were lucky enough to avoid the first and second waves of the attacks.
“Yes, Miss Bo. I’m fine.” I said. Sweeping the film off the counter in to the trash container, I forced myself to look away until I heard it hit the rest of the refuse sitting in the small metal bin.
I left the small confines that passed for a restroom and went back in to the larger room. At one time a classroom, this area was now a place to pick up necessary chores and news. It was the central hub of the compound and had a presence day and night. Other families were there. Waiting. It would be three more days before Rin came through the door.
There was still much to be done.
Picking up my needles, I pulled my makeshift skein and took my seat next to Miss Bo.
“Not to worry, dear.” She said. “Your brother will be home soon enough.”
Read more from Todd Skaggs.
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