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Rainby Elizabeth Marchand

The rain had not come to quench the earth for many days.

Brendon was afraid for his mother, he was afraid for Harold, but most of all, he

was afraid for his other family. Brendon lived in the jungle, and life was hard in the

jungle.

He knelt to scoop the last remaining drops of water from the shallow pool that had

once been a flowering fountain, blossoming in every direction with lively droplets of

liquid gold. Brendon had never seen it for himself, but his mother told him it was so, and

she never lied to him.

He carefully funneled the meager drops into an old plastic Pepsi bottle that was

brown with age. The label had long ago given up its fight with time and repeated use.

Now there was only a light film of adhesive where the label had been affixed.

Pepsi; Brendon knew the name, but had never tasted the product. Carbonated

drinks were a luxury that had gone the way of others, such as bottled water and sports

drinks, since the Worldwide Drought.

For people like Brendon, water was the only commodity that counted any more.

He looked up at the sun. It would be time to meet his mother at the dispersal center soon.

Cradling the water like it was nitroglycerin, Brendon carefully tucked it in his

knapsack, amidst a nest of ragged t-shirts.

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Elizabeth MarchandRain YA - 51,000 words

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He settled the pack on his shoulders and started on his way. It was twenty blocks

to the dispersal center where he would meet his mother. There were others, of course.

This one was the closest to where they were living this week.

He stopped at Harolds corner. Hi Harold, ready for a walk to the dispersal

center?

You mean a push, doncha kid? Harold grumped.

Dont be so cranky. Its a beautiful day.

Whats so beautiful about it? The suns blazing, theres no relief from the heat

and not a drop of moisture in sight? My idea of a beautiful day would be a nice, oldfashioned, thunderstorm with buckets and buckets of rain.

Brendon was already eleven and he could only vaguely remember a time when

rain fell freely from the sky. It seemed like this Drought had lasted his whole life.

You bein' gloomy isnt going to make the rain come any faster. If it did, wed be

drowning by now.

Harold laughed. If you werent the motor for these wheels of mine, Id put you

right over these creaky knees and show you what for.

Brendon laughed and skittered out of range. Youd have to catch me first.

Snot-nosed brat! Harold chuckled.

Cmon, lets go. I dont want to be late to meet Mom.

Okay then. I guess youd better put your shoulder to it.

Brendon grabbed the handles of Harolds wheelchair and started pushing. It

should have been an easy trip, except that maintenance of the city walkways had met with

serious decline since the Drought, and Harolds wheelchair was in lousy condition.

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How did your wheelchair get all rusty? Its not like you left it sitting out in the

rain, Brendon joked.

Hey, wise guy. An old coot like me, with legs that dont work. I was lucky to get

these wheels.

They continued on in silence.

Harold, tell me again what it was like before you came to the city.

Why do you want to hear that? Its depressing.

No, its not. It helps me imagine how I want things to be.

Okay. Way back, before the Drought, I lived in the country. I used to be afarmer. Raised all kind of vegetables. Had acres of wheat fields, corn for miles and the

biggest apple orchard you ever did see Its not an easy life, being a farmer, but I didnt

mind.

Harolds wheelchair shuddered when they hit a rut. Hey kid, easy on the pot

holes. Those eyes of yours arent just painted on. Youre supposed to use them.

Sorry Harold.

Anyways. From dawn till dusk, I tilled the fields and tended the crops and the

animals. We had a small herd of milking cows, some chickens, pigs and a couple of

horses. It was a good life Hard but honest.

Tell me about the dogs.

Well, we had a lot over the years, but my two favorite were Chunky and Spuds.

Best darn farm dogs you ever could have. Kept the foxes out of the hen house and

rounded up the cows in the field. Chunky - she was a bit round in the middle, but that

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didnt slow her down none. That son of a gun could clear a five foot fence from a stand

still, with room to spare. I miss those mutts.

What happened to them?

Dont rightly know, Harold said sadly. I brought em to the city after the

Drought killed off all the other livestock. When my legs gave out, I ended up in the

hospital, and we got separated.

Do you think theyre okay?

That was over two years ago. Thats a lot of time in dog years. Besides, there

aint a lot of hope for animals these days.Maybe they were lucky, Brendon said wistfully, patting his knapsack. He

slowed his pace as they turned the corner and fell in line behind a raggedy looking

teenage boy.

They open yet? Harold asked the boy.

Nope, be another ten minutes.

Brendon scanned the line. Not too bad. He guesstimated about 200 people in front

of them, but already there were at least twenty more behind them. As the day wore on,

the numbers would increase until they were in the thousands. Anyone who could walk,

limp or crawl made it to a dispersal center. If you did nothing else all day, you did that.

Brendon wondered what happened to other people like Harold. No matter where he and

his Mom were in the city, Brendon always made sure to get Harold before they went to

the center. Harold never said it, but Brendon knew that Harold appreciated it. Just as he

knew that his little family appreciated what he did for them.

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Chapter 2

The sun was high in the sky and Brendon was starting to get a little concerned. I

wonder where Mom is? She should be here by now.

Dont worry kid. She probably just got stuck in the line. You know how testy

some people get when you try to move ahead of them.

Just then, Brendon saw his mother coming up the sidewalk. He waved

enthusiastically, stepping on the back of Harolds wheelchair to get more height.

Hey kid, easy on the chair!

Sorry Harold.

Celeste Corbin came up alongside them, all out of breath. Her disheveled

appearance only served to augment her natural beauty. Mounds of deep chestnut tresses

cascaded to her shoulders. Big chocolate brown eyes took center stage in her lovely oval

shaped face. They were eyes that now spoke volumes about a harsh life. By rights,

Celeste Corbin should have been making her way down a Paris runway instead of this

broken up sidewalk.

Life wasnt fair though. Brendon hadnt needed books or teachers to teach him

that. These days, fair or not, life boiled down to one thing for most people - clean water.

So they waited for their daily ration of the liquid life, because that was all there

really was.

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The line moved quickly. Soon they were standing before a bank of tables manned

by a dozen government workers.

Brendon lifted his sleeve to allow the worker to scan his tattoo. The bar code,

imprinted on his arm, entitled him to his water and daily rations of soy bars and protein

paste. He handed over the empty packaging from yesterdays rations and moved further

down the line to receive two pint bags of water, two tubes of protein paste and three soy

bars wrapped in tin foil. In another month, when he turned twelve, he would be allowed

another tube of protein paste. He couldnt wait.

He carefully tucked the provisions in his knapsack and checked the straps. Thenylon was still intact. He couldnt risk someone stealing his supplies. Too many

depended on them.

He hefted the bag onto his shoulders, being sure to secure the strap that encircled

his chest.

Do you guys want to go to the park and eat? asked Celeste.

They made their way through the crowd and down the five blocks to the park. It

wasnt much of a park anymore. The grass and flowers had died long ago and the trees

were just barely clinging to life, subsisting on what little moisture they could eek out of

the morning sky.

Celeste spread a moth eaten blanket under a large oak tree. Even though it was

only spring, the oak had abandoned its leaves in an effort to prolong its life.

Harold locked his wheelchair and lowered himself onto the ground. I sure do

miss a nice shade tree. It seems like I cant ever get away from that blasted sun.

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I think this tree is beautiful and strong. I know its going to hold on until it

rains, Brendon said as he laid a hand on the rough bark. For a moment, he thought he

felt the tree shudder. Just his over active imagination.

They say it might rain tomorrow, said Celeste.

They say that every day, sniped Harold.

Well, they have to be right one of these days, said Brendon cheerfully. I cant

wait. Im going to come out here and lay on the ground near this tree with my mouth

open til I nearly drown.

Well, something better happen soon. Even though the population is way down,they are having a hard time purifying enough water for everyone. Damn those

politicians.

We only have ourselves to blame, Celeste said sadly. Everyone knew that we

couldnt keep pumping toxins into the water and air without repercussions.

Three quarters of the global population dying and the rest ready to join them is a

pretty big repercussion, Harold replied.

Its so unfair, Celeste said. This Drought has wiped out most of the third world

countries and almost the entire animal population. They werent even responsible for the

pollution. Brendon, I have been thinking that we should consider getting out of the city.

What do you think?

No! Mom! We cant go! What about Harold?

Well find some way to bring Harold too.

Dont worry about me Celeste. You just do whats best for you and the boy.

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Brendon got quiet. There wasnt much point in arguing. His mother could be

pretty tenacious when she set her mind on something. He could only hope that she would

change her mind. Leaving the city was pretty risky. When the only mode of

transportation was your own two feet, it paid to be sure of your destination before you

started out.

People had flocked to the city when the dispersal centers had opened up. Ground

water everywhere was too polluted to drink without being purified and there was no new

rainfall. Beautiful lakes were nothing more than big polluted mud puddles. The

government had started trying to purify sea water, but it was a slow process.Large numbers of country dwellers went water crazy and drank from the

contaminated pools anyways. As a result, the countryside was like a minefield, littered

with the bodies of countless dead and decomposing people and animals.

In the past two years, few had ventured out of the city and none of them had

returned. Brendon had to believe that his mothers suggestion was wishful thinking more

than anything else.

I have to go Harold, will you be okay?

Sure kid. You know me. I travel light. This place is as good as any other.

Ill meet you tonight, back here, okay Mom?

You didnt eat or drink anything.

I will later, dont worry about me.

Celeste stood up and hugged him. I have to. Thats my job. Here. She reached

down and grabbed a water pouch. Take this.

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Brendon was touched. He knew that his mother suspected he was sharing his

rations, but she never tried to stop him. Instead, she would always try to get him to take

some of her provisions. Im alright Mom, really.

Take it! I still have some left from yesterday.

Brendon choked back a tear and gave his mother a quick hug. Thanks Mom.

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Chapter 3

He rushed along the broken sidewalk. Brendon could make much better time, now

that he wasnt pushing Harold. Even so, his alley, was on the other side of the city. It

took him almost an hour to get there. He didnt want to think about what would happen if

his Mom took him away from the city.

He entered the alley quietly. Piper, Scooter, Brandy. Cmon guys.

There was a rustle of paper and a beautiful calico cat stepped into the light. She

was heavily pregnant, her belly almost touching the ground. She approached Brendon

cautiously, wrapping her sinewy body around his ankle.

Hi, Brandy. Wheres the rest of the gang? Ive got chow.

As he spoke, a young golden retriever came bounding toward him. Brandy

retreated several paces to make room for the furry missile.

Hey, Scooter, slow down, Brendon said, laughing. He tried to dislodge the

pups paws from his chest. Piper, hey Piper. Cmon, Brendon yelled as he dropped to

his knees to play with the pup.

Scooter was a little more than two years old. He was small for his age, due to

malnutrition, but he was not short on energy. He was the perfect example of perpetual

motion.

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Brendon reached out and ran a hand over Brandys soft fur. He hoped he was

giving her enough food to support her and her kittens. If her silky coat was any

indication, she was doing alright.

He gave Piper one more call before going to a box at the back of the alley. The

box was five feet square, with a nice plastic coating. Not that it mattered; rain was one

element that this box was not in jeopardy of being exposed to.

Brendon sat in a nest of old blankets and withdrew a plastic bowl. He carefully

opened a pint of water and poured half of it into the dish. Brandy approached and started

to drink. Scooter knew the drill. He sat at attention, like a coiled spring. As soon asBrandy was done, he would be all over that water bowl. Scooter was nothing if not

enthusiastic, but he was not stupid either. No matter his haste, he never spilled a single

drop.

Brendon waited until Scooter started drinking and took a large sip from the pouch.

His stomach cramped in surprise. He took a deep breath. The last thing he wanted was to

vomit it back up. It was hard to remember to take small sips when every cell in your body

was crying out for water.

He stepped back out of the box. Piper, cmon girl. Time to eat.

He wasnt too worried about anyone hearing him. At this time of the year, without

air conditioning, the apartment buildings were like ovens. Given that most of them had

more than a few dead bodies lingering around, inside was not the healthiest place to be.

Even if you could tolerate the sweltering heat, the smell would more than certainly drive

you out. People that did feel the need to stake a claim on a place inevitably did so in the

nicer, uptown apartments.

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Brendon heard a soft woof. He turned to see Piper standing in the middle of the

alley.

Hey girl, its about time, Brendon said, rushing up the alley.

Piper was a pretty border collie, covered with a beautiful spattering of black and

white fur. Her face was almost perfectly divided, half of it being black, and the other half

being white. It looked like she was wearing some weird, doggy style, mimes mask.

Brendon dropped to one knee and encircled her muscular body with a bone

crushing hug. You had me worried. I thought something might have happened to you.

Piper dropped her head over his shoulder, returning the hug then she stepped back and let out another soft chuff.

There was a noise, off to the right, and out stepped a copper colored Pekinese.

This dog looked so out of place here, it was almost laughable. With the exception of a

smudge of dirt on his right eye, he was immaculately coiffed. The reddish gold fur

cascaded in silky layers around his body. But for the marks on his face, this animal

looked like he had just stepped out of the doggy salon.

Okay Piper, I see you brought a friend. Brendon took a step toward the dog,

who immediately let out a menacing growl. Its okay boy. I wont hurt you, Brendon

said, extending his hand for the dog to smell. The dog let out a volley of defensive

barking as he backed away into the debris on the side of the alley. You dont need to be

afraid of me. Here, come get some water. Brendon turned and headed back to the box.

He replenished the water bowl, which Scooter had licked dry, and brought it back to

Piper, putting it in front of her. Cmon girl. Drink.

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Good boy, Brendon cooed as he ran his fingers behind the dogs ear and started

to scratch. The little dog stretched his neck, rotating his head so that Brendon could

access his neck. When Brendon hit a particularly sensitive spot, a hind leg flailed

furiously in unison with Brendons hand.

After about 15 minutes of vigorous scratching and kicking, Brendon ran the palm

of his hand over Scrappys head, gently tilting it so that he could take a better look at the

injury. It didnt look good. Blood and pus were seeping from the corner of the eye. It

made Brendon sick to look at it. He pulled a square of cloth from his backpack and wet it

with some precious water. Then he ran the cloth around and over the area, trying toremove as much of the drainage as possible.

Scrappy lay there, stiffly, until Brendon hit a tender spot. The dog let out a bark

and snapped at the air.

Sorry guy. I didnt mean to hurt you, Brendon soothed.

When he had cleaned the area as well as he could, it seemed clear that the eye was

badly damaged.

Were going to need to do something about this. Scrappy craned his head,

giving Brendon a questioning look.

Brendon opened his knapsack again and pulled out two soy bars and a tube of

protein paste. He opened one of the bars. Immediately, there were four (or 3 1/2) pairs of

eyes watching his every move.

Brendon broke off a piece of the bar and gave it to Scrappy, who inhaled it

immediately. He did the same for Piper and Scooter. Brandy had sidled up to the edge of

the fray, waiting patiently at Brendons elbow. When the first bar was gone, he opened

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the seal on the protein paste. He squirted some in his mouth. His stomach let out a large

rumble.

He ran a strip of the paste along his index finger and held it out to the cat. Brandy

did not hesitate. With so many other salivating mouths around, it didnt pay to be coy.

When she was finished, Brendon gave himself another shot and then ran a line for

each of the dogs in turn, starting with Scrappy. Soon, Brendon had rolled, twisted and

mangled every last bit of paste from the tube. He opened the second soy bar and took a

bite, chewing slowly. He didnt get to do a lot of chewing these days and he wanted to

savor the experience as long as possible. He portioned out the remaining bar to everyonebut Brandy, who refused to eat them.

When they were finished, he withdrew another pouch of water from his pack. He

took the first swig and poured some in the bowl, starting with Piper this time. Piper didnt

refuse and slathered up more than half of the bowls contents before stepping back to

make way for Scrappy.

Scrappy was more careful this time, keeping most of the water in the bowl.

When Brandy and Scooter were done, Brendon collected all the packaging,

folding it into a tight ball and putting it back in his pack. He funneled the last few drops

of water, from the bowl, into the Pepsi bottle and tightened the cap.

Okay guys, see you tomorrow. I have to go see if I can find something to fix

Scrappys eye. Stay out of trouble.

He gave them all a last pat and made his way back up the alley. When he reached

the end, he turned for a last look. What a bunch of misfits; but they were his misfits, his

family, his responsibility. He wouldnt let them down.

rain - first 15

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