Harvest

The Rains come the third week of the month. Always. It’s always been like that. Or, at least, it’s always been like that for me. Mom and Dad used to tell me stories about what things were like before the Annihilation. Before bombs blacked out the world. Before the Rains and their acid. Things had been green, and there had been so much food and water that people had thrown entire containers of it away just because they could. But that was a long time ago, and now we have the black earth, the Rains, and their acid.

The acid is always clear. Dad told me that the first time they came, everyone thought it was just water and stepped right into it. I know it still haunts him, how he saw those people die. He screams in his sleep sometimes, and I tell him it’s okay until it actually is. 

For me, though, I like the Rains. I know I’m a weirdo, but I do. They only hurt you if you step out into them, and they only like to eat flesh and plants, kind of like human beings. As long as you stay inside, the Rains will leave you alone. You don’t mess with them, they won’t mess with you. It’s that simple. 

Besides, we owe a lot to the Rains. Without their acid, the Holes wouldn’t appear. Without the Holes, we would have no way of reaching the other dimensions. And without the other dimensions, my parents–our whole colony–would have starved out a long time ago, and I never would have been born. 

The Holes appear when the Rains stop. When I was a kid, I used to imagine a big, angry monster clawing at the air until it cut its way into one of the other dimensions. I know, I know. There is no monster. But still. That’s what the Holes made me think of. That’s still what they make me think of. Big, dripping gashes all clawed out and hanging in the air. 

I step out onto the wet, black earth and breathe in the clarity. The acid is powerless now that the last drop has fallen from the sky, and I splash through puddles of it. I used to jump in the puddles when I was a kid. Mom hated it when I did that. She’s always paranoid the acid will be different one of these days and eat me alive. But I know better. I don’t mess with the Rains, so they won’t mess with me. That’s the deal, and I keep my end of the bargain.

I step up to one of the Holes and adjust the weight of my bag. I was only fifteen when I went through my first Hole. Mom was crying and shaking so much that day. It kind of ruined the moment. I had wanted to soak it all in, really feel my first step in a job I’d always known I’d be great at. But there she was, just crying away like she had some good reason to. If she’s too scared to go out and harvest for the colony, then the least she could have done was stay strong for me. But she’s never been strong. I get that from Dad. He’s always been supportive of me harvesting. And four years later, here I am, already a level-three Harvester. 

“Maple.”

I spin around. “Oh. Hey, River. Where’s Forest?”

“Right here!”

My heart feels like it’s going to float up out of my chest and into the sky like it always does whenever I see Forest. He has the build of a true Harvester. Medium height, lean, muscular. Crazy strong and crazy fast. He was born to be a Harvester, just like me. 

River, on the other hand, well … I’ve always thought that she should be something else. She would be better off as a Mender or a Mechanic. She’s smart. Ugly and mean, sure. But smart. If she switched jobs, I’m sure she could work her way up and make as much as a Harvester someday. 

Forest smiles at River as he runs up to us. She only nods in response. I’m the leader, so I can’t roll my eyes because it would be unprofessional. But I roll them on the inside. River is always so curt and cold. She’s practically made of ice. Might as well call her “Ice River.”

“What’s so funny, Maple?” Forest asks.

“Nothing.” I wipe my smile off my face. “Let’s go.”

I step through the Hole then signal for Forest and River to follow. We stay quiet as we scan the new dimension we’ve stepped into. It’s beautiful in its own strange way, like all the other dimensions. This one is a large, round space that’s connected to other chambers through different tunnels. The floor, walls, and ceiling are made of smooth stone. Big ovals perforate the stone so that it looks like we’re inside a hunk of stone cheese. Except each oval reveals turquoise water, so it’s more like we’re inside stone cheese submerged in an ocean. Things are swimming around in the water. Some of them are small, definitely fish. But most of them are big and look a lot like sharks. 

“Perfect,” I murmur. “Forest, come help me with the fish. They have a good amount of meat on them. River, go check if the water is clean.”

I hold the glare she gives me until she backs down and does what she’s told. Forest and I take out our blades from our bags and flank one of the turquoise ovals on the side of a wall. We try using dried meat from a past harvest as bait, and it works well. We’ve already caught a dozen fish by the time River returns. 

“I’ve checked everything,” she says, panting. “All saltwater. Nothing to drink.” 

“Okay. We’ll harvest more fish then head back. Hopefully, we’ll find water in another dimension,” I tell her. 

She glares at me again. 

“I think River could help us fish, Maple,” says Forest. “You know how hard-pressed her family is. Just let her fish and get more commission for herself.” 

Something softens in the way that River looks at Forest. I cross my arms on the inside and try not to grit my teeth. I check my watch. 

“Let’s just get going,” I tell them. 

I ignore their protests. I know the colony doesn’t have enough meat these days. I’m not stupid! But we need water too! They shout that our hour isn’t up yet, that we still have thirty minutes left until this Hole closes up. I tell them that the fish here aren’t that big anyway and that there are other dimensions to explore, which is true.

I lead them out of the Hole and step back onto the black, wet earth. The Hole shrivels in on itself until it disappears, leaving nothing but the air it had ripped. I lead my team into a different Hole. Gravel crunches under our feet as we step into the new dimension. It’s dark here, and I can’t tell if it’s night or if we’re in some kind of huge, enclosed space. A giant structure towers up to our left and stretches on into the distance. It looks like something in a textbook Mom showed me once. I think it was called a “Roman aqueduct.” 

“There isn’t any food or water here. It’s just a wasteland,” River says. 

I roll my eyes openly this time. “Do you know what that is?” I ask her. “It’s called a ‘Roman aqueduct.’ It’s supposed to carry water from one place to another. There might be water here.”

“I don’t hear any water,” River growls. 

“I agree with River. Let’s move on,” Forest says.

I place my hands on my hips. River acts up like this every once in a while, but I know how to shut her down. My dad didn’t raise me to be a pushover, after all. 

“Can both of you tell me who’s in charge here?” I ask them.

“Not this again,” River mutters. She turns away from me. 

Blood shoots up to the top of my head. “What was that?”

River hesitates. There’s a familiar speck of fear in her eyes. Then something blazes up within them. 

“I said, not this again,” River snarls. 

“River,” says Forest. 

“No! I can’t just stay quiet anymore! Maple, I am not going to go through another cycle with you barking orders that feed nothing but your pride. I’ve told you once, I have told you a thousand times. We have hundreds of different Holes to choose from. If one dimension doesn’t look good, we should go to another and harvest as much as we can there instead of wandering around for an hour in a dead dimension and going back empty-handed! We only have three days before all the Holes close up again. We can’t afford to dilly-dally, so stop being such a dumbass!”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that.” I’m so angry that I’m shaking. “Don’t you dare! I’m the leader of this team. Me! I was appointed! So who’s the dumbass, hm? Who’s the real dumbass who failed to get appointed?”

“You were only appointed because your daddy is an Engineer, and you’re his little princess!” River shouts. 

I hate it that I can’t speak for a second. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare talk about my dad like that! My dad … my dad contributes to the colony. Your dad just rolls around in bed all day!”

Her eyes blaze. She takes a step forward, and I take a step back. I suddenly remember how quickly she can draw her dagger and the power of her kicks. Her punches sent me into the ground more than once during Harvester training. 

“River, Maple, calm down!” says Forest. 

River ignores him. “There’s no water here,” she tells me. “And unlike your daddy, my parents got stuck in the Mines and their bodies paid the price for it. We can’t keep wasting time like this, and I can’t let you keep another commission from me. I have to feed my family!” 

For a second, all the fire in her goes out and instead, there’s a desperation so raw that it seems to make her bleed. Then the moment passes, and the fire roars back into life, burning up what little pity I had started to feel.

“We are leaving. Now!” she says. 

“No! I refuse to–”

River throws her bag aside and takes another step forward. I take another step back. I feel myself running around within myself, not knowing what to do, growing smaller as River grows bigger. Then I lift my head high and remind myself that I have more dignity than her. I shuffle through my bag and pull out my notebook and pen. I start scribbling down everything River just said. I plan on showing all of it to the Head of Harvest. 

Forest puts his hand on mine to stop me from writing more. “Maple, come on.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Let her write it!” River shouts. “When the Head comes to talk to me, I’ll tell him about all the ways that Maple has failed us! She almost got you killed last time, Forest. Remember that, Maple? Remember how your expert leadership almost got him crushed?” 

I run around within myself again as everything replays in my mind. I had told Forest to stay put, and the bridge above him had collapsed a second later. It was River who had sprinted forward and tackled him out of the way. It was River that he had gazed at with shining eyes. 

“We don’t have time for this,” I tell them.

I shove my notebook and pen into my bag then march back toward the Hole. I avoid looking at River because I know that a true leader keeps the peace and looking at her would only instigate her to say more hostile things. The Hole shrinks shut behind us once we step back onto the black earth. I choose a different Hole and step through it. Forest and River look at each other before following me. 

We walk into a long, wide hallway made of flawless white marble. Facing us at the end of the hallway are three elevators with iron accordion doors. Some kind of liquid floats within each elevator. One elevator is filled with green liquid, another with purple. 

The last one is filled with black. 

“We need to leave,” Forest says suddenly. “Something’s not right.”

River immediately turns around and starts walking back to the Hole. Blood hits the top of my head again. I hate that her back is turned toward me. I hate that she’s leaving without my permission. I hate all the ways in which she can move quicker than me, think quicker than me. And I hate–I hate–the affection that warms Forest’s eyes right now as he recognizes the trust that she has in him. 

“We’re staying,” I say. 

They stop in their tracks. 

“What?” says Forest. 

I draw myself up. “We are staying. River, you were whining about water just a few minutes ago. What do you think that is?” I point to the liquid in the elevators.

“That’s not water!” River snaps.

“I didn’t say that it was!” I exhale sharply. “It’s not water, but it’s been a long time since we’ve harvested soft drinks. It’ll be a treat for the colony.”

River opens her mouth. I put my hands on my hips because I know she’s going to start arguing with me again. Then I stand there and watch as Forest lays his hand gently on her shoulder and murmurs something into her ear. 

“I know what I’m doing.” The growl in my voice surprises even me. Then it feeds the strength I know I have, the strength I inherited from my dad. “And you are going to take orders whether you like it or not. Both of you. Because you’re right. My dad is an Engineer. And he could have your families kicked out of the colony in the blink of an eye!” 

I spin around and start marching toward the elevators. I ignore the fear in Forest’s voice as he shouts warnings to me. I take out a canteen from my bag and stop in front of the elevator with the green liquid. I pause because suddenly, I’m scared. The liquid is bright green like radiator fluid. I wonder if Forest is right. 

I shake my head and tell myself to stop being such a pansy. I tighten my grip on my canteen and stick my arm through the accordion doors. I wait for something to happen. 

But nothing does. The liquid is cool against my skin. Harmless. Forest and River remain frozen stiff with the fear that I’m impervious to. I withdraw the canteen and sip the liquid. It’s sweet and bubbly. 

“You’re right, River. It’s not water,” I say sarcastically. I guzzle the liquid then let out a content sigh. “It’s soda.”

They approach me with halting steps. I finish drinking what’s in my canteen as they start harvesting the green soda too. We fill up a gallon each before moving on to the purple liquid. I stick my arm all the way in and withdraw grape soda. I drink a full canteen of it and tell them they should too. They only look at each other then keep on filling. 

We approach the black liquid last. 

“I think we have enough,” Forest says. “We can’t carry much more anyway.”

“I’m with Forest,” says River. 

“You’re not ‘with’ anyone,” I hiss. “We’re taking this too!” 

I grab an empty canteen. 

“Maple–”

I thrust my arm into the black. 

It’s not cool like the green and the purple. It’s not even a liquid. 

Something grips my wrist. 

And then I’m grunting and pulling and tugging on my arm as whatever has me starts reeling me in. It yanks me forward. I yelp as I crash into the door. River and Forest grab me and shout things I don’t understand. I start crying. It twists my arm then wrenches. I start screaming. Somehow, I know it’s hungry. 

“The Hole!” Forest cries. 

He points at the Hole. It’s shrinking! 

“But it hasn’t been an hour yet,” River breathes. She stares at the Hole then at the blackness pulling me in. “Maple, what have you done? What is this black thing?”

“We’re getting out of here!” Forest shouts. 

My heart shrinks into the size of a cell as he grabs River and forces her to run with him back to the Hole. I shriek as my arm is snapped in two.

“Wait, Forest!” River cries. “Maple–”

“If the Hole closes, we’ll be stuck in here forever! I won’t let you die because of her!” 

He pushes her through the Hole first before throwing himself through too. I scream because I’m enraged. I scream because I’m terrified. I’m sweating and struggling, kicking, pulling, and crying as they stare at me through the shrinking Hole. There are tears in River’s eyes. There’s something cold in Forest’s. A growl rumbles out of the blackness before the Hole closes and disappears. 

The thing inside the black lets go of me. I pull my arm out and scream as I see my own blood and muscle. I stumble backward as the elevator door opens. Two eyes open in the black, each as big as my head. 

My terror won’t let me speak above a whisper as I ask, “What are you?”

A wide grin appears. It’s full of sharp teeth. 

“Why, I make the Rains and their acid, my dear. I control the Holes. And I’ve been waiting for you to find me. I’ve been waiting a very long time.”

It walks out of the blackness with heavy footsteps. 

It smiles as I scream and scream and scream.