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Authors: Josi Russell
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his cheeks coloring.
He suspected she knew how he felt—how Pete and Hadib felt, how every guy who
knew her felt—about her.
But Zella didn’t let on. She took a drink from
her water bottle, and Daniel heard it swish empty as she did so. She shook it. “All
out. Good thing it’s the end of the day!” He nodded. “Remember how, back on
Earth, lemonade was so delicious on a hot summer day?”
Daniel did remember. He had manned many a
lemonade stand with his cousins during his childhood. “It was.”
Zella leaned close. “I don’t think I could drink
it without gagging now.” She shook her head in disgust. “Too much Yynium-ade.”
He knew what she meant. Even with the masks, by
the end of the day, the miners’ mouths were so coated with the lemony dust that
every sip of water tasted like it. He laughed. “Don’t say it too loud. Saras’ll
have us running Yynium-ade stands at the next Lucidus festival.”
“Did you see it?” Zella asked, and Daniel tried
to pretend she was just talking about Lucidus.
“Yeah. I was lucky to be on the swing shift
yesterday, so I got to go out for a minute in the morning and take the little
girls. A lady named Joyce in our building even let them use her bells to ring.”
“They must have loved that.”
“They did.” Daniel thought about how they had
held the bells in a reverent way, looking at their reflections in the shiny
surfaces. He needed to get them back to church, so they could play hand bells
once a month. There was so precious little in their life that was beautiful, so
little music. He could add a little more by not sleeping in on worship day
every month.
He felt a jerk on his arm and looked down. Zella
was expectantly waiting for an answer, but he hadn’t heard her question.
“I’m sorry. I was thinking about my sisters. What
did you say?”
“That’s okay. I was just asking if you saw the
spot?”
Daniel nodded. “I saw it.”
She squeezed his arm. “Tell me about it! I was
working the day shift, so I didn’t see it!”
The memory of the shadow passed through Daniel’s
mind. “It was . . .” He tried to think of how to make it sound
exciting. “A dark dot. It just, fshew, ” he shot a pointed finger up and
across the sky, then regretted it as he felt the pain in his shoulders, “streaked
across Lucidus, then it was gone.”
Zella shuddered, an excited little tremble. He
admired her enthusiasm, even after a whole day underground. “What do you think
it was?”
Daniel shrugged. “Most people say it was a part
of the orbital defense system that just so happened to line up this year.”
She looked disappointed. “I guess.” Then a
mischievous spark came into her eyes. “Or maybe it was a spaceship, come to
rescue us from the mines.”
“Maybe,” Daniel said doubtfully.
“Or a meteor,” she said. “Did you make a wish?”
Daniel sighed heavily. They were reaching the
edge of the Industrial District, and he turned toward their tenement. The dull
gray buildings rose around them, blocking out all but small slices of the clear
sky.
“I make wishes every day,” he said wearily.
They walked in silence a moment, the wave of day
shift workers swelling around them as it met the wave of swing shift workers
heading out of the city. Soon, the crowd was crushing, and Zella clung tightly
to Daniel. It was the first time he’d enjoyed the crowd.
They found building G and she pulled him onto the
sidesteps, where they sat and breathed out the last of the day’s stress.
“What do you wish for?” she said, softly. “When
you’re making all those wishes?”
Daniel looked down at her. Zella shone with
chalky Yynium dust, grey bits of stone mingled with the sparkling orange
Yynium. Her eyes, bright blue as the slices of sky, captured him and he found
himself talking.
“I wish my mother didn’t have to work. I wish my
sisters could stay home with her instead of going to the school. I wish I could
design hovercars and work in an
He suspected she knew how he felt—how Pete and Hadib felt, how every guy who
knew her felt—about her.
But Zella didn’t let on. She took a drink from
her water bottle, and Daniel heard it swish empty as she did so. She shook it. “All
out. Good thing it’s the end of the day!” He nodded. “Remember how, back on
Earth, lemonade was so delicious on a hot summer day?”
Daniel did remember. He had manned many a
lemonade stand with his cousins during his childhood. “It was.”
Zella leaned close. “I don’t think I could drink
it without gagging now.” She shook her head in disgust. “Too much Yynium-ade.”
He knew what she meant. Even with the masks, by
the end of the day, the miners’ mouths were so coated with the lemony dust that
every sip of water tasted like it. He laughed. “Don’t say it too loud. Saras’ll
have us running Yynium-ade stands at the next Lucidus festival.”
“Did you see it?” Zella asked, and Daniel tried
to pretend she was just talking about Lucidus.
“Yeah. I was lucky to be on the swing shift
yesterday, so I got to go out for a minute in the morning and take the little
girls. A lady named Joyce in our building even let them use her bells to ring.”
“They must have loved that.”
“They did.” Daniel thought about how they had
held the bells in a reverent way, looking at their reflections in the shiny
surfaces. He needed to get them back to church, so they could play hand bells
once a month. There was so precious little in their life that was beautiful, so
little music. He could add a little more by not sleeping in on worship day
every month.
He felt a jerk on his arm and looked down. Zella
was expectantly waiting for an answer, but he hadn’t heard her question.
“I’m sorry. I was thinking about my sisters. What
did you say?”
“That’s okay. I was just asking if you saw the
spot?”
Daniel nodded. “I saw it.”
She squeezed his arm. “Tell me about it! I was
working the day shift, so I didn’t see it!”
The memory of the shadow passed through Daniel’s
mind. “It was . . .” He tried to think of how to make it sound
exciting. “A dark dot. It just, fshew, ” he shot a pointed finger up and
across the sky, then regretted it as he felt the pain in his shoulders, “streaked
across Lucidus, then it was gone.”
Zella shuddered, an excited little tremble. He
admired her enthusiasm, even after a whole day underground. “What do you think
it was?”
Daniel shrugged. “Most people say it was a part
of the orbital defense system that just so happened to line up this year.”
She looked disappointed. “I guess.” Then a
mischievous spark came into her eyes. “Or maybe it was a spaceship, come to
rescue us from the mines.”
“Maybe,” Daniel said doubtfully.
“Or a meteor,” she said. “Did you make a wish?”
Daniel sighed heavily. They were reaching the
edge of the Industrial District, and he turned toward their tenement. The dull
gray buildings rose around them, blocking out all but small slices of the clear
sky.
“I make wishes every day,” he said wearily.
They walked in silence a moment, the wave of day
shift workers swelling around them as it met the wave of swing shift workers
heading out of the city. Soon, the crowd was crushing, and Zella clung tightly
to Daniel. It was the first time he’d enjoyed the crowd.
They found building G and she pulled him onto the
sidesteps, where they sat and breathed out the last of the day’s stress.
“What do you wish for?” she said, softly. “When
you’re making all those wishes?”
Daniel looked down at her. Zella shone with
chalky Yynium dust, grey bits of stone mingled with the sparkling orange
Yynium. Her eyes, bright blue as the slices of sky, captured him and he found
himself talking.
“I wish my mother didn’t have to work. I wish my
sisters could stay home with her instead of going to the school. I wish I could
design hovercars and work in an
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