The Ashfall

  “Ougine! Ougine!”

  Horror.

  Carnage.

  Bodies lined up.

  Orange blood flowed down like lava.

  Smoke fogged my sight.

  Ash falling down like rain.

  “Ougine! Ougine!”

  My voice boomed through the hills. The wind instead carried my message, slapped back with its harsh strength.

  “Ougine!”

  My voice cracked the more I called out for Ougine. The hope that was held near my beating heart was slowly fading away.

  What would his Maa-a say?

  What would my Ma say?

  Thud.

  My legs gave out underneath me. Collapsing down onto the boiling hot ground. Feeling nothing but numbness.

  An hour ago…

  “Eralla, you need to slow down.”

  Ougine called out, but I didn’t slow down.

  The scorching breeze blew against me, but to my used skin, it was chilly. Living on a hot planet, having even a tiny amount of coldness felt intoxicating.

  It pushed me to run faster to get more of it.

  I kept running, as fast as I could, surpassing the other 33 who were running along with me. Sand blew around us, creating a gray haze.

  My eyes sharply focused on getting to the destination.

  Today we were heading towards Saktak*. Every time we went out to hunt, we rotated to which volcano we would collect tettara from.

  Two days ago, we went to Lachita*.

  The mushrooms needed at least a week to grow and ripen, and we could find them in only 8 places. And these 8 places were active volcanoes.

  Not enough food to be stored, so hunting was almost a regular occurrence. Never a state of peace for runners to have.

  I was among the fastest runners — a blessing Ma would call it.

  I wasn’t sure about it.

  I was just… myself.

  I wanted to be myself.

  “Eralla, slow down!”

  The soles of my feet skidded as I came to a stop. Ashy dust blew from the sudden halt.

  The others soon enough caught up, coming to a stop as well.

  Ougine came to a stop right beside me.

  We all gazed upon Saktak. The temperature increased further around the fiery, spitting volcano.

  “Be careful, everyone. Ka-tohthorayn has anticipated Saktak is getting more aggressive.”

  Tonbaya said.

  Tonbaya was the lead of our pack of runners.

  He ran alongside my Fa. Now I run along with him.

  To provide for my family.

  “Eralla…”

  Ougine leaned in, whispering into my rounded, small ear.

  “You will look out for me…right?”

  His hand found mine, intertwining gingerly as if he was afraid I would pull away.

  I wanted to yet something within me stopped.

  “Yes…”

  Tonbaya spoke up, cutting the soft moment between Ougine and me.

  “Come along, everyone. We must be quick and swift. The air is harsh today.”

  We walked across the leveled surface, hand in hand. Looking around for the tettara growing across the darkened ground.

  “There!”

  Someone yelled out, pointing at the array of mushrooms near the flowing lava.

  “We need to hurry.”

  I said, looking towards Ougine. He was slightly shorter than I.

  “Alright.”

  My fingers slowly unraveled from his before I dashed towards the hill. Faster than everyone else.

  I swiftly plucked the tettara from the blackened ground. They could only grow on darkened ground, and that kind of ground was only found near active volcanoes.

  The others caught up as well, trying to get as many as they could.

  Tettara not only gave us food but also clothes from their darkened brown hard skin around their white tinted soft flesh. Their hard stems gave us tools. And the soft flesh inside, gave nutrition.

  Collecting tettara was a hard job. Many people lost their lives just like Fa. Hence why, one partner is always with a child to keep producing so our people won’t die out.

  We were supposed to not only collect the mushroom for our family but for the rest of the village. Sharing strengthens the community. That is what Ma always taught us.

  “Here. Take this.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I said, shoving the 17 tettara into Ougine’s pouch made of tettara skin, similar to my own.

  “Make a run for it.”

  I added before I ran further near the active volcano to collect the riper tettara.

  People with less experience were not allowed to be this near the heat but I have been running along Fa since I was seven. I was more than capable.

  Rumble.

  Just as I plucked out the third tettara, the ground shook. My feet quickly stabilized themselves, holding me up.

  What was that?

  I looked around for other runners but the sudden dark gray fog blinded my sight.

  What was going on?

  “Tonbaya!”

  Silence.

  Harsh wind blew against me, moving me off my feet. I planted my feet firmly into the blackened ground.

  My eyes narrowed as a familiar figure appeared in the distance, hidden behind the thick fog. Her luscious red hair blew through the warm gust.

  Aourine?

  Before I could understand it, gray smoke blew before me.

  Just like that, she disappeared.

  The ground suddenly felt warmer. And it grew warmer...

  Hotter and then scorching hot.

  “Tig-eralla!”

  My small rounded ear twitched to the right when I heard Tonbaya call out for me.

  The gray haze still loomed.

  “Where are you?”

  “Get out of there!”

  My eyebrows raised in questioning.

  “Now!”

  The ground turned boiling hot; I rushed away the blackened ground. With the gray cloud in front of me, I wasn’t sure where I was heading towards.

  The ground was not getting any colder.

  Boom!

  The ground suddenly burst open beneath me and I was sent flying up.

  The harsh wind carried me further away. My eyes drooped.

  Crash.

  Buzzzz.

  My ears rang with a soft buzzing; my eyes slowly fluttered open. Black ashes rained down before my eyes. Dark clouds covered the sky. They always did.

  I slowly sat up on the ground, feeling my back crack slightly. My head was pounding.

  I lifted my right, shaky hand to touch my scalp; orange blood covered my yellow-tinted skin. What just happened…

  Why am I bleeding?

  I slowly sat up, looking around. Nothing but horror and carnage filled my sight.

  Lava flowed down, burning bodies.

  Blood. Orange blood covered the painted dark ground.

  The volcano erupted and collapsed back onto itself.

  Producing this mass slaughter.

  I stood on my feet as fast as could; only to collapse back down.

  No…

  I tried again, standing up without a second breath.

  Where I laid was more of my blood, which had poured out.

  Why was I bleeding…?

  Did the fall really bruise me this badly?

  I forced myself to move; my knee was almost ready to give up, but I pushed further.

  I needed to find… someone.

  I needed to find…Ougine.

  A shiver ran down my aching spine.

  “Ougine!”

  I shouted.

  “Ougine!”

  I shouted again. My voice echoed back. The sharp hissing wind stopped. It was oddly quiet. I heard nothing back.

  It was just my own voice hitting me back with the realization that...

  Fear, terror, panic… all became friendly foes at the moment.

  “Ougine!”

  No…

  I saw nothing but the bodies of the fellow runners. Death, burned, bloodied.

  Among them could be Ougine’s.

  The thought made my stomach churn. Made my guts twist in dread.

  My throat burned. I didn’t know if it was the ash or the fear.

  The strength drained from my legs, leaving me in a heap on the blistering ground, devoid of all feeling but numbness.

  Every runner was gone…

  ?

  Txetia Glossary

  Saktak (Saak-taahk) — One of the 8 active volcanos.

  Lachita (La-shi-tah) — One of the 8 active volcanos.

  Tettara (Tet-ta-ra) — means Mushroom. They are long, tube-like slimy with a thick brown shell. The only source of food found in 317.