Neverworld

A sample of a fantasy story that I wrote about a girl and her family living in a dangerous police state on a distant world.

~*~

Rule 1: We are the Organization and all residents of The Neverworld must abide by our Principle of Behaviour. Any resident found to disregard these rules will be subject to imprisonment or disposal.

Hydra rose slowly as she always did. Her long tendrils of light reluctantly stretched to the mountains and beyond. The dew drenched fields of weeds and wild flowers craned their stems, as if desperately trying to drink in the hazy morning light. Everything sighed and swayed and waited patiently for the oncoming day.

Hydra was eventually joined by her sister. Omega sped through the light blue sky, urgent to finish her cycle. The two suns were at their highest point, resting together, side by side, when Nico Sommorri awoke.

Rule 41: All residents must be registered every morning after 5am and before 8am. Any resident who is late or does not register for a single day will be fined. Any resident who does not register for two or more consecutive days will be subject to imprisonment or disposal.

            She blinked into existence suddenly, disturbing the straw bed in her corner. She took a moment to look around her family’s sparse living quarters, squinting through the flurry of dust that her awakening had created.

            The dull grey room was well within Organization guidelines; no art adorned the walls, no flowers decorated the rickety dining table. There was nothing else in the room apart from a few counters, one with a hob built into the top and one with a tap and sink, a wardrobe filled with regulation clothing and a bookshelf with a few tattered regulation books. There was nothing interesting, nothing to stimulate the mind. A single door was opposite where Nico took her rest, leading to her parents’ bedroom. There was space inside for one mattress and nothing else. To her left lay the front door which led to the communal areas for their sector.

Rule 73: All residents of the Organization will be subject to random inspections of their quarters. If any item(s) is/are found that are non-regulation, all residents of the quarters will be subject to imprisonment or disposal.

            The door opened as she stared at it. Her heart jumped as her mother walked out, cradling a slightly swollen stomach. She had almost forgotten about it.

            They would find out soon, Nico was sure of it, and then it would be death for the infant and, probably, her mother. She refused to think about the possibility that this child could bring death to them all.

Rule 17: Each family is entitled to ONE child. If multiple children are born within a single birthing, one must be favoured and the other(s) will be disposed of. Any residents found to have multiple pregnancies in their family will be subject to imprisonment or disposal.

Airea stretched as she walked to the cupboard, her tall curvy form flickering rapidly as she tried to blink the sleep from her eyes.

 “Good morning,” said Airea. “Would you like tea?”

“Yes, thank you, Mother.”

Airea bustled around the counters, fetching and filling the kettle and retrieving the mugs and leaves from their respective storage places. Nico watched her with interest, her long ebony hair, so like Nico’s own, swishing as she moved.

She wondered how her mother could still move around with such poise and grace. She knew that Airea thought herself doomed, yet it didn’t affect her mood or her posture or her general attitude to their lives. Nico had yet to decide whether her mother was brave or simple.