The Wastelands

The Next Morning.

After Lilia got caught sleeping on the roof, she discided, for a change, to go to class herself instead of making her sister try to track her down and practically drag her there.

'Might as well give her a break today.'

But the real reason was that Lilia needed the distraction. Too many things were happening that she knew she needed to deal with it. But the truth was that Lilia didn't want to. She didn't want to think about it at all. She would instead go to class and not think at all.

Lilia knew it was imm.a.t.u.r.e of her. She just didn't have the energy to care, at the moment.

She brushed her blond hair out of her eyes and quickly strode into what she hoped was her first class. Lilia ignored the stares.

Or was it because Lilia went berserk at one of her concerts when she was a child, and they were waiting for the crazy to come back?

Lilia shrugged. It didn't matter, because she'd stopped caring what other people thought of her a long time ago.

'At least, that was what I tell myself.'

Lilia had some tempory headphones, but they were not as good as her old pair. It was taking all her energy not to read her classmates' thoughts. She didn't need a headache on top of everything else.

Lilia sat in the back, fiddling around with her arm brace. She glanced around the room, seeing the people around her, who had similar bindings on exposed areas like arms, hands, necks and faces.

Some left the vines markings were visible for all to see, wearing them proudly because with survival came enhancement which made them…well…more. But others saw the vines as evidence of what they lost. Around the compound, the bindings had become more of a fashion statement.

Hers, well, hers had nothing to do with the Vine Virus. And everything to do with her being a Lumeye. She took Mistress Weatherly's advice and kept it out of sight. It was a good thing, too; her tattoo had the tendency to move a little and glow like her eyes sometimes did. So it was convenient for everyone to think that she had the Vine Virus.

Plus, the only doc.u.mented Lumeye who had a tattoo like hers was Aiden, the leader of the Lumeye resistance. Had he had live mediums like she did? Was Lilia somehow related to him? In any case, if Aiden cared about the six of them, they would have been picked up a long time ago.

'Wait! I came to class to not think about anything.' She laid her head into her hands. There was no point in thinking about things that couldn't be changed.

'Thank God,' Lilia thought while she watched a sharp-eyed older woman with graying hair walked in. She, too, had a brace covering her left forearm. What, did you think only the young were affected with the Vine Virus? Viruses didn't discriminate.

"Why are we here?" asked the teacher, Mrs. Cray. At least Lilia thought her name was Mrs. Cray.

"The government forced us here," piped up one student.

Everyone broke out in laughter.

"No, Donald… I mean, why are we here in the Wastelands?" Mrs. Cray continued. "How are we even surviving and, in some places thriving, how is that even possible?" She paused, then continued. "After the war with the Lumeye, they were blamed for the Ripples. Some say with the charged force of power the Lumeye created during the war, it forced changes that twisted our world, animals and some of its people into something unrecognizable, into something alien."

Lilia sighed. 'It's going to be one of these days. I might as well find a place to sleep.'

Mrs. Cray asked another question. "How can we survive when the rules we used to live by don't work anymore?"

"We adapt?" said another student.

"Yes, humanity is known for its ability to adapt and thrive in various situations in many environments. Mind you, we are still suffering from the aftermath of a war, even if it is our win. We needed time to recover, time to process, time to rebuild. What was the government's solutions to this unfortunate development?"

"The Cities."

"Yes, quarantining hundreds of cities hiding behind their technology and leaving the rest of the world to rot. Their solution, even from the beginning was only a temporary one. Even now, they suffer from overcrowding and food shortages. Sooner rather than later there will be more o,f us than there is of them…But we are getting off-topic. How are we here? How are we surviving?"

She wrote one word in capital letters and underlined it. "An ACCIDENT happened," she lectured. "Accidents that resulted in big discoveries happen all the time. For example, the discovery of gravity by Sir Isaac Newton when an apple fell on his head, or, more recently, the discovery of the Lumeye. In this instance, a bunch of kids wanted to find a thrill that they couldn't find inside the city and decided to escape into the Wastelands. Only one boy made it back alive…Now, what was different about this seemingly ordinary boy from the others who didn't survive?"

"I know that some of you already know the answer but let one of the newer students to answer. So any takers?"

"Luck?"Another student answered.

"Not quite, but it was a factor. This boy was in a brass band; he played the french horn. Now you are going to ask, 'what does that have to do with anything'? And I will answer 'everything'." She paused, taking a sip of water before continuing. "After this discovery, it comes to this, this new world happens to have the basic functions, a rhythm, that if deciphered will unlock how to manoeuvre in the Wastelands from one location to the next without getting killed."

"It has its own song," whispered Lilia.

Mrs. Cray heard her, nodded in acknowledgement, and repeated, "The Wastelands has its own song. Good, Lilia," she complimented her. Lilia hunched down in her seat feeling the stares o,f her classmates, hating the attention. Attention meant that minds were focused on her, thus making it harder for her to stop their thoughts from invading her mind.

Lila winced. It was true that she was a washout. Even now, Lilia had a hard time even taking her flute out of its case, let alone play it. But a wannabe? No, Lilia would bet that she had more talent than anyone.

"That's why you are in this class. Each one of you has talent in music, and if honed, it will make you better tackers and scouts, allowing you to secure the safest path for the rest of us to follow. You are all the key that allows us access to the Wastelands."

Mrs. Cray turned towards her tablet. "Now, let's go back to page 243..."

***

Lilia stumbled outside the class and followed the masses to the next one. But she was soon stopped by Ms. Andres.

"Lilia, the Headmistress has a message for you." It wasn't odd to see Andres delivering notes to staff members and students alike. Especially if she wanted the content to be secret. No one stole anything from Ms. Andres unless they liked pain.

Lilia received the note and said a quick 'thank you' before leaving to find somewhere safe to read it.

She stepped into a darkened corner, unfolding the note.

'Lilia, your presence is required at 16:30. At the usual place.'

'Headmistress Weatherly'

It was short and sweet, but Lilia got the gist.

This must be about what would happen to the two WMP inspectors. Knowing the Headmistress, Lilia knew she'd already found a use for them. Sighing, she didn't want the hassle, and she didn't want to face Rachel again.

Lilia yawned. 'Maybe it was time to take a nap.'