Before
Metric
The halcyon days of
summer vacation had already begun, and for Ciara, summer vacation meant fishing
all weekend. The glaring sun streaked past the parched ground, drying up the
plants surrounding her cramped cottage. A compact cluster of houses stretched
past beside the lakes and rivers. Eight-year old Ciara bent down and scooped
down her fishing gear: A 6-inch Spin cast Rod made out of fiberglass. Some
variety of wired and curvy fishing hooks, sinkers and bobbers, and a tiny
bucket of dead minnows as baits.
Plucking her straw
hat, Ciara tiredly wiped the constant sweat dripping on her face, and gathered
her tools for her long summer activity. But before she went off to Sunbail
Lake, a soft melodic tune emanated outside. She might as well take a look at
what her sister was doing. Pushing the door open, Ciara stride past the cramped
living room, and saw Leverie Plop playing the piano with elegant fingers. Her
white blond hair was twisted in a braid, and the veil of her white gown
fluttered against the air breezing past her.
Mrs. Plop was down
by the kitchen, piling the dirty dishes on the sink, while their Mr. Plop was
on a fishing trip near the Southern Lake. Once the song died down, Ciara gave
her older sister a big of applause.
“I wish I could be
like you, sister.” Ciara’s eyes sparkled. Leverie smiled, patting the small
space of the black tool for her to sit in. Ciara scooted beside her sister. “I
wish I can be successful and talented as you are. Everything seems so easy for
you, it’s not fair.”
“You know that’s not
true,” Leverie said, tucking a fallen strand of blond hair to her ear. She was
twelve at that time, “Everything is paid by hard work. I didn’t learn the piano
just by reading books, you know,” she continued, “I put all my passion and work
on what I’m doing, so that’s why my piano skills are improving.”
“But I don’t want to
play the piano,” Ciara said, dazzled. “I want to become like you,”
“People have
different personalities. Two persons cannot be the same, remember that Ciara.”
Leverie lectured her, her brown pupils turning violet from the beam of sunlight
crossing them “Anyway you have chores to do. Why don’t you help mom first so I
can write down my music sheets."
“That’s not fair. I
want to see you write that song!” Ciara protested.
Leverie giggled, “I
can’t concentrate if you’re here.”
“Fine!” Ciara hopped
out of the stool and trudged into the miniscule kitchen, where she could see
her mother dumping the dishes on the sink. A flare of sunlight streaked past
the windows, illuminating the tray of cooking utensils hanging on the walls,
highlighting the edge of the wooden table in the middle. Four stools were
deposited beneath the table. Ciara opened the fridge, and saw nothing but a
tray of frozen minnows, chubs, and baitfish filling the layers.
“Did Leverie send you out again, Ciara?” Mrs.
Plop asked, turning on the faucet.
“Yeah, she always
does that when I watch her play the piano,” Ciara said gloomily as she closed
the fridge. “Am I annoying, mom?”
“No,” Mrs. Plop said.
Her mother was a nanny at the Epicenter. She rarely comes home except on
Saturdays. Majestics of the Epicenter called the Metric people
"Servilles", because everyone’s occupation was a nanny, a babysitter,
or a slave to the Epicenter.
“I see. Why don't
you start fish at Thinnest River? After all, you’ve caught more than eighty
fishes from the small lakes, right? ” Mrs. Plop said, squeezing a little amount
of cheap dish-washing soap on the worn-out sponge.
“I don’t want to. It’s hard, and the place is
too high for me to fish,” Ciara whined.
“If you think
everything is hard, then you won’t be able to master your fishing skills with
that kind of attitude!” Leverie joined, appearing at the doorway. “Do you want
to become like Seara?
Ciara grunted as she
stalked past her older sister, seizing her fishing fear and slung it on her
shoulders. Seara. She hated that
pitiful name more than anything else in the world.
“Lever—”
Mrs. Plop snapped, but Ciara cut her off as she wrenched the door open.
“I’m not Seara!
I’m Ciara!” Ciara turned around, stunning her mother and older sister, “I’m
going to prove to everyone that I can fish at Thinnest River! Watch me,"
Ciara clenched her fists, “I swear I’m going to catch the most tremendous
expensive you have ever seen in history. I’m going to get us rich, so mom
wouldn’t have to work as a nanny, and dad wouldn’t have to be out on trips ever
again.”
Flabbergasted, Mrs.
Plop dropped the plate she was holding as it shattered on the ground. There was
a long sentence. Ciara glanced up and saw her vibrant sister giving her a brisk
thumbs up. “Sure.”
Ciara started at her
sister in incredulity. “R-Really!?”
“Just promise me one
thing,” Leverie said steely, “When you catch that fish, be sure to let me be
the first one taste it. Okay?”
Ciara swallowed a
lump in her throat and blinked tears from her eyes. A surge of jubilant
self-esteemed coursed her veins. “I will!”
The assertive eight year-old
bolted across the small front door and seized the doorknob, wrenching it open.
She vowed her life into this, and she will do whatever it takes to give her
family a promising life—away from the poverty-stricken life.
“Where are you going, Ciara!?” Mrs. Plop said
shouted in a fretful tone.
“I’m going to fish
at the Thinnest River!” Ciara said blissfully as she closed the door. “I’m
off!”
z
Thinnest River was profound
to be the most extensive river in Metric that had the scarce number of
exorbitant fishes. But because of its dismal atmosphere, people tend to avoid
the place as much as possible. However attains to capture one luxurious fish
will be automatically become rich forever. Yet, luck wasn’t on their side.
Nobody had successfully captured one in history.
The sky’s blue color
combined the grace and sophistication of the river’s dark green waters with a
bold set of contrast. Ciara didn’t want to disturb the tranquility of nature.
Everything was too perfect, as if she was looking at a genuine illustration of
wildlife. She wanted to stare at the scenery forever.
The eight-year old
girl stood at the end of the dock, glancing at the grim sea water. Mr. Plop was
one of the people who had failed to catch one fish. Now he was fishing
somewhere in the shallow ponds, trying to gain money by selling plentiful
fishes for a medium price.
She mounted the 6 cm
fiberglass Spin cast Rod and flung the string forward with a minnow as a bait.
Plop!
Mark her words.
Ciara will become the first girl to catch a fish in Thinnest River.
z
Three hours had
passed, and night time was creeping in. Much to her disappointment, the hook
came out empty. She loaded her fishing gear, and headed home.
“Tomorrow,” Ciara
muttered, “I’ll definitely catch something. Just one.”
A row of dim
cottages stood up from the street lamps. She walked past the destitute
children, who kept begging her money. Labored employers shifted across the
village’s fountain, chomping the scraps they picked at the neighboring house’s trashcans.
Finally, Ciara saw their stand-alone cottage, a yellow light flickering across
the roof of her home. A silhouette of a girl stood out from the doorway.
“So how did it go?”
Leverie smiled. Ciara shook her head as she quietly entered the hut. Leverie added,
“No one is pushing, you know. The key is patience. After all, you can’t expect
to catch that fish in one try, right?”
“I know,” Ciara hung
her fishing gear on the wall, and hurried to the family bedroom.
“I believe in you,” A
hand was clamped on her shoulder. “Don’t give up, because I have faith in you.”
A smile curved up
its way to Ciara’s lips. She heard the door closing behind her, and fumbled her
father’s Fish Encyclopedia.
z
The next day, Ciara
went to the Thinnest River and practiced fishing again. By the time the sky was
dark, Ciara was disappointed that she hadn’t caught any fish and headed home.
She tried again. Day after day, Ciara would go to the Thinnest River and
patiently wait for the fish to bite her hook, though she hadn't made any
progress yet.
When all the hope
had been lost, Ciara cried as she stumbled into Leverie’s arms.
“Why can’t I catch a
single fish in Thinnest River?" Ciara sobbed. Leverie soothed her back,
"I promised that I was going to catch that fish, but every time I came
home empty-handed, I just..."
“Don’t give up,
Ciara. Keep fishing and learn from your mistakes," Leverie said gently,
brushing her thumb on Ciara’s cheek. “Learn how to fall on your knees and rise
to stand up. If you have what it takes to catch that fish, don’t lose faith,
because I’m here to cheer for you,” Leverie pulled out a handkerchief from her
pocket. “Here, don’t cry. Crying doesn’t help. I know that living in this world
is hard, but once you give up, all your hard work will just crumble to ashes.”
After that lecture,
Ciara had stopped crying and kept her sister’s promise. “Okay, I promise not to
cry. And I won't give up, not in a million years.”
Leverie patted Ciara’s
head, “You’re just eight years old. Try not to stress yourself, okay?”
z
Leverie’s words
became Ciara’s inspiration. Every day, Ciara repeated her daily basis, studied
her mistakes and went home to try a different tactic. After 4 months, Ciara had
finally finished reading all of her father’s 50 fishing books, surprising her
father when he got back home. Since they were poor, Ciara couldn’t afford to
buy fishing books with her usual allowance. When school had begun, her
classmates still made fun of her, and by afternoon, Ciara would go to the
Thinnest River and fish again.
Frustrated, Ciara
sold all of her tools to the Pawn shop and bought a new fishing rod. Another 6
months had passed, and Ciara was already nine years old. Her sister had
graduated first in class and earned a scholarship to the Epicenter for her
piano lessons. Ciara envied her sister. She couldn’t blame her. Leverie was
smart, talented and hardworking, unlike Ciara, who didn’t catch a single fish
during her trips to Thinnest River.
“That’s my girl,”
mother beamed, reading Leverie’s scholarship paper. It had been already night
time, and Ciara was glad that her father was staying home tonight, “You have a
bright future ahead of you, my dear.”
“I’m so proud of my
girl,” father said, wrapping his arms around Leverie. Ciara lowered her head
and started to leave when someone grabbed her hand.
She turned around
and Leverie was smiling at her, “Hey,”
“I can’t believe
that you’re leaving,” Ciara muttered, “In 7 days, you’re going to the Epicenter
and leave me here behind.”
Leverie hugged her,
“I know…I’m sorry,” Tears slipped down Ciara’s eyes. Leverie sobbed, “Be a good
girl, okay?”
Ciara silently
nodded.
“Don’t give up,”
Leverie smiled, “Eat regularly. Take good care of yourself when I’m gone. Don’t
do bad things to your neighbors. Keep your grades up. Practice fishing, and
never lose hope,” Leverie sobbed, “If you catch that fish, be sure to make mom
and dad proud….I—I know it’s hard for me
to separate with you, but remember that I will always be thinking of you, even
when I’m in a different place. After all, Epicenter is not too far from here,
right?”
Ciara gritted her
teeth and squeezed Leverie, trying not to cry, “I wish you won’t have to go.”
“I know...” Leverie
said weakly, “We have our own path to choose. Remember that people are not the
same, so watch out for bad guys, okay?”
Ciara nodded.
“I’m sorry…”
That was the only
word Leverie said, before she untangled her hands around Ciara, and moved to
the bedroom door.
z
The next day, Ciara
sat gloomily on the pier, still thinking about her sister's departure. In 6
days, Leverie will be living at the Epicenter. To keep Ciara's mind busy, she
went to the Thinnest River and started fishing again. And then something
unexpected happened. Ciara used her experimental fishing technique that
involved a lot of fertilizing and combustion, when she felt a hard tug on her
fishing rod. Excited, Ciara began to rotate the fishing rod, shifting her
weight on her feet and used her strength to reel the fish in. It was heavy, too
heavy for her to pull.
“I won't let you get
away, fish!” Ciara gritted her teeth, keeping hold of the fishing rod and
locked her legs on the sides of the pier so she wouldn’t slide. Her heart
throbbed in her chest. This is it. This is i—
Ciara nearly
outbalanced herself when she finally pulled the fish—a giant golden pearl fish—out
of the water as it collapsed on the pier. Without hesitation, Ciara wrestled
the fish with all her strength, and managed to slip it alive inside the large
sack she had brought. Madly grinning, Ciara secured the sack and screamed in
delight.
“Yes!” Ciara shouted
as the breeze grew stronger, blowing her hair backward. She had never been so
happy in her life. The promise that Ciara made to her sister finally came true.
She had caught a million dollar golden pearl fish. If she could sell the fish
alive, the price will be doubled. Quickly, Ciara dragged the heavy sack with
the fish kicking inside, leaving her toolkit and dashed home.
Ciara couldn’t
believe it. She was the first person to catch a fish from Thinnest River. With
this, her family wouldn’t become poor again, and her sister will never leave
for her scholarship. Ciara’s heart was drumming louder in her chest, and the
sides of her lips were aching because of the wide smile on her face. Now Ciara
wouldn’t be called Seara anymore. Everyone would acknowledge her as
Ciara, the first girl to catch a giant golden pearl fish in Metric. She will
become famous and her family wouldn’t have to live in their small hut ever
again…
Ciara stopped, heart
pounding in her chest, dropping the sack on the ground when she saw Metric on
fire. What happened? The village in front of her was in total chaos. She
could hear shouts, screams and yelling from where she was standing. Half of the
forest was burning, gunshots rang in the air.
The excitement was
quickly replaced by fear. Oh, no.
Without thinking,
Ciara dumped the sack and made a beeline to the entrance of her village,
wishing that this was all just a dream. And then she stopped.
Fire was everywhere.
Ciara regretted what she saw right now. It was horrible. Now the image of the
burning village was etched in her mind. Rein guards wearing red were marching
everywhere, shooting everyone that was on sight. Ciara stood frozen in her
place, hidden by the dark trees and helplessly watched her fellow villagers
killed in front of her eyes.
Suddenly someone’s
hand was clamped on her shoulder. Ciara nearly screamed, but as she whirled
around, it was just her sister. For the first time, there was fear in her
sister’s eyes.
“Ciara. Thank god,
you’re alive!” Leverie tightly hugged Ciara, her voice drowned by the crackling
of fire and the sound of thunder.
“W-What happened?”
Ciara asked.
Leverie let go of
Ciara and grabbed her hand. Ciara caught a glimpse of blood dripping down
Leverie’s forehead and several scratches on her arms. When Leverie didn’t
answer, Ciara repeated. “Where’s mom and dad?”
“They’re dead,
Ciara. We don’t have time. Let’s go!” Leverie tugged Ciara harder, dragging her
toward the darkness when suddenly Ciara heard a deafening bam. Blood
spattered on the ground. Leverie had been shot on the arm.
“LEVERIE!” Ciara
yelled. Ciara heard a click, and slowly she looked up to see the hole of the
gun in front of her face. Her eyes shook. This was it. She was going to die…
This was reality.
Everyone was dead, including her parents and her sister.
Someone please
spare me, Ciara thought.
Tears slipped down from her eyes. This is it…this is goodbye…
Everything happened
so fast. Leverie jabbed her knee on the Rein guard’s stomach, knocking him on
the ground as she whirled around to look at Ciara, shoving her toward the
woods.
“Run. Ciara!”
Leverie screamed, clutching her bleeding left arm, “Don’t worry about me. Just
go!”
And then Leverie
darted toward the blazing village. In slow motion, Ciara reached her hand to
her sister, but in a blink of an eye, the fire engulfed them, swallowing them
whole.
z
Ciara screamed when
someone touched her shoulder. She jerked upright and shrieked.
“Hey, hey! It’s just me. Calm
down, it’s me, Liam.” a voice said.
Ciara panted very
hard. Her hands were still trembling, her eyes shaking, and sweat dripping the
sides of her face. The adrenaline didn’t stop inside her. Breathing heavily,
Ciara slapped a hand on her forehead, trying to calm down. So that was just a
dream.
Wordlessly, Ciara
grabbed Liam's hand and began to skim her thumb on his palm. Liam flinched and
Ciara continued to circle her thumb in slow circles.
“What are you
doing?” Liam asked.
“It’s a hand signal
to tell each other’s feelings. I’m feeling okay,” Ciara muttered, smiling
weakly. “My sister and I used this as a sign of communication. If one of us
gets hurt, she uses this method to calm me down.” Ciara lowered her head, “But
now, she’s dead.”
“Maybe she’s not.”
Chase joined the conversation. “Your sister’s name is on the Vixen Biography, which means she’s still
alive. The book never lies, you know.”
“But…” Ciara looked
down and tears spilled down from her eyes. “I don’t think there’s a possible
chance that she is alive. My sister told me not to give up, or I will lose
everything if I did. And look what has happened to me? Everyone is dead, and
I’m the only Metric survivor who is still alive.”
“Maybe, though I
don’t think you’re the only one left,” Liam said, “Did you know that Vixens
were survivors of the 13th war?”
Ciara froze,
“I…didn’t know that.”
“Think about it.
You’re the second Metric survivor to join the Vixens, so there’s a high
possibility your villagers are still alive, somewhere hiding in a different lan—”
“Look over there! I
just saw someone running off to the bushes!” Chase interrupted.
“Where!?” Liam said
eagerly.
“There, in the
forest.” Chase shouted, “Come on! If we’re lucky, that person might be one of
the Metric survivors.” Chase rose to his feet, tugging Ciara. “We can’t let
that person get away!”
“Right on, lil’
bro!” Liam said as they disappeared through the bushes.
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