Nature Rules - 2022 WATTY'S SHORTLIST

School's In

It's chaos for several seconds until Mr. Cho calls it quits.

"Enough!" he laughs loudly, while trying to control the room. "Enough!"

After class, Crinae has a giant smile plastered on her face.

"I was doing everything you and the kids were doing," she says excitedly. "Well, you know I can't do water, just light."

"Great!" I tell her and give her a hug. It's good to see her happy.

Katherine's not at the door when school lets out. Um, how are we supposed to get back when we don't know where we're going?

"You're the new kids right?" asks Dodney. Out of his desk I see he's really short. He kind of resembles a mouse with a pointed nose and an overbite and a way of holding his hands in the air, palms down and elbows bent.

"Guess so," I say.

"I'm supposed to take you back to Solomon's," says the boy. "I live near you guys."

"Oh, we don't live here," says Crinae snobbily. "We're just visiting."

"Don't matter to me," says Dodney. "Let's go."

He lights a candle and we leave the classroom. I make a mental note to remember where we're going so next time we can make our own way. It's difficult because I don't know the symbols and every twist and turn looks exactly like the previous twist and turn.

"How do you know where you're going?" I ask Dodney.

"I use chalk," says Dodney, "and make my own marks. I couldn't figure out the old ones, the Formers', symbols. They carved notches into the wall that mean something but I don't know what. I draw arrows on the wall to show me where to go."

A couple more curves and we're out into the antechamber of the underground settlement. More tunnels than I noticed last night branch out from it.

"See, I told you I'd get us out," Dodney boasts. "We're still a couple of blocks down from where you want to be. But just walk up that tunnel, go right, or left... and then straight and left once more and you'll get there."

"You're leaving us?" I ask.

"Yep. Later."

With that, Dodney takes off down another hallway. With the candle.

"How about giving us some light?" I ask Crinae. I don't want to put pressure on her like this but it's the only way to find our way.

"I'll try," she says.

Tentatively, she holds up her hand and points her index finger. Waves it around and voila – golden light shines out of the tip of her nail.

"See that!" she squeals. "I did it!"

"You sure did! I'm proud of you. Mom and Dad will be, too."

At the mention of our parents, her light dims. My heart is heavy too but at least we have help now. Solomon and Katherine are good people and Nakimu is a haven. I hope Crinae and I can find our way back to their compound.

We walked up and down and all around different corridors but can't find Solomon and Katherine's home. I knock on the door of a chamber and then peek into the room to ask the person to tell us where we are.

"Hyla!"

It's her. It really is her. Sitting at a table and reading a book.

'Naia!"

She gets out of the chair and runs to me, with a frown.

"What are you doing here?" she asks me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her.