Origin Story

Lithia leaped from one rock to the other careful not to land on cracks or fall from the more broken pieces. While in a loud sing-song voice, she exclaimed, "step on a crack, break your mother's back." Scanning for treasures as she sprang about. The rocks and rubles had cast long jagged shadows all day as the sun beat down on the scarlet desert. Now shadows from forming overhead clouds began consuming the points into one massive shadow. Lithia sighed in defeat. Dark days weren't good for scavenging; the good stuff like metal was more easily found from distances by the sun's reflection.

As shadow grew, she scanned the horizon, finding nothing; she stopped to admire the golden gates of the city, which still shone bright, no matter the weather. Giant golden guardians stood on either side of the magnificent door, the founders. She imagined what pleasures and luxuries must the gates hold inside; what secrets. Sometimes, when a group of nomadic peoples would come through the area, she would sneak out to their camp, where they would all gather around the fire at night, as the Toth wolf howled in the distance. Then, in secret, they would tell her stories from before the dividing. Lithia's parents forbade talk of what was before. Sometimes she prodded her older brother, who remembered more than her; he followed their parents' rules, keeping a tight lip.

She reached in her pocket and took out a folded piece of paper, the creased edges fragile; carefully as to not let it tear, she unfolded it and stared at the image. A funny yellow character was on it; she thought she might have watched it on something called a tablet when she was younger. But she couldn't be sure. That was before the primary power grid was shut off. After all these years, the technology they must have now within the city would be simply unimaginable to her kind. She yearned for the privilege of living within the walls; she yearned to see a tablet again to know if it was real or something she just made up in her mind. She even simply yearned to taste the exquisite food the city surely had; desert hares were becoming less desirable by the day.

The wind suddenly picked up and sent a severe chill along the back of her neck. The clouds were gathering closer together into a thick dark mass; the storms out here were relentless, so she thought to herself that it was probably a good idea to head home. She began to turn back south when something caught her eye, a glimmer from underneath a rock formation, probably twenty yards away in the direction of the city. She thought it would be worth checking out what it was; whatever it was would most likely be gone after the storm was over. She quickly sprinted into the direction of the mysterious sparkle; sand swirled around her as the winds continued to pick up. What she found as she knelt to look, nestled under the rock overhang, froze her in place; the sparkle was coming from a heart pendant on a thin gold chain. It was beautiful. That wasn't the most surprising part. The necklace was attached to what she assumed to be a human baby, swaddled In a white cloth. The baby appeared to be sleeping. She just stared in awe and shock until the sky broke open, and rain began to pour from the heavens. Desperately she looked around to see if there was anyone else close by, the wind howled through the desert, and more of the vermillion sand was being picked up and thrown about. Creating a red haze all around her. The child opened its eyes suddenly; piercing green eyes stared up at Lithia inquisitively. Quickly Lithia gathered up the swaddled baby and sheltered them with her coat, holding them close to her chest.

The rain was just letting up after an arduous journey back home. The sun was back out and gleamed off the half of a rusty old camper the family slept in and her family's pickup truck, both slick from the downpour. The air was so thick and humid, she could hear the rain sizzling as it evaporated and returned into the sky. She moved back the curtain that hung in the front entranceway of the shanty built onto the other side of the camper. Water dripped through the spaces between the boards of the roof. Onto the line of various herbs hung up to dry and meat that was curing. Her mother was soaking wet with her back turned to Lithia as she approached.

"Momma-" Lithia said barely above a whisper.

She didn't seem to hear her, continuing with her task.

Lithia started to speak again when the baby began to stir and softly coo.

Her mother spun around quickly; she looked at the child Lithia held with wide eyes.

"LITHIA!"

Lithia didn't understand her mother's outburst. She knew it was tough to feed the family, but it would be easier once they got to go into the city. Her mother always spoke so fondly of when she and her brother were babies too. So why wasn't she excited?

"Momma, what's wrong? I found them abandoned by the city."

Just then, Lithia's father and older brother Leo emerged through the cloth-covered door, each of them with two or three desert hairs in their arms, both bearing broad smiles; when her father saw what she was holding in her arms, his smile dropped, and his face went white.

"Lithia, where did you get a baby!" He exclaimed.

"I was out- by the city…scavenging---It was about to storm, and I was about to head home, then I saw the shine of the necklace and--!" she tried to explain.

She choked on her tears, thinking in her thirteen years of life, she had never cried so hard. With her, the baby began to cry too.

Lithia's mother gathered up the baby from her and began to rock them gently. Lithia's dad went to her, apologizing and reassured her she did the right thing.

After a moment of silence, Leo spoke up.

"Dad, can babies eat rabbit?"

He had only seen a few babies in his whole life, and being only three when Lithia was a baby, he didn't really remember. Lithia, on the other hand, never remembered seeing a baby.

That night they ate rabbit stew; Lithia did her best to feed the baby the broth because there was nothing else to give to them. She also clothed the baby using some of her clothing, tearing them up into diapers and swaddles. Her parents didn't say another thing about the baby that evening. Lithia began calling the baby Eli, after the founder. She told him of all the wondrous tales of the city and how they would one day be able to live there. Her parents solemnly exchanged looks without a word.

That night Lithia slept with Eli swaddled by her side. He was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she loved him. She didn't know that having green eyes was possible. His cheeks were soft and new, untarnished from life. Lithia played with the heart pendants in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship when it swung open. There was a picture on either side, one a curly-haired woman with a kind smile and the other a man with jet black hair and piercing eyes. The gold locket had an extra shine to it like the city's gates; it wasn't like anything out there. Lithia fell asleep, wondering why a baby who seemed to come from the inside was outside the gates.

The following day her parents sat her down and told her there were things they kept her from knowing, but now that she was a "mother," she would have to know the truth.

Her own mother started- "You know that as a family, we have worked for a very long time to get into the city."

"And the city has many rules to qualify for citizenship," Her father added.

"Well, one of the main rules is that children are not allowed under the age of fifteen; we've only been waiting for you to come of age, to go to the city. To gain citizenship, every person must also give up their right to have children. So, we believe the child you found belongs to someone within the city, who must have somehow surpassed the sterilization. They must have snuck their child through the gate and left him, hoping that someone would pass by."

"So, what are you saying?" Lithia asked.

Her father grasped her hand; "You were chosen Lithia to take care of this babe; the gods chose you."

Lithia could feel the tears stars welling up in her eyes.

"What are you trying to say!" She yelled.

Her mother smiled. "Sweetheart, everything is in place now; you have chosen your path and obligation! You are no longer of obligation to us."

"Your mother, brother, and I will be initiated in the passing in the morning since we no longer have to wait for you to turn 15!" Her dad said excitedly, with a smile as well.

Her mother saw how distraught she quickly became, "Hunny, you should be happy for us!"

The next evening, she sat holding Eli, staring at the wall of the shanty house. The tools on the wall scavenged from the outlands, the meats still hanging from the ceiling. There was no one else, just her and Eli.

There was a last name on the locket; she asked her parents at the very least if they could find Eli's parents and tell them that he was safe. She expected they wouldn't care, though; they still choose the city and all its luxuries over their child.

It again began to storm, and the rain trickled through the roof on Lithia's already wet cheeks. The baby with the green eyes looking up at Lithia.