Watery Fate
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The music blared from the bright orange stereo. A tightly knit group of female norns sat humming to the beat. There were five of them in all; each couldn’t have been over 40 minutes old. “Alda, turn it up just a tiny bit.” Yelled a small Kai norn. She pushed a violet lock of hair behind her ear and grinned. Alda, a yellow desert norn, jumped up and made her way to the stereo sitting atop the learning computer near the incubator. She reached out a delicate hand to turn the knob when a ring sounded and a lift chugged up to greet them. Out stepped an older female; her turquoise eyes squinted in mock anger. “You girls must be deaf by now!” She yelled over the music. Alda quickly turned the music down and lowered her eyes and ears apologetically. The other children did the same. The mature female, Wildness, twitched her graceful white plumed tail. “I think you missed the dinner bell. It rang five minutes ago.” As soon as she said this, she leaped to the side as the five hungry girls dashed past her and made their way down on the crowded lift. “Maybe we should play the stereo in the tree house from now on.” Said a maroon bodied norn wistfully. Her pale blue face lifted to look at her friends. “That way Wildness can’t tell us to turn it down.” The norns all grinned evilly and waited impatiently as the lift lowered slowly to the ground. They took it all the way down, landing in the soft mushy soil of the swamp. A grayish norn with long wide ears frowned at the mud but didn’t say anything. She was known for always being silent and thoughtful, but she was only shy when she was in the presence of older norns, and norns she didn’t know. The norn stroked her furry tail absentmindedly as she waited for her friends to leave the lift as fast as they could. They didn’t need to be told that grendals dwelled here. The gray norn, Adele, thought she heard a murmur behind her and swiveled her ear but heard nothing else. “What’s wrong Adele?” Her best friend Katy the kai norn asked. “Oh nothing just thought I heard something.” Adele whispered. The other norns exchanged fearful glances. They knew that Adele had the best ears in Albia. Without a word the girls ran to the garden.
“It’s about time you got here.” Scowled an old male flop ear. He held a tray filled with carrots dipped in honey, and apples from the desert apple tree. The little norns drooled and reached up for the food but the male backed away. “Oh c’mon Draggie! We’re hungry.” Protested Alda under the reinforcement of her piers. “We didn’t hear the dinner bell. We’re almost never late.” Pointed out a slim golden desert norn. Her fair locks tumbled across her vision frequently, and she irritably pushed them away. The old male relented under her sweet gaze and frowned. “Next time your late not even you, Sherry, can fill your stomachs.” He growled and pushed the platter into Adele’s arms. He then limped off to a quiet corner and ate some flowers. Alda, Adele, Katy, Sherry, and Luna kneeled on the soft earth and greedily ate their share.
