Weekend Writing Warriors: 10/21

This 8-10 sentence blog hop is hosted by The Weekend Writing Warriors. (Click the link for the list of participants, or rules if you want to join!)

This is a WIP, NaNoWriMo 2016, currently called River, Tree, Mountain. It’s science fiction, set on a colony planet, six generations in–with 10% of the population born “marvels,” who have special abilities like dowsing, healing, or creating fire. The protagonist, Rekka Lang, is a spark (fire), signed a contract with Brenton to provide him a child (NOT married/permanently paired), moves in with him–4 months after she moved in, they go to a family dinner, where Rekka is talking to Acacia, Brenton’s 2 1/2 year old daughter.

(Relevant info: most children demonstrate powers around the age of two, Acacia hasn’t. Phoenix, Brenton’s older sister, has a child with no powers.)

 

“They forgot to light the candles,” Brenton said from across the table, standing and reaching for the centerpiece closest to him.

“Let me get it, I can show Acacia,” Rekka said, and when he sat down, picked up the candle dish. “You know your daddy can make sparks, and your mommy? So can I.” She summoned a spark a little past the end of her finger, touching the three tea light candle wicks in turn.

Acacia giggled and clapped, “Again!”

After setting down the dish and restoring its cover, Rekka leaned toward Acacia, cupping her hands a safe distance to prevent any grabbing from tiny hands. She created another spark, and let it drift down to extinguish itself on her skin, and then a third. “Aren’t they pretty, like fireflies?”

“Liarfries?” Acacia repeated.

*    *    *

Life on the colony planet of Kaibou was going uneventfully until the second generation of colonists was born on the planet, at some, at a young age, began showing various psychic abilities. When those people, called marvels, grew up, many of them formed companies, building compounds to live in and raise their children.  Due to population diversity issues, many colonists have children using genetic bank material, or choose a succession of partners. Now on the seventh generation, marvels are born both within and without company walls, and all must work together to use their gifts and make a living on a still wild land. Some of these outsider marvels sign contracts with company marvels, agreeing to give them a child raised within the company, in return for a permanent home in the company compound, a stipend, and other concessions.