Believe Me

By Rei Rosenquist

“It’s your time to shine, Mag.”

Exile means hot winds. Dust and desert sand. A desperate need for water...and crossing kilometers of wasteland to find it. 

And then, in order to get those life-giving water packs and well diggers, sneaking past the armed guards of the district.

Magnet, determined to shine bright and prove trustworthy to their leader in exile, takes along brand-new recruit Tie on a mission for water on an insufferably hot day. Only they set out too late, and realize their many mistakes even later.

And now, trusting those once exiled could mean the end of their life. But then, trusting anyone district could prove a worse mistake. 

Or...maybe the one opportunity for Magnet to shine bright. 

Either way, in order to survive, they must choose quick.

Rei Rosenquist writes dark mean post-apocalyptic science fiction that takes characters to the edges of their limits and you to the furthest edges of your mind as you tear through the pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tangled Sky Press
• Release date: Jul 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386273707

Rei Rosenquist

Rei Rosenquist first remembers life as seen out the high window of a hotel balcony. Down below is a courtyard, swarms of brightly dressed tourists, the beach. The memory is nothing but a blue-green washed image. Warmth and sunlight. Here, they are three years old, and this is the beginning of a nomadic story-teller’s life. Over the years, they have traveled to many countries, engaged many peoples, picked up new habits, and learned new languages. But, some things never change. For them, these are stories, food service, and traveling. These three passions have bloomed from hobbies, studies, and jobs into a way of life. These days, Rei can be found in between Tokyo, Kailua, and Bellingham, Washington pouring beautiful latte art, baking off a batch of famous savory scones, and cozying up with a laptop to obsessively write mountains of dark speculative fiction. You can find Rei’s stories and blog at reirosenquist.com. You can also reach them via email at [e-mail] or connect via Facebook (Rei Rosenquist), Twitter (rylrosenquist) and Instagram (rylrosenquist).

Book preview

Believe Me

Believe Me

A Short Story

Rei Rosenquist

Tangled Sky Press

Contents

Believe Me

Also by Rei Rosenquist

About the Author

Believe Me

A breeze picked up and rattled the tent flaps, sending them slapping and snapping against the PVC piping like whips. Rings that should have staked the flaps to ground knocked against one another making a cacophony of noise. Dusty desert sand whizzed around in twisted spirals. The air smelled bitter and sharp, tasted gritty and metallic.

Ah, exile.

But this side of the desert was different than Magnet was used to. It was closer to the district. It was cleaner in terms of radiation but dirtier in terms of loose trash and personal security. Magnet was only in it because of a mission.

You’re going across the bridge, Crate had said.

And when the Leader of Exile spoke, you didn’t ask questions. You did what you were told. So Magnet had followed wordlessly into the sun room (which wasn’t actually a room but an open air courtyard with a fountain that had never worked).

There, Tie had already been waiting. A shocking choice for the journey. Magnet had anticipated a mentor, someone who knew the route, an experienced traveler at least. Instead, Crate had paired newb with even newer newb. Which made Magnet worry about the quality of this mission, but then you didn’t ask questions unless you wanted a hole in your belly.

Magnet didn’t want that and so had shouldered the heavy pack and set out.

Bring back plenty of water packs. We’re out, Crate had called by way of a mission statement.

Magnet had nodded, snatching the hand-drawn map from Tie, who’d most likely just finished copying it from a collection of other ones that day.

And remember,’ Crate had called out one last time, it’s your time to shine, Mag."

Magnet’s hands rolled up an acid-rain slicker and jammed it alongside some kind of tool. A wrench or whatnot. Honestly, they didn’t have the time to keep dawdling. They needed to go, now. All this junk could wait. Magnet turned inside the cramped tent and glared at Tie.

Are you done?

Tie grinned like