The Rule of Gold (650 words)

In need of rest, Micah hid in the shadowy base of a grass tuft. He dropped the wheat kernel he held in his mandibles and said. “Won’t be long now, Bekah. Come hide here for a bit.”

But Bekah didn’t answer.

Panicked, Micah scurried back to the path and searched for his sister. To his relief, he soon spotted her a hundred body lengths away, circling golden stalk.

Micah shook his head. "Come on, Bekah. We've got to get these kernels back to the nest."

As usual, Bekah refused him. Still focused on the stalk, she said, "But..."

Micah flicked his antennae in annoyance. He didn’t have time for this. They were expected home. The day was warm, and the skies were clear. Dangers lurked everywhere. But his sister had a mind to do other things.

"But what?" he asked, already regretting he had.

"But why don't we just climb the wheat and shake out kernels? We could bring the queen ten times as much doing that instead of wandering all over, looking for scraps. Why don't we just do that?"

"You know why, Bekah. It's against the rules."

"Rules. Rules are stupid."

"The adults make rules to protect us. Climbing the stalks must be dangerous."

"No, it’s not. I’ve already done it while you walked ahead. Look. It's easy."

Micah held his breath as Bekah scrambled up the stalk. He had to admit it looked safe. She glided up the thin tube as effortlessly as she scurried across the ground. Even when a breeze rocked the plant back and forth, she moved up and down as if it weren't swaying at all.

"See?" she asked.

"Yeah, but Bekah, it's against the rules. If you get caught, you're going to be in trouble."

"Yeah, but if I don't, the queen will reward us for all the wheat we bring back. Besides, rules are meant to be broken."

Then, before Micah could respond, Bekah scampered so high up the wheat stalk he could no longer see her. He clicked his mandibles nervously and scratched at the dirt. He circled the stalk, not sure what to do. After his fifth orbit around the plant, she still hadn't returned, so he gave in to his anxiety.

"Bekah? Are you all right? We need to go."

When she didn’t answer, he looked up to see if he could spot her. Instead, he stared in amazement as wheat kernel after wheat kernel started to drop towards him. Moments later, Bekah emerged from the thicket of wheat heads gathered above him.

"See, silly?” she said. “It's easy. How many kernels did I shake out?"

Micah looked about him at the wheat seeds strewn across the ground.

"Five…six...seven. Wow!"

Seven kernels. It would have taken days to find that many by scouring the ground. They were going to be the queen's favorites. Maybe they'd even be asked to join her royal court.

"I told you! So, you coming up here to help or what?"

Micah looked at the stalk. What could it hurt to try? He climbed onto the thin beam and realized his sister was right. Climbing the stalk was easy. He skittered upward and quickly reached the wheat head, brimming with kernels. At its very top, he saw his sister, her black carapace gleaming in the sun.

"Ready?" she asked.

"For what?"

"This!"

She reached into the wheat head with her mandibles and yanked. Yanked and yanked and yanked some more. Each time she did, a wheat kernel dropped to the ground below. But as she harvested enough of the gold to make them rich, Micah froze. Behind his sister, a winged shadow zoomed across the top of the wheatfield.

"Bekah!"

She stopped and shook her head at him.

"What are you waiting for, Micah? Help me!"

But it was too late to help her. The Flicker snatched her with its beak and swooped away.

Copyright © 2016 by W. C. Markarian

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the author.