Into the Wind, by Tracy Royce

Tank No. 1, photography by Tina Modotti (Mexico, b. Italy) 1927

Into the Wind                                                                              
 
Marco was near the top when the ladder teetered. He gripped the side rails, imagined what it would feel like to plummet and greet the ground face-first. Eventually, the ladder steadied itself and he exhaled. 

From below someone called, “Hurry up, old man!” Marco didn’t dare turn to see who, but obviously a line had formed. He had an audience now. 

This new system had been explained at the meeting. Well, sort of. They’d been told the village was wasting valuable resources. Moving forward, everyone would have to contribute, for the common good. Then everything would be stored for future use against the opposition, though no one said exactly how, just that planning was underway. All would be revealed at the appropriate moment. In the meantime, everybody had to do their part for the cause. 

Marco balanced on the ladder’s penultimate rung. He recalled his youth, when he’d been certain he would do anything for the movement. Yes, everything had felt clear and urgent back then; life was capital letters and exclamation points. Now Marco’s knees ached as he peered into Tank Number One. All was murky. 
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Of course, this was rougher on the women than the men, there was no doubt about that. He knew he should feel grateful. Still, as Marco reached for his fly, he wondered how in the world the village could possibly utilize all this. The breeze was blowing in the right direction this time, and soon, Marco had once again done his duty. If his prostate cooperated, he might make it through the night without having to climb back up here. He shook and zipped up to the sound of slow clapping from below. Then he descended, thinking of the morning, dreading his visit to Tank Number Two. 

Tracy Royce

Tracy Royce is a writer and poet with words in 100 Word Story, Bending Genres, The Mackinaw, and MacQueen’s Quinterly. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best Small Fictions, and her story "Sibling Rivalry" was selected for Best Microfiction (2026). She hikes by day and watches film noir by night. Find her on Bluesky.