The Prophecy of Water | ✔️ 🎖 [2018 Wattys Shortlister]

CHAPTER 25-The Birds with Red Eyes

I think the end of humanity will come in the form of too much civilisation.

LoG, 14

Radan stayed beside the doorpost for a few moments. Then he turned his back to Squinty without a word and descended the stairs.

I could have sworn he winked the moment before he left, Squinty thought. I'm probably just imagining things.

Through a small, lonely window of a high-stacked cell, barred with huge, fixed animal bones, Squinty could observe the entire Arena. The boy-assistants were preparing the sand for The Chariot Race.

Ah, perhaps that's why he winked at me. He must have thought that, since I can't watch the races from The Arena, I can at least see something from the cell.

Squinty was thinking about how the life of The Vigils took place exclusively next to The Arena and The Mushroom. These two buildings overwhelmingly hovered over the Vigil Barracks, continually reminding them of where they were and whom they served.

The Vigils existed to raise their spears, daggers and shields at The Training Centre Light after Light. They issued commands to The Wardogs always looking at The Waterfort, expecting approval. They had a place to rest, eat a hot meal, and wash off the daily deposits of their tired skin.

That was all.

Squinty became increasingly aware The Leaders somehow ensnared The Vigils in their service. She felt captured, just like in The Orphanage.

Although, how different is it from other services? The Men of Cloth at a specific time must praise The Mind, celebrate The Fount. Grocers must bring fresh fruits and vegetables to their stalls and wait for the entire Light for someone to come and buy it.
Everybody has to do something. The trick is to enjoy the service, and I think I could do it. If they would just let me follow the caravan of the merchants towards The River Tebesum, Squinty dreamed. She wanted to travel and become Merchant Guard.

Now the merchants hardly go down to The River. Because of The Geyser, of course. It would be funny if The Mind suddenly removed The Geyser just as he created it.

A screeching sound at the door stopped her inner thoughts.

It was Orla. She was standing at the last step, gasping for breath, but with a smile on her lips. The pale girl took out a now gooey pie filled with melted cheese and fried bacon. She also seemed to have brought a wooden flask with water.

Squinty raised her eyebrows but said nothing, grabbing the offered food through the bars, ravenous.

Orla waved to her and disappeared, leaving her alone to consume a delicious, still hot pie.

Squinty was somewhere halfway through when she almost swallowed something hard and cold. Quickly and instinctively, Squinty spit it out. On the floor lay a tiny bone.

What's a bone doing in a ...

Her lips twisted into realisation and Squinty glanced toward the lock.

Such luck. I can't believe it. Or is it? Squinty remembered Orla's conspiratory look. It's time to stretch my legs, she smiled.

Squinty knew no one would come to take her out of the cell until The Dark. The Arena's Viewstone was merely glowing green.

There's still plenty to dark blue and black. I'm lucky Radan didn't leave the guards in front of the cell. They're all celebrating the stupid Light of The Leader. The Leader who won't even appear, she snorted derisively.