Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m so glad you’re here. Below you’ll find part six of my fantasy short story Going Home. It’s about a young girl named Nani who gets tangled up in fate, tradition, and a giant hole in the ground that leads… somewhere else.
Want to start at the beginning? Here you go:
There were no parties that night. No revelry to celebrate the new Chosen. People didn’t know exactly how they should feel about the sudden turn of events, but most knew that happiness wasn’t appropriate. The vast majority went back to their houses. Parents hugged their children tightly. Old men muttered amongst themselves about the unfairness of it, and how much better things had been when there were younger, when men behaved with honor and respect.
It was jarring, the way life continued on even after something so dramatic had occurred. Didn’t the chores know what had happened? How could the little ones think of food? But no, of course life continued on. The little things that needed doing served as an anchor, and by the next morning the town had largely returned to normal, the troubles of the previous day blown away like fog in the face of their everyday needs.
Nani’s troubles did not blow away.
They hung about her, a thick cloud of sorrow. Her anger had burned away, leaving only a feeling of powerlessness. She sat alone in her room, hugging her knees and softly rocking back and forth. Her parents had made an attempt to cheer her up, but they all knew how futile it was. No, they would need to wear this shame, molding it around their bodies until it became a part of them.
No one in the village would truly consider them cursed, but they would never be looked at the same way either. Nani had been on the verge of eternal glory; to have come crashing back to earth would leave her marked forever.
She suspected that her father wished she had chosen to fight. Under different circumstances, Nani would have agreed. Havrik’s arrogance had almost pushed her over the edge. But Suli’s face told a different story. She had been scared, lonely. To declare herself as chosen had not been her choice. That meant that she was as much a prisoner as Nani. At least one of them would have the opportunity to die honorably.
Nani’s only hope now would be redemption through a daughter. Perhaps Ki’Kiri would smile upon her and allow her to be the mother of a Chosen One. That was a small consolation, however, and it depended on Nani finding a husband who would have her. She shivered. The thought of marriage still made her uncomfortable, and besides, her prospects did not look very good after recent events.
Eventually, she fell into a restless slumber. She dreamed of stars, and holes, and the wondrous adventures they held.
She dreamt that they were all being experienced by someone else.
Suggested music for Part 6: The Cure For Pain (Live) by Jon Foreman
Keep reading! Part 7 is ready, for you!
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That last line is such a great line