The Predator's Loop

Chapter 1: Devastatingly surreal...

Adhira:

It happened when we least expected it. A pleasant auspicious day turned into something unthinkable...

Something unheard of, undreamed of... 

Something so surreal.
.
.
.

"Appo, Kalyanum?"
["So, marriage?"]

"Maama, innum neram iruku. Eppo edduku?"
["Uncle, we still have time. Why now?"]

"Sollu da Thangam, unnaku paiyan pudikiliya? Ponnu pakalama? Amma kita na pesikiren."
["Tell me Thangam(Golden child, an endearment for someone special), don't you like boys? We'll look for girls then. I will convince your mother."]

I chuckled at his statement, "Maama! Seri parunga. Pakalaam."
["Uncle! Okay, go ahead and search. We'll see."]

Then, we picked a ration rice bag from the small truck and placed them away to feed the huge family gathering for the auspicious day. A stack of banana leaves was taken into the storage room and huge vessels were carried into the house.

My eyes looked around to capture a memory of my little cousins, nieces, and nephews running around in rich, silk-bordered lehengas and the boys fidgetting uncomfortably at their mundu's. My aunts and uncles rushing around to run the household chores, decorations, and cooking. My sisters and older cousins dressed elegantly in Saris while I meandered carelessly in my favorite pajamas and shirt. 

"Amma Adhi, eda Appa kita eduthutu po," Maama instructed as he pointed to the basket of flowers.
["Dear Adhi, take these to your Father."]

I picked up the basket off the truck and trudged towards the house. 

Time seemed to slow down. I stopped in my tracks to register the stillness in the air. 

I was knocked over my feet and my vision blurred. My arms, knees, and cheek scraped against the concrete. 

The ground rumbled. The screams and cries of my loved ones shook my world. My fingers curled over the soft petals of scattered flowers. I tried to push myself off the ground but in vain. I cried in agony as my body fought in excruciating pain. 

"Amma!" I screamed unable to understand what's wrong with my body and the situation around me. 

"Adhira!!" I heard Amma cry out my name. 

My blurry vision caught the sight of my sweet home crumbling to the ground into rubble. Unable to understand what's happening, I sobbed and tried to rub out my eyes. Why are they blurry?

I need to look. I need to know what's happening. My body refused to adhere to my wish. My head rested on the ground. My eyes rested on the bloody petals between my fingers, blood staining the ground that I rest on.

Blackness. I needed to keep breathing...

My lungs got heavy and the screaming seemed to cease. 

How did this happen?

As I breathed with one last difficult heave, sleep embraced me...

So devastatingly surreal... 

┍━━━━━━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━━━━━━┑

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