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

CHAPTER 33-The Execution

If we lose a limb, we replace it with something else. No matter how crude it is. 

Why would it be it any different with our souls?

LoG, 166

Yellow colour now blurred Squinty's entire visage as she was inevitably drowning in her past. Wicked smiles on Sien's and Enoka's stained saffron lips. The pallor of tortured Roko's face.

The images overcame her and Squinty disappeared down the vortex of the overbearing memories.

Grizzly's wet, persistent tongue on her right palm and a bony elbow that urgently nudged her in the ribs made her resurface to the present.

"Squinty," Orla's hissing undertone warned her. Some soldiers were looking in her direction.

Squinty let out a strident gasp as if greedily gulping for air and then stilled.

I won't show how weak I am now. I mustn't draw attention to myself.

Squinty's bright blue eyes became almost steel-grey as she straightened her shoulders. She regained her focus, just to spite the world around her. Pieces of intermittent conversation flew over her like stones fired from a catapult.

"My ... My ... Leader," the kneeling man was stuttering, his head bowed. "I, I, I, I ..."

"Someone should hit him on the back. Maybe then he would cough up the rest of the sentence," Borna said in a honeyed, oiled tone of voice. "Get up. You make me sick."

Behind him, Squinty noticed, Radan and Wolfgrik appeared out of the blue. But it was almost as if they weren't there. Both the man-at-arms and the winged acorn were silent, with solemn expressions on their faces.

They won't step in, thought Squinty.

Grizzly growled and looked at her with a question mark in his eyes.  Squinty shook her head. There was nothing to be done. That was enough for the horse-sized War Dog. He slumped back into the dirt, seemingly calm, wagging his tail. Only Squinty knew Grizzly was lying in wait.

He is The Leader. And he will do with the man as he pleases. He has more power than any of us. But why? Why is it so? That irked Squinty beyond belief, and the thought wouldn't leave her alone.

Age and position are everything. The older you are, the more privileged you are. The richer you are, the more decisions you get to make. It was the rule in The Orphanage, too. For a moment, I actually believed I had escaped that rotten place. 

And here I am, learning that the entire world is The Orphanage.

She was so deep in thought she hadn't even noticed Orla's fingers digging into her palm. One side glance at the pale, mousy girl told her how terrified she was. Squinty hesitantly squeezed her hand back with a frown. She wasn't the one for offering solace, but her companion was merely too miserable-looking.

The sound of a boot connecting with tender stomach flesh reverberated across a temporary makeshift camp.

"Get up, I said!" Borna repeated once more. Squinty could now see the man's face.

Canary-yellow adorning his parched lips was diluted with the transparency of liquid from his body.  The man forced himself to his feet. There was an unmistakable curious circle forming around The Leader and the unfortunate soldier. 

The light of the already lit torches gave their faces an otherworldly visage.

"For how long?" was all Borna asked.