The Sumerians

Chapter 4: Goodbye

I got a letter from Ishme after days he had been at the King's palace. It read:

Dear Puabi,

It is paradise here! There are so many foods to eat, and they all have high quality. There is also good entertainment too! There's so many artwork to look at and so many instruments to play. I love it here, but I miss our parents, Aanepada, and you. I miss you Puabi. I won't forget those times I spent, teaching you, and running around Sumer with you. Those days were good days. Well, I better be going now. Write to you later!

Ishme

I gripped the letter in my hands, almost crying. I missed him so much. I wanted to hug him and never let go of him. But I couldn't. I really couldn't. So I let a tear trickle down my cheek, and little tears began to pour out of my eyes.

A few days later, news spread around Sumer very quick. The King had died. Many Sumerians were astonished, and had sad faces. I was sad too. What would Ishme do now? As I headed to Aanepada's house to ask her if she heard, I heard giggling inside her home. I peeked through the home's windows, and spotted Aanepada sitting with another man. He and her were smiling with each other, and holding hands. My heart began to hurt, and it tore apart. I don't know why, but it was probably because this was going to hurt Ishme. I growled and had clenched teeth as I tightened my fists. I began scurrying madly towards the King's palace, past temples and ziggurats people prayed in, and past homes of Sumerians. I hurried up the steps and burst the door open. The guards ran after me, but I didn't turn back. Wait until Ishme heard that Aanepada was a filthy cheater! But as I reached a room full of chattering and shut the door behind me, time stopped. The room was dim and had pits dug against the stone wall. Men were standing in front of the pits, shivering and some sobbing. Other strict-looking men held golden cups in front of them. One of the strict-looking men glared at me.

"You. What are you doing here!?" he gasped, daring to thrust a stone at me. I backed away. I began stuttering, but froze when I spotted a familiar face. One that looked gentle, and had big brown eyes full of warmth. ISHME?

"What's going on in here?? Please, uh, t-tell me!" I begged, gulping and trying to take oxygen in my weak body. My stomach churned at the sights of pits and cups filled with a weird looking liquid.

"Silly woman! You didn't know? When the King dies, the servants have to drink poison and die! This is a sacrifice for our gods and the King!" the man explained, arms crossed.

"But that's my brother there!" I shrilled furiously. "YOU CAN'T JUST KILL HIM AND ALL THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE!!" The man ignored me. He and the other men shoved the cups of poison in front of the frightened servants. They chugged it down, and I almost fainted at the sight. The color drained from their faces and they collpased to the ground, breathing, and taking in the bitter poison that took ovet their body. In a second, they were dead. Ishme was still, holding the cup in his hand

"DRINK IT!!" the man hollered to Ishme, frowning. Ishme looked at me for the last time. Both our eyes had tears, and all our good memories rushed past us. All those good times.

"Goodbye," he whispered raspily to me. He sipped the poison slowly, then chugged it down. He didn't speak. He fell to the ground, eyes wide and breathing hard. The strict-looking men began  burying the dead men in the pits. Ishme was looking at me, then suddenly, he stopped moving. He stopped. He was lifeless. He was gone. He was dead. That was that. But his warm eyes were still open, frozen in place.

"Leave now lady, or our guards will take you!" the strict man shouted at me, shoving Ishme's cold body into a pit. I left quickly, not turning back. I didn't cry. All of this was so surprising, that I couldn't even let tears leave my eyes.