It was as dark a night as any–stars dotting the sky like pinpricks through a sheet. With nary a hint of wind, a dewy aroma lay stagnant in the late-night calm.
Amongst the tranquility of the moment, there seemed to be an aberration in the sky. A ribboning light, shimmering silk threaded through fallen dusk. Despite its brevity, the night trembled. Moved not by wind’s caution, the clouds vacated the light’s course, painting a clearing into the sky.
Its glinted grace danced only a heartbeat wherever it passed, foliage trading whispers in its wake. Still air lending no competition, it cushioned itself beyond horizon’s gaze.
…
For reasons unseen, the skies held her gaze captive.
Though a deep bruise stained the ether—a scorn, final as the sun—this no longer served to lure her eye. Yet, her gaze did not waver. Bereft of expectation, she waited.
Even so, gradually, her intention waned and she surrendered to the gentle tug of an awaiting slumber. Unbeknownst to her, what her subconscious had warned her of was now plain to see.
Beyond her window, far into the night, a ripple of light unfurled, stitching the darkness aside and creating a void amidst the clouds that seemed to avoid its presence. Though, the scant clouds did linger, forming a faint halo that obscured the vision of any outside its attention. It smoldered; a dying ember casting long currents of shadow that wept along her walls.
Amid the young lady’s reverie, a host of sound entered her mind, slipping through the gaps of her perception; a whisper of wind through an open palm. Their meaning eluded her.
She felt herself drowning in a sea of sound, struggling to stay afloat amid their waves.
“Maline.”
Through the chaos, a gentle voice called out to her, a hand reaching out to guide her through the storm. Even so, she was adrift, unable to discern the source of the soothing call.
“Maline?”
The voice came again, yet less gentle this time. It carried a tinge of urgency as if probing for something.
“Maline!”
It erupted into a roar, shaking her mind into awareness.
“Maline? You never stay asleep for this long! It’s midday!” She blinked, gradually regaining awareness of her surroundings. The confusion began to clear, and she realized that she was in a familiar place; her home.
The figure’s words still rained relentlessly upon her, but with the confusion gone, it held a new note. One of loving concern—a refreshing shower.
The figure was her older brother, waking her up for the day. Well, at this point, the rest of the day. As she cleared her mind and cast her gaze back over to her window, the sun was already on its due course toward dusk.
“Sorry, I guess I overslept today.” Her voice was weak and slightly fatigued, which ignited even more concern in her brother.
Clad in a weathered cotton shirt and loosely fitted brown trousers, he seemed exhausted. The fabric of his shirt strained slightly against his shoulders, locked in place due to an accumulation of sweat. His clothes looked to have been washed repeatedly, yet a hint of grime remained in their creases.
Signs of even more recent filth could be seen on his arms, but it seemed he had taken great pains to scrub them away.
Concern etched lines on his face, creasing his forehead and worsening with every moment. He reached out, brushing Maline's forehead with the back of his hand, making sure that she was not overtaken by any ailment.
“Are you well?” His voice held genuine worry, each word measured. “Did you have a night terror?” he added, his fingers lingering on her brow.
A smile blossomed on Maline’s face in response, jesting, “With that expression,” she teased softly, “I would guess you were the sick one.”
She chuckled weakly, then continued, her tone reassuring, “I wouldn’t pay any mind to it, Gabe. I don’t feel terrible.” Hoping to ease her brother’s concerns, she gently removed his hand from her forehead and sat up in her bed, which let out a weary creak.
Rubbing her eyes and looking at her brother, it seemed like he had other things on his mind as well.
With her clearing vision, her brother’s countenance revealed itself. His skin bore the unmistakable hue of sun-exposure, a pale bronze which contrasted with his facial features.
He had stark black hair which, despite its untamed strands, held evident signs of care. His dull blue eyes, accented with a set of thin eyebrows, were in clear turmoil.
His hands were marred with callouses but were meticulously scrubbed clean along with his fingernails, creating a peculiar contrast between rough and well-kept.
“I would assume this means I missed work today?” She stammered out, her eyes darting to the side in guilt.
After a long pause, Gabe plopped down onto her bed and began to explain, ignoring the groaning of her bedframe. “Well, I was a bit confused when you didn’t show, but thankfully there wasn’t much of a punishment…”
“What do you mean, ‘not much’?” she interrupted, her voice cutting through his explanation in haste. “What happened?”
Another pause ensued, Gabe’s gaze remaining on his lap. “Alright.” He said as he gingerly removed his top, revealing his slim back. It was littered with thin lash marks that were visibly scabbing up.
Struck with disbelief, Maline uttered, “Who…” Stuttering and stammering, she continued, “Who did this to you?”
Sighing, Gabe lamented, “It’d be better if you didn’t know. You know what happens when we don’t show up to the fields, Maline,” Gabe's words carried a heavy weight of resignation. "This... it shouldn't surprise you."
Noticing his sister preparing to speak up, he reminded, “It’s better me than you, you know. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”
Maline scoffed with a smirk, “Do you think of me in such a feeble manner? Point out the Lord who wronged you and I’ll give them a taste of my fists!”
Pounding her fist into her open palm as a demonstration, it seemed that she was rather serious.
Putting his rugged top back on, Gabe quipped, “In that condition? You’re sweating bullets! I doubt those mitts of yours would do any damage!”
“I’m not as weak as you think I am, brother. I…” Maline tried to offer up another solution but was interrupted by her brother getting up and tucking her back into bed. His smile gradually vanished, his lips taking on a familiar pensive air.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“The fact of the matter, Maline, is that we can’t do much. We only have enough savings to last us a few days. Not enough for schooling, not enough for privilege, not enough for anything. All that we can do is continue working. You should know that assaulting one of our Lords would not help us in any measure.”
“I was only joking, I…” Maline stammered, trying to explain herself, only to be interrupted once again by her brother.
“Ideas blossom into action, and actions have consequences." Gabe's gaze bore into hers, his tone stern. "You've always been stubborn when you want to be."
Maline shifted in her bed. "Says you…" she muttered with a pout.
“Well, you’ve already slept through half of the day, you should rest to conserve your strength for tomorrow morning. I’ve still got a few things to do outside,” her brother said, matter-of-factly.
He began to walk toward the doorway, but there was no response from Maline as he closed her door.
She had already fallen into a slumber before his footsteps had time to fully recede. This was certainly abnormal behavior, and if her brother knew, she would be rushed to the nearest apothecary regardless of cost.
She dreamt once more. This time, of something different, but familiar all the same. It felt as if the din were behind her, that she was finally surfacing. Although the shore was far aloft, she was no longer drowning.
With her newfound clarity, she felt as if she could try to perceive more and instinctively tried to open her eyes. After a delay, she did. Or at least, that is what appeared to happen. She could feel more now, but it was not akin to sight.
With this perception came the realization that she could not really “feel” anything. There was no sense of touch to speak of.
This sent her into a panic. It felt as if she were paralyzed, able to “see” and hear, but numb to all else.
She tried to scream, but there was no sound. Was she still submerged? Was she capable of screaming? She did not know.
She was afraid, but couldn’t shield herself or assess her surroundings. As disquiet overcame her, she could feel the noise closing in on her from behind.
Anxiety quickly matured into dread as her panic ballooned, but soon, everything came to a halt.
There was a pause–it lengthened into a period that mere seconds could not count. Consumed with fear, she waited.
The deafening noise behind her began to subside, not because it was at a further distance, but because there was something more worrisome near. Within her scope of perception, she could feel a presence; one of unerring clarity.
It didn’t seem to be in very close proximity, but there was a distinct sharpness in its demeanor nonetheless. She was experiencing a terror that stemmed from her vulnerability. Every moment that passed made her feel more unsafe.
This silence was abruptly shattered by the noises behind her.
They re-engaged, attempting to envelop her once more, perhaps in hopes of trapping her forever. There were unknowns on both ends. As she was worrying about her rear, that lofty presence that she had sensed came streaming down.
In an instant, it was before her. Despite her lack of sight, she was blinded. All of her senses were being overstimulated, to the point that her mental defenses were toppled.
With a loud gasp, she woke up. Confounded once again, she immediately looked over to her window, relieved to find that the sky still held a touch of dusk. In confirmation of this, she couldn’t help but wonder what happened.
The details of her dream eluded her, but upon thinking about it, she found herself in fear. ‘Was this an omen of some kind? I can’t recall the last time I felt this exhausted.’
She felt horrible, but wouldn't allow herself to drift back to sleep. With abnormally weak motions, she removed her woolen blanket and pushed herself up into a sitting position, her legs dangling from her bed.
The act of rising only intensified her weakness, almost causing her to lapse into unconsciousness once again. Reaching out to her bed frame for purchase, she gripped as hard as she could, but due to her weakness, couldn’t hold and lost support in her spine.
Groaning, she slumped back down onto her back and decided to take in the view of her room as she waited for her strength to return.
The room seemed to spin with distorted perspective; chairs stood rooted to the ceiling, candles burned downwards. The initial sight left her confused and nauseous–until she realized her head was hanging upside down off of the other side of the bed. Gritting her teeth, she mustered the strength to roll over and corrected her orientation, taking another look.
Her eyes, jittering around in anxiety, were met with a familiar sight. To the right of her bed stood a short, well-worn wooden nightstand riddled with the marks of daily use.
Just a few meters from the foot of her bed was the stark end of the room, her bed separating the room into two. To the left of it was her window, a chair, and a very small dresser with a few candles nestled on it, burning silently in their small waxed-wood containers.
They seemed much shorter than she remembered them to be, their flames nearly submerged in molten wax.
Her personal belongings were all nestled inside of the dresser, neatly arranged. There wasn’t much, but she could call them hers.
After a few moments of fidgeting with her boiling nervousness, she felt that she could try again. With her regaining strength, she managed to stand up and began to walk out of her room. While closing her door, she thought that she should get ready for the morning early, to prevent any miscomings.
On her way down the hallway, she saw that her brother’s door was askew. With a cursory glance, she saw that he was fast asleep atop his bed. With a warm smile, she gingerly closed his door and made her way to the bathroom.
This room was similarly rugged, tailored solely to the essentials. Positioned beneath a wall-mounted spout on her left, there was a small water basin.
Above it hung a mirror, tarnished by time but still functional. To the right, a handle emerged from the wall, connected to an intricate arrangement of pumps and valves. Her fingers found the handle's grip, and with a practiced tug, she pulled down.
Muffled aqueous sounds could be heard from across the wall as the handle stretched taut and a drizzle of water poured from the spout into the basin. Interestingly, The basin itself was marked with measurements, its inner surface embellished with circular lines that mapped out different levels.
Observing as the water filled only the bottom two measurements, she reached for a paper and quill that were set aside on top of a cabinet to her right.
On this paper was scribbled line upon line of measurements and their corresponding dates and times. Most of them fell below a certain range, but some days exceeded that. She planted the paper neatly onto the wall and wrote “2 cups.” under the records of yesterday, next to the corresponding date, “6th of Gale, Barccidi. Sunset.” Putting the paper and quill back into their places, she began cleaning up.
These records were in relation to the plumbing system that was in place in the kingdom the siblings resided in.
Every half-month, they would hand these records over to a Lord and be given the sum that they were meant to pay. Due to the lack of fail-safes in place, officials resorted to these measurements, common sense, and fear-mongering. Anyone caught lying on their records would be subject to as harsh a punishment as “necessary”.
Having finished up, she briefly assessed her appearance in the tarnished mirror.
Dressed in much of the same attire as her sibling, she shared many similarities with her brother. Such as the position of her cheekbones, higher on her face than those of different ethnicities, and the shape of her nose, slightly upturned.
She had shoulder-length stark black hair and muddy green eyes, complimented by thicker eyebrows than her brother’s. Her skin was slightly lighter than her brother’s but still shared in that uncanny bronze. She was of relatively short stature when compared to her brother.
Her expression at the moment was one of confusion. She remembered that before her brother left, he said that he still had things to do outside. This was reasonable, as both of their work days almost always lasted well after dusk.
That was the crux of the issue, it was not very well past dusk at the moment, but her brother was fast asleep in his room!
“Did he take the rest of the day off? No, he was just punished, he would be called back to work immediately.”
Questions flickered in and out of her mind, and worry began to creep in.
Then, an idea struck her, and she reached out to the cabinet toward the paper with her still-wet hands. Planting her gaze onto her recent scribbles, she saw that there was a steady schedule of writing today by someone else, presumably her brother.
Looking back at the day that she wrote down, she took note of the times when her brother recorded his use of water. She confirmed that there were none around the time that he came home, and she remembered keenly that he seemed very clean when he came to console her.
They both worked in the fields, so this was unreasonable. She looked one line upwards, toward yesterday’s record, but there was nothing around this time on that day.
With a sigh, she looked up to the next line once again, and only the day before yesterday was there any usage of water around sundown. Normally, she would only look for any records of measurement before using the next line down, rarely looking at the dates printed neatly next to them.
Looking for a moment, she confirmed that it was two days ago, on Tiandi. As she looked down, she also confirmed that today’s date was Barccidi, the 6th day of the week.
This world followed an annual cycle split into two phases. Phase one was considered the colder phase, while phase two was centered on harvest and warmth.
Each phase was made up of three “months”, that sat with around 50-60 odd days in each of them. In phase one there was Daning, Frest, and Imber, while in phase two, there were Lumin, Harvest, and Gale. While the year was technically split into two, most viewed the phases as separate years in themselves that brought their own distinct benefits.
Making up each month was a seven-day week. The days, in order, were Aledi, Sonnedi, Unidei, Tiandi, Neptidi, Barccidi, and Barsiddi. The last two days were normally seen as off-days, which was a sentiment shared by the siblings.
If what she saw was correct, then she must have been asleep for two days. That could partially explain her weakness and why her brother was sound asleep at this hour.
As her thoughts raced, the implications of missing another day of work began to dawn on her.
‘Is Gabe okay?’ she thought, frantically putting away the paper and quill before darting out of the bathroom.
Immediately, due to her overexertion, she suffered a sudden, sharp headache. It felt as if the matter within her skull was being compressed.
She stopped in place and closed her eyes tightly, shivering in place due to the pain. As she had lost her sense of direction at this point, she attempted to open her eyes amidst the pain.
What she saw was yet another peculiarity; her surroundings seemed to be in motion, and the walls of the house were no longer a dull beige, but a rich chestnut.
Through her hazy vision, every object seemed to glisten in unnatural vibrancy. She wanted to dismiss it as a result of her closing her eyes too harshly, but as the colors began to refract and blend as if being rendered, her anxiety exploded as she let out pained whimpers, lifting her hands to obscure her vision further.
She collapsed to her knees, calling out to her brother as if he were right beside her, in a low, questioning tone.
“Gabe…?”
In response to the commotion outside of his room, Gabe immediately woke up.
“Maline!” He called out urgently as he rushed out of his door. Looking to his left, he saw a struggling Maline gazing into the wall. Immediately, he rushed toward her but halted for a moment.
His body was trembling. He seemed to be sharing in the experiences of his sister but in a less drastic manner. After a short while of catching his bearings, he continued. By this time, she had already collapsed and he was only a few feet away from her.
He bent down in order to get onto her level, but as he reached out toward her shoulder in consolation, he was interrupted by a voice. His sister spoke to him.
“Gabe…?”
His voice caught in his throat while hers held in the air for a moment longer than it should have.
He didn’t think anything of this, as he had stomped his way here.
“Yes, sis. I’m here.” He put his arms around her in an effort to calm her down, feeling her incessant shivering.
“You’re safe now.” He wasn’t sure what he had just experienced or what happened to his sister, but he held her in hopes that she would be okay.