A heavy sense of resignation settles deep, as I bow to the inevitable truth: there is almost nothing left to cling to.
He pulls again, but this time I don’t resist.I watch the remnants of my life shrink until they’re nothing but needles within a haystack.
* * *
The Hollow greetsme with noise and smoke.
Giggles float in the air as children run through the waste-filled streets like they’re lush, floral fields.Not a care in the world for their unfortunate conditions, their naivety might be infectious—if I wasn’t being marched to my fate.
But the moment gazes land on us, conversations choke, feet shuffle away, and faces vanish into doorways.
Whispers of those remaining cut through the silence like knives.
“It’s her—the girl with the shadows,” a greying woman mutters to someone who appears to be, her husband.
“Let the Luminaries deal with her, we don’t need another war,” he offers in reply.
“She might be?—”
“Ssh woman!”The man snaps, trying hard to keep his voice contained, but to no avail.
I bite my tongue until I taste blood.Every step is agony, unrelenting and shameful.For years, I’ve kept myself apart, living a life of solitude for fear of being ridiculed for being different.And here I am, having it displayed willingly for all to see.
Da would be ashamed.
I wrench against the bindings, the shadows mirror my struggle down below; writhing at my feet, desperate for escape.They hate the attention just as much as I do.The moment they brush the glowing runes, they recoil in a hiss of smoke.I bite back a cry as the burn sears into my skin.
My discomfort does nothing to the stranger, as he pulls his reins tighter, his mouth curling into a lazy smile as his gaze tracks those surrounding us.
“Please…you don’t have to do this,” I hiss, my voice wavering from the pain I desperately want to release.
He glances back, his spectacles lowering slightly at the motion as his silver eyes turn cold as winter.“Oh, but I do.”
With tear-filled eyes, I look out to the gaunt faces lining the streets as I make my walk of shame.A sea of downcast faces stare back at me; glassy eyes glisten with unshed tears, furrowed brows of those who avert my gaze, children’s vacant expressions remain devoid of emotion as my world crumbles around them.
A woman stands with her daughter pulled in close, the corners of her mouth pulled down at the sides, her lip quivering with unspoken words.
“Please…” I whisper, my hands reach out as if she holds the key to my freedom.She blinks back tears as she shakes her head, grasping tighter to her child.
“I beg you…” my mouth forms the words silently, careful not to let a single whisper escape.A tear shines in the lantern light as it drops down her cheek, creating a pale, stark line against the mask of filth.
The streets narrow as we push deeper into the centre of the Hollow, towards the Lantern Market.The scent of spices and broth is usually a welcome aroma, but not today.Today, I can’t think of anything worse than heading through this bustling market in chains.
Barked orders, pots and pans clanging, and the rhythmic scuffing of countless feet on pavement, all stop the moment I’m dragged to the edge.A collective hush falls over the crowd like a heavy curtain, leaving only the sounds of hissing oil, and the crackling of fires to fill the silence.
The stranger pulls me forward with enough force that I drop to my knees.Pain lances up my legs, as the stone bites into my skin.A sob threatens to tear free, but Yara’s voice echoes in my mind;fear is a tool, make sure you’re the one holding the hilt, not the blade.
People gather around to watch the monster in chains, as the stranger looks down his nose at me.Their murmurs a dim chorus of voices blurring into a single, living entity of sound.
His head swivels as he takes in every face.“This—” he points to me.“—this is what happens to those who are marked by the shadows.You can hide, but we will always find you.”The leather around his hands squeezes tight as his fists clench around the chains.“Now, be gone!All of you.”
The crowd disperses, scampering away like the rats that infest our world.A shiver runs down my neck and into my spine as words scrape the inside of my skull.
Get up.
The world swims and warps, reducing to a watercolour painting viewed through rippling glass.I wipe my face with my bound hands, as I bite down on my teeth.My knees grind against the rough stone as I fight to gain leverage, my legs trembling with the effort as a wave of pain washes over me.
People keep their distance, pretending to go back to their daily trading, but I see the furrowed brows, the mournful eyes.Yesterday, I was a nobody, a flicker in their peripheral vision, a blur of motion quickly forgotten.Just another girl with a sick brother who wanted nothing more than another day with him.
