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ThomastheRayThomas Ray
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--------6--------

Win woke in the dark, before Tessa. Silently, she donned her kneepads and shoes, crawling toward the exit with as little sound as possible. If she could find her way now, before Recitation, she might be able to find Jal. She might be able to--

"Win, what are you doing?"

Win froze.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tessa said. "You can't leave yet, Mother hasn't signaled yet. Sleeping isn't--"

"Oh, why not?" Win asked, heart like a drum in her chest. "Why can't I leave?"

"Win, you can't." Suddenly Win heard the sound of Tessa's voice, not the words. "It's not... You can't. Stay here."

The fear behind Tessa's words froze Win. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came.

"Win, go back to sleep."

----------------

After an eternity of waiting, Mother did signal. the light trickled into the cavern and Tessa lit her torch.

"Someday soon," Tessa whispered, "You will receive a torch and the responsibilities that go along with it. If you don't get a torch, you can never become a mother. If you ruin your chances of becoming a mother, you will be sent away." She fell silent. Somehow, the silence meant more than what Win knew she was thinking.

The sisters exited their cavern, following a few paces behind Mother as everyone gathered. just outside the entrance to the big cavern, Mother stepped aside to let Tessa in, but raised an arm to stop Win. From the darkness of the hood, a hoarse sound became words.

"Child. I must speak to you. I will come for you tonight. Do not draw attention to yourself."

Tessa's insides writhed. Had they somehow heard that Win had tried to leave? The Darkness hears all.

Mother's arm fell, and Win rushed past her, into the gathering. Recitation happened normally. Eating passed without sight of Jal, and Win somehow let herself ignore his absence. Fear was now hanging over Win's head, threatening to fall. The ceiling felt like it was getting closer, the walls slowly closing in.

Another bite of Venison stopped the sensation.

Author Notes: These are getting really short, but I'm not sure how to fix that.

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About The Author
ThomastheRay
Thomas Ray
About This Story
Audience
All
Posted
28 Mar, 2020
Words
347
Read Time
1 min
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Rating
5.0 (1 review)
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