When he found me, I was neck-deep in a swamp, slimy greenish scum flowed across the surface of the water. Clumps of it stuck fast to my neck and cheeks.
I had no control over my descent though I wished it was on the dusty ground rather than the murky water.
“Hey! You okay?” He shouted from the edge of the swamp, his knuckles whitened by his grip on the cracked boulders lining the murky water, built to keep it from spilling into the small village.
He looked fit and young, no older than eleven. His hair was jet-black and cropped short. His golden-brown eyes set against smooth, olive skin that reminded me of the ohgki fruit back home. My mouth watered in that moment despite the nauseating odor from the water, wrestling to overwhelm my senses. My mind held on to the memory of the sweet, juicy fruit instead, as I thrashed to keep myself afloat.
Yet I couldn't take my eyes off him. A warm golden light glowed from within the centre of his body, the quiet hum only I (and others of my kind) could hear.
Two men ran from across the road to see what the commotion was about. They appeared mundane; there was no glow from within them. I turned my gaze back to the boy, the hum pulling me in. I stretched my hands towards him, eyes pleading, for help.
As they pulled me out, my hands holding onto the long plank they slid onto the water, I shuddered and climbed out to stand close to the boy.
“How d'ye fall ‘nto the swamp?” One of the men asked, a frown marring his otherwise handsome features. “Ye from this side of the coast?” I ignored him and turned to the boy instead. One word out of my mouth would have given me away.
I was on a journey across worlds, not for myself but for my Thalara, the one who birthed me and my kin. And this village called to me. Seeing this boy with the humming glow, I wondered if he might be what we needed to survive.
“I can take him home to my Pa,” the boy said with a smile at the men, the lilt of his voice gentle and pleasant. “Won’t want him to catch a cold.” I nodded, shifting close to him as my body began to tremble, an icy feeling sipping into me.
“Hurry then, Yamini,” they said.
He held out a hand and all I did was stare at the soft pink of his palm until he chuckled and reached further to gently take my hand. That was when I looked into his eyes, locking onto the glow inside of him.
He smiled and we walked to his home together.
[To be continued]
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "butterfly effect”.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
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