Heavy rain boots sank into the wet forest bed, making slushing sounds as Leilani led her men forward. The storm had done more damage to her city than she had ever envisaged.
She tipped her head as a few birds took to the sky, their wings outstretched, as though fleeing from a place that could no longer shelter them.
The city was in ruins. It looked disintegrated and depressed. Adults and children trudged through the waterlogged streets. Men in helmets moved, searching through demolished buildings, pulling the dead and wounded out.
An ache settled deep in Leilani's chest. For her people. For her land.
They had appointed her as their leader and queen yet she couldn't give them the reprieve they sought from their enemies.
Neighbouring city leaders had failed her. Those who once promised loyalty and support turned against her without warning. She would not let such acts go unanswered.
It seemed there was no salvation anywhere.
She'd stood her ground against their harassers, locking down the borders and ordering her soldiers to hold the lines.
They mocked and threatened a harrowing disaster that would turn the people against her.
It came as a storm.
It took the city by surprise and raged for three days before finally relenting. They salvaged very little. The defeated looks of the women and children tore at Leilani more.
She climbed onto a rock in the middle of a swampy stretch that had once been a children's park and screamed, letting out her rage into the air.
The sound carried to every corner of the city. The people working hard at the rescue paused to listen and shook their heads. Children whimpered and clung to their parents.
Something caught Leilani's eyes as the scream died in her throat.
“Look!” a young girl whispered, pointing towards the centre of the swamp. She didn't wait for permission from her queen before stepping into the filthy water.
Leilani's eyes followed the girl keenly as she waded through the swamp, the water rising up to her waist.
At the centre of the swampy area, the girl softly tapped a purple flower barely sticking out of the water and grinned. “See, ma'am! A flower.”
The men behind Leilani, disgruntled, urged her to turn back and leave the swamp. She raised her hand, silencing them, her eyes shining with tears at the sight of a blooming flower rising from the filth.
This was defiance. A way forward.
Perhaps there was salvation after all and it would come at a cost. And surely, she would pay it to save her people.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "no salvation".
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Image credit: Public Domain Pictures
