The Great One

So I'm bored at work. And I found a way to browse "in private". Which I hope means the boss doesn't have to know. Hehe.

Just because I'm not able to write an entire novel doesn't mean I can't treat y'all to some shorts. Well-- a short. Enjoy:


In those days, we couldn't imagine anything but pain. It was inconcievable to have a child born to our world that would not starve and know suffering. The ancient texts told tale of a once-yellow sun and bright skies, but most were believed to be fables by now. The one thing we still believed in, amazingly, were stories of the Great One; it was our one hope. We had waited for generations for the Great One to return, defeat the evil that kept us bound in darkness, and restore our world to prosperity.

But after years of waiting, I stopped believing. I could see only darkness, only hopelessness. As I looked into the eyes of my baby sister for the first time, so innocent and so pure, I felt nothing but anger. How could something so frail be destined to live the life in store for her? It was a miracle she had survived her first night. The same could not be said for our mother. It was a difficult pregnancy and a grim birth. Still as I held that newborn baby girl in my arms, I knew something needed to change. If the Great One would not return, I vowed to make things better myself.

Eleven years later, nothing had changed. We still lived in squalor, fighting for each breath. The evil that had held us in such a state had not weakened, but redoubled its effort. Many of us were tired of fighting. Too many failed rebellions led some to join the other side. We were not only fighting for our lives, but now we faced an all too familiar enemy: Each other. Though I tried my best to shield her, my sister witnessed horrors unlike any others I had experienced at her age.

She remained innocent. Or as innocent as a child living in our world could be. Her smile had dimmed, but she still believed in the Great One. Her faith was inspirational, though not enough to sway my beliefs.

And then, the towers fell.

"It's a sign!" she screamed as she ran inside from the fury on the streets. I had been repairing the outer wall of our home. She repeated the statement several more times before finding me outside, up to my elbows in the mud-paste I had fashioned for the repair. "Did you hear? The towers have fallen!! They've fallen, Haidren. It's happening, it's finally happening!" She threw her arms arms me, holding me tightly. In eleven years, I had not seen a smile as bright as that one. She looked up at me, her eyes searching for one glimmer of hope in mine. But there was only darkness.

Instead of rejoicing, I questioned her. "What are you talking about?"

Our father followed shortly behind her. In his hands he cradled a wrapped bundle. "It's true," he said as he unwrapped the bundle and revealed a scorched piece of stone. I couldn't believe my eyes. There in my father's hands was a part of the towers that had stood for so long, raining down nothing but destruction. I sank to my knees. "They said those towers were indestructable..."

"But the first sign! You remember the prophecy, Haidren."

I exchanged glances with my father. "They're only words, Rena."

"But it's happening. Right now!"

"It's true, son. People are rejoicing in the streets without fear. I've seen it for myself."

I turned back to the wall. "Those towers have stood for generations. No one's ever been able to bring them down. It's just not possible."