A gray bird glided overhead. The night was dark, but the bird’s head was white and easily seen. I realized that it was the same bird as the one that was in the bush earlier. Suddenly, some dirty, gruff person with a cage reached up and captured the bird, and stuffed it in their hand-held prison. The bird beat its wings on the cage door, but it was locked shut. It couldn’t get out.
I woke up in a sweat and realized that I had only been dreaming. Lying back down, I fell into the blanket of sleep and dreamed once more.
*
The next day, the town crier had some very bad news. “Prince Absalom has been abducted! Stings have captured Prince Absalom! Be on the look-out for Stings!”
I asked a village woman, “What is he speaking about?”
“On the Prince’s way back home, his chariot was ambushed, and he was captured. They are keeping him for ransom, demanding the return of the key to the MTGYA for the life of the Prince. Now the alarm has been sounded to beware the Stings. As if we needed a reminder…”
I rushed home to tell Mother the news. Does this have anything to do with what Sibeal Rori said?! I shivered. Who knows what the Stings would do to him? They had no human feelings of mercy. The very thought of it made my skin creep.
They wanted the key to the MTGYA, the Machine That Gives You All. The MTGYA is a machine that was built less than a generation ago. It gives the user total control over everyone. But it is said to require a key, which is good for us because the Stings have taken the machine to their lair, wherever that is.
*
After a time at home, I went down in the cellar to fetch Mother the honey and another bag of flour for her cooking. Everything was dusty down there. I got the honey, and then strayed a little to gaze at my bow, remembering the soft twang under my fingers as I released the arrows. I hadn’t been able to practice with it since the first frost, but I loved to look at it any way. Without really deciding to take that up too, I swung it over my shoulder and went to get a flour bag.
When I lifted the bag, however, I saw something shine a little. Picking it up, I noticed it was a semi-precious stone, a gem. I carried all of this back up the steps, sliding the stone in my pocket. I might b able to sell it for a small price, and maybe purchase Joy some more perfume as an apology.
In the kitchen, Mum was making pastries for desert. I gave her the items she had asked for, and went back to my room. Setting the bow next to my sling of arrows, I took out the stone and dusted it off. The surface glistened and sparkled. It was a deep, clear red, and seemed to emit radiance from within, like a perfectly shaped drop of maple honey, only the glow wasn’t golden, it was a red, silvery light. I don’t know why I didn’t tell Mum about it, but I put it back in my pocket, as I decided to take a short nap in the extra time before dinner was served.
*
The captured bird had stopped fluttering. Instead, it just sat; appearing bewildered and unbelieving that it had been caught. After some time it started shrieking. Then I realized it was screaming at me. I whirled around, but it was too late. A venomous face sneered at me as its hands seized me, and I was captured, too.
I woke up with someone’s hands wrenching at my hair, clothes, and arms. I screamed, but a gag was in my mouth, blocking the passageway of my breath, and the sound was muffled. Whirling around, I saw a handful of shady women with their hair cut exactly an inch above their shoulders. Their eyes looked unmerciful and unemotional, their pupils larger than life, and where the whites of their eyes should have been, there was silver. In between the black and silver was thin line of red, and no other color showed. It hit me like an arrow. They were Stings.
1
Adding your comment: