September 8, 2006

• Her name was Indulgence and her brother’s name was Coeur de la Monde.

  The rain had been falling for months now, and rather than wash away the
  city’s grime and sin, the rain brought them to the surface like oil.
  Roofs were starting to dissolve. At first, citizens tried repairs, but
  they were cosmetic; replacing soaked floors with tiles, repainting
  moldy walls, but the rain had fallen for so long that cares about the
  superficial beauty of the domicile dissipated.

  The children, Indy and Monde, ran through the city streets, slipping on
  the slick pavement. Their strides spoke of urgency – of running away
  rather than towards. Breaking through the door into a public bath
  house, they paused to catch their breath. The adults paused in their
  meeting and, seeing the fear that electrified the children’s faces,
  knew what they feared had happened.

  “Turn on all the showers!” yelled Senick. “Turn them all on to the hottest setting!”

  The roar of showers coming to life and the fog of steam that smothered
  them was overwhelming, disorienting. Indy stumbled but strong hands
  caught her, pushed her in one direction and then another.

  They were being lead through the bathhouse towards the back room, and
  all she could see were the feet of the adults around her. She
  recognized Senick’s sandals, trimmed with braids of leather and human
  hair. Following those feet, the shock of the cold, outside air was like
  a sharp wall.

  As the door closed behind her, she could hear screams and struggles.

  Whatever those people were after, they were willing to kill for it.

  • 11:55 am
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