Seda approached the sofa and straightened a throw pillow. Then, unsure of what else to do, she grabbed a small toweland wiped the kitchen counters, removing the thin layer of dust that covered them from the opening of the shattered window. She cleaned her way around the apartment, keeping busy as she waited for Cahir’s return. She kept glancing at the clock every thirty seconds and watching the door, hoping it would swing open and she’d be met with his dimpled smile.
Time passed slowly as she worked. When she had nothing left to clean, she sat on the couch, cringing internally at the thought of messing up the perfectly straight fabric, and stared at a photo of her and Cahir on the table beside her.
She picked up the frame and looked at it closely, remembering the day. Cahir was looking down at her with a wide grin, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She was making a disgusted face as he held a fermented egg toward her lips. Her hair was down that day, blowing in the wind and sparkling in the sun. She noticed a black bird behind her in the photo, as if it had just landed and perched on a tree. She looked more closely at the bird with an azure-tipped beak. How strange that it looked like the one who scratched her and broke the window.
She wondered how many black birds shared that peculiar coloring.
She felt a pinch in her pocket and pulled the red piece of paper. She had forgotten about it.
Who are The Rising?
It couldn’t be Joro’s government officials or advisors since it addressed the food issue. And the dome is weakening? The dome was the only thing keeping them safe from the horrors outside.
If the dome falls…
The thought was too overwhelming.
She placed the letter on the side table next to the photo and stood up. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pot to make rice for dinner. While it cooked, she peeled a banana and pressed thepeel to her nose, inhaling the scent. The delicate aroma reminded her of the peel stuck to Cahir’s face, and she smiled at the memory.
After she ate dinner, she tidied up the kitchen and went to the shower.
Curfew alarms blared out across the city.
Seda froze as a sudden feeling of loneliness washed over her, like a cold, forgotten cup of coffee left on a table. She fought to contain a sob as her hand covered her mouth. She glanced back into the living room, her gaze locked on the door, still waiting for him to walk through.
Cahir had not made it home before the curfew.
Her eyes stung as she turned on the shower, watching the cold water stream out slowly. She numbly undressed, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
She stepped into the water and began scrubbing her body until it burned.
The ground trembled violently, and Seda slipped on the wet tile. She fell, and the slippery soap flew out of her hands just like her hope had moments before.
The loud sound of the dome wailing pierced the air, and the earth shook again and again. The apartment walls quivered, and dust fell around the bathroom with each quake.
For the first time in her life, the Jotnar were attacking the dome while she was alone. She curled into herself as the cool water splashed against her red skin.
Her heart beat like a heavy drum, her body clenching tighter with each attack.
I am alone.I am alone
I am… alone
She sobbed as another violent tremor shook the room. Her lungs seized, as if grasped by invisible hands.She pressed her hands to herhead, and a muffled scream echoed in the shower, the sound trapped between her clenched teeth.
The monsters were about to break down the dome at this rate, as the red paper had warned. Seda had never felt the force of their attack on her home so strongly before.
What would she do if they did? She had nowhere to go and no protection.
Gradually, the ground stopped shaking, leaving her surrounded by the same quiet, empty space. The cold water dripped onto her, echoing off the hollow walls of her chest.
Her body began to tremble.
She stayed there, shivering but motionless, until the hard floor began to ache against her hip and her skin started to wrinkle from the splashing water.
She slowly took a deep, agonizing breath, sat up, and reached for the shower knob, turning the water off.She placed her hand back on her lap and sat there, staring down at her fingers.
Drip… Drip… Drip…
