She closed her eyes and took more deep breaths, and as the thunder of her heartbeat slowed, the muted chants of the masses grew louder. Outside in the courtyard the body of sound was more distinct; Alizeh listened closely as voices rose and faded like the swells of the ocean, the sorrow in their songs giving way to hope, reaching a crescendo so epic she could suddenly hear the words clearly.
We cried until our eyes went blind
We lost our voices, too
We slept each night inside our graves
always in hope of you
Alizeh stiffened, her nerves forgotten.
Justice!
Justice!
For the land that once was ours
For the millions that were slain
For the rivers red with blood
For the centuries of pain
Slowly, she got to her feet.
For our parents in the ground
For the coffins that we built
For the tiny hands and quiet hearts
of the children who were killed
Her chest heaved. She felt as if her parents had stood up inside her and screamed.
Justice!
Justice!
For our eyes as they went blind
For the voices we lost, too
For each night we slept inside our graves
always in hope of you
Our armor is our hope
Our weapon is the truth
We sleep each night inside our graves
We pledge our faith to you
Alizeh pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, fighting back tears. There was a roar of sound as the chant ended, jubilant shouts and cries. She wiped desperately at her eyes.
“I must go,” she said, turning to face Omid. “Forgive me, but I must go to them now –”
