An Eye For An Eye

The sun nervously hid behind the clouds, and the sky slowly cried as the winds whispered. A young girl hurriedly rushed home, her arsenic eyes fixed on the horizon and her long, lustrous, ruby hair flowing back desperately trying to keep up. “What would grandmother think if I were to be late again?” Before she knew it, she was standing under her grandparents' porch. Above her was a blood red fabric shielding her from the rain. It seemed as if the worst of the storm had already started, and an invisible parasol was just shielding her from it. Anxiously, she pushed back the wooden door inside, was her grandfather patiently waiting for her “Where have you been, Lilin?” he asked with a stern voice. “I was just picking some Amaryllis,” Lilin nervously answered, placing the woven basket filled with amaryllis on the table in front of her. Turning her face away, she headed for the wooden stairs there to her surprise was her grandmother, Glin. she had long sunlight hair, jade eyes, and syth like legs casting a long dark shadow down the stairs. “Get some rest. Remember, there is only one more moon away from the big game.” Lilin nodded as she went past her grandmother and into her bedroom. There in the center was a soft bed adorned with colorful fabrics and cloud like cushions. Feeling exhausted, she collapsed face first on the bed's soft mattress, drifting off into a dream. As Lilin slowly opened her eyes, she wasn’t awake, but she wasn’t asleep either. She was atop a bigger bed made out of kahikatea wood and covered with a thick fur blanket. It took Lilin a moment to process but when she did she let out a fearful scream it seems it was only in her head since she got no reaction, not even an echo from the massive wooden arches and reflective marble roof watching over her. A soft, gentle voice called out from the corner. “Lilin, listen, your grandparents care not for you. They only selfishly care for themselves. I may seem like the villain, but I'm not, I'm just trying to help you. You can't win! You're just not good enough, so don't even try.” Looking at her, Lilin realized she bared a resemblance towards herself; They both had long ruby hair and green eyes “Who are you!” she exclaimed, feeling a sense of uneasiness and fear. But no response left the girl’s mouth. Suddenly, Lilin felt a shake in her chest, and before she knew it, she was awake in her own room. “WAKE UP, you foolish, impudent little mongrel! Have you no soul in your body, have you died and gone to Rorohenga!” Looking down at her was grandmother with a furious scowl fixed to her delicate, pale skin. In the corner was her grandfather with a disapproving expression. “Get up, get dressed, and do your blasted chores!” he screamed, still having a disapproving frown. His tall stick-like legs headed towards the heavy wooden door, Glin tailing behind him. “SLAM!” The sound of the door slamming was enough to bring Lilin right up to her feet in fear. She was still processing if the dream was just a dream, or was it perhaps a warning? “Oh well.” she shrugged, feeling no worry whatsoever. Lilin shaking of the feeling wobbled down to her wardrobe, her hands searching for the same short copper dress she always wore and the jeweled clip she always adorned her hair with as if it was infused to her hair and part of her skull. A small, quiet voice then ascended from the living room “We need to push her harder if we want her to win” it was her grandmother. She had a worried tone, which was unlike her because she always spoke in a sure voice. “Worry not. win or lose our debt will be paid, and we will live together forever” A thousand questions flooded Lilin’s mind. What did her grandfather mean by debt? What was going to happen to her if she lost that caused her grandmother to worry? This time, she couldn’t shake that feeling, and she had to carry that feeling outside. Walking down the dirt and stone road, she felt as if she was a bird cautiously being stalked by a tiger “BOO” it was no tiger it was just her friend Maia attempting to scare her. Together they walked until they arrived at the court then they trained; Using their hips and elbows to keep the ball aloft as if it were a fragile bubble that would pop the moment it made contact with the ground. Soon, the hours turned into days, the days into weeks, and the seventh sun gave way to the month. It was game day. The crowd gathered around the court, their hands raised in cheering for their favorite players, claps echoed throughout the walls. Suddenly, a rumble shook the stone as one of the players stepped out. It was Theodore Johnson. His midnight black hair glistened in the light of the morning sun, and his eyes had only one goal; to win. Shortly after the crowd was at their feet, another player stepped in; it was Oliver Johnson who joined his brother Theodore Johnson in the court, his fist raised to the sky, and his feet held steady on the earth's soil. He, too, had one goal, and that was to win. Their ocean blue uniforms carried their pride, the red streaks carried their determination, and the white patch symbolised the clouds of their country. “Go Pyres!” The two screamed. Lilin then stepped out, the sun piercing her eyes the moment she set foot on the cold, hard stone but unlike the two she got no standing ovation, only a look of expectation from her grandparents spectating above and a slight shiver of worry down to her stomach. Before the game started, Lilin had time to prepare. As she sat down on the wooden bench, a familiar face emerged from the mirror in front of her “Hello Lilin, my name is Nil. Please heed my warning. You’re way too small and inexperienced to win. You had two moons to train while your opponents had way longer so turn back now before you get yourself hurt” Lilin now hurt by these words decided to walk out but to her surprise Nil grabbed her wrist; it felt cold as ice and lifeless as a carcass. Lilin snatched her hand back and headed towards the court. She made it just in time when the coach was explaining the rules. ”The rules were simple” said the coach “four players from each team would work in unison to keep the sphere of Rehua a heavy rubber ball made of tar in the sky and the first team to drop it would lose and they were only allowed to use their head, elbows and hips”. The whistle blew, and “war” was waged. Lilin played with all her strength, her knees heavily scratched on the rocky floor, her eyes blurred with fatigue and her skull on the verge of a concussion from countless hits. Running towards her was Nil reaching out her hand to Lilin “Lilin please your as clueless a lamb for s*******r you can't win this, Sinu and Glin know that” this time Nil spoke in a harsh voice, her eyes were fuming with anger and annoyance but Lilin still persisted. She ran faster, completely ignoring Nil and her warnings. It seemed everything was going to be fine, but It wasn’t until that final minute that her legs finally collapsed and her palm sweeped the dust filled court. They failed to notice her, and a ball was heading straight for her with the speed of a bullet perhaps faster “Help me…” she muttered but even though it was clear as rain that she was hurt her grandfather only turned his frail, hunched back and her grandmother only closed her weak eyes; no help came from them. Lilin could do nothing but turn away and wait for this nightmare to end.