A soccer ball bounced off her shins and rested on the walkway above the wall. A faceless boy stared at her and pointed towards the northern mountains. Kaiya’s gaze followed. In the distance, the water bubbled, speeding closer and closer to the wall, thickening and transforming into a rich, boiling expanse of blood.
On one side of the river, the giant stalks of lavender wilted, and on the other, the ground began to shake. A hollow clattering rang out over the field of dirt, and jagged shards of bone erupted from the ground, fed by the now-overflowing river of blood.
The boy who had kicked the soccer ball climbed onto the top of the ancient parapet and looked down into the river, before allowing himself to fall. Kaiya raced to the parapet and stood on her child toes to watch the boy disapp
