Untitled P3

Twenty years later…

 

“Verity! Verity! Dinner time!” The mother beckoning her daughter, laying two plates down at the table, a rather muddy Verity clambered in clumsy as ever, knocking everything over in sight. A tired mother exhaled and shot her a disapproving glare. “I’m sorry mum, I’m just so excited… I caught my first fish today!” The horror covered her mother’s face. “Verity, you know that’s a man’s role, if people in the town where to find out… Oh goodness! What would they think?”

Verity grew increasing nauseous of her mother’s primitive attitude towards her.

“I don’t see why I can’t know how too... we need to eat. There’s no male in our household!” “Stop this talk and behave how you should. That’s why I go to the market to buy the fish. I don’t want you fishing again. Do you hear me?”

Verity became angered, tossing her plate to the floor. Her mother remained silent and began to clean as Verity continued to rant on. “Verity you’re a young woman now, I understand you’re extremely opinionated but you have to keep it to yourself, you’ll end up be made an example of, you’ll get sent to the asylum like the others. But enough of that talk, tomorrow is feast day and it’s our duty to dress the tables and cook the meats, make sure you’re awake at five o clock this time! “She grunted and snuck out the door. Verity knew her mother would be obedient to the rules, so from that moment she vowed to herself she wouldn’t involve her mother in any of her activities again.

As she wandered around the town she peered into the windows of other families. All looked so happy, so comfortable with each other, it was all too sickly sweet for Verity.

“Why are all the families the same? Mother, father, son and daughter, same blueprint to every house.” This raised doubt in her mind. “Why am I so different? Is this why we live far out? Do people know I have no father or brother?”

And at this point a deep realization swept over her, she always felt different but it was never more apparent than no She’d been sucked into daily life, she stopped questioning things, she’d almost forgotten how too. She needed to know more but she knew she couldn’t rely on her mother to tell he the truth besides she would’ve told her by now. Something was not right. The darkness of night descended upon her as she rushed to get home. Curfew stated no woman should be out after nine o clock, but verity often ignored this disguising herself as a male. But today was different due to the unpredicted outburst with her mother she was unprepared. She began to flee as the last bells of curfew chimed. Her house was in visible distance. She was only going to be a few moments late not that would make a difference to her mother. She slinked through the door to the gentle snores of her mother asleep in her armchair by the fire. Verity placed a cover over her mother and tip toed up the creaky wooden staircase and ran herself a bath. She closed all the windows and locked the door allowing the room to steam up. She then lit a few aromatherapy candles her mother had bought from the market earlier that day. She slowly undressed herself, untying her hair from the day’s troubles, immersing herself into the boiling water. Her body relaxed, relieving the tension for those few moments, her breathing back to a state of peace, her mind free from questions, her heart released from the growing loneliness inside her. Enjoying her own company in the comfort of her own home, she started to regret throwing her dinner as her stomach growled. “Hopefully mother hasn’t thrown away her dinner… I’ll have to starve until tomorrow if not.” In that moment tomorrows tasks rushed to focus in her mind. So much to do and so tired of doing it each week, every year. She began to daydream of other lands far away from this town. Where equality is key for their prosperity and education free and encouraged. With faces not so beautiful but their minds nourished in worldly knowledge. “I wonder if there is such a place?” She stayed in the warmth of the water until it drained out, she put on her night gown, blew out the candles and searched downstairs for something to eat.

“You know it’s bad to eat before bedtime!”

“Mother, you startled me, I thought you was asleep!” Verity continued to blend up leftovers into a soup. “I didn’t eat earlier, besides I need my nutrients for tomorrows work, is there any bread?” Her mother sighed. “There’s rolls in the pantry make sure you clean up after yourself!” Verity demolished her food in a flash. “I’m off to bed Verity, remember five o clock!”

Verity waited for her mother to clamber up the stairs, her mother seemed drained and distracted. Something had been brewing for a long time now. Verity could sense it in the air. The atmosphere in the town had become anxious over the past year.

As night fell, Verity laid awake in bed listening to the harrowing winds outside shaking the window panes. The moonlight shone through the curtain, the purest white light you’ve ever seen, tonight was a calm but chaotic night, the sounds of breaking branches kept Vee awake.

“Please! Bloody weather, I’ve got to be up in five hours!”

A quiet anger overcame her body, the ground below began to shake violently, blood pumping through her veins. Something was happening to her, she arose from her bed fixated on the full moon. It started to pour down with torrential rain, solar flares flew across the sky, fire spread throughout the forest, cries started to fill the air. A deafening ringing noise tortured Verity’s mind bringing her to her knees.

“Verity! Verity!” Her mother panicking as she burst into Vee’s room. There was a fire in Verities eyes, one her mother had never seen before, not for a long time anyway. “Don’t come near me mother!” She froze on the spot, worried what harm she could cause. Sweat poured down her forehead, her hands trembling. “What’s happening?” Her face grew pale as her energy drained instantly from her body. She collapsed to the floor, her mother frantically rushed to her side, scooping her up in her arms as she did the day she was born, twenty years ago…

The weather resumed to its normal state, but this time the smell of fear lingered in the air.

“Young child, I feared this would happen. The time has come, the war has already begun. I should’ve seen this coming.” Her mother sat by her side until she awoke in the morning. The birds began to sing and the town hall chimed. In that instant Verity woke up. “Mother we’re late... quick!” They both scurried around getting ready for the days labour

 

As they left the house it was apparent what damage had been caused. The devastation she had done. “I thought I was dreaming?” Her mother shot her a look of concern.” And that’s what you’ll remain to say, no one must know what happened to you last night, for your safety, please promise me?” Vee confirmed. “Carry on as normal... got it.”

Crowds formed by the town hall, people where in a state of panic, questions began to stick around like a bad smell.

“Ladies and Gentleman… please SILENCE!” Berlam commanded fiercely. “We are aware of lasts nights’ events and have concluded it to be a freak weather occurrence, nothing to worry about I can assure you!” For the first time in a long time there was disbelief in the elders, it was only Verity and her mother that knew they were covering up. Berlam ushered everybody back into their routines swiftly. “Continue as normal... the feast must go on!”

Meanwhile, inside the town hall, all nine elders gathered in a heated discussion. “Twenty years ago we witnessed the same occurrence, both events completely the same, what did we miss? I’ve recorded and reported any males action, every birth, every death… nothing!” The anger in Berlams’ voice continued to grow, it made the rest extremely uneasy. “Permission to speak my lord?” All conversation halted and all gazed upon Prema. “Maybe it isn’t male? Legend says a man from an outer town. what if we are wrong?” A glass from the outside hallway smashed interrupting her speech but when investigated nothing or nobody was there. “Quiet! We cannot risk the public knowing the truth, we will meet at midnight, until then not a word to anyone! Last thing we need is a resistance now!

As the day went on the less the public wondered, back to daily life, so easily done, like they’d been brainwashed or got amnesia suddenly. The evening’s entertainment started as planned, children played in the lake, mothers singing and fathers drinking. Verity sat at the edge of the dock away from the others contemplating about what her mother had said previously. Overhearing the elders earlier she knew something had been kept hidden away from all of them for a long time now, a curse had arisen upon this town. Within the perfection that had been conjured by the elders was a darkness so powerful, it erased all memories, preventing all change, dissipating their true history. She knew she had to do something …But what?

 

Reviews

[Agyani]

Hi
I see that you've got a proper story in mind, but you need to check the narration and grammar. You can use free tools like Grammarly to iron out the basic errors and also see what you got wrong so that you don't make the same errors again!
Once the basic syntax is handled, the story will improve a whole lot more, I feel.
I like how you've named her Verity. Nice touch there! :D