MF1.0 - 37 - Void

The laughter had subsided somewhat, drowned in the cries of anguish, screams of protestation and the roar of the void.

''The world was going to end, and there was nothing anyone could do. No hero could save them, no bargains could be made, no legend would help them.''

''A week to the hour after the god had begun to laugh, the void had opened up. It was giant black gaping maw in the middle of the world. It a pit into nothing or into everything – which, when seen from an objective point of view are the same thing.''

''‘I still don’t understand,’ Mela said as she stirred in Astrin’s arms. He kissed her on the head and sighed.''

‘No one does, it’s unfair.’

''‘The dead do not come back. Not after they pass through the cold lady’s realm.’''

‘Gods are different Mela, they’re a different kind of life to us.’

‘The dead aren’t meant to destroy.’

''He shook his head. ‘The dead always destroy Mela, always. The dead destroy friendships, families, communities, marriages, lives. The dead can have more impact on the living than the living can.’''

''She buried herself deeper into his chest. ‘That’s not making this any better.’''

''The baby stirred within him. ‘What do you want to call him?’''

''‘Him?’ Mela asked. ‘I thought you asked the doctor not to tell you?’''

''‘Mysteries can only stay that way for so long. The underside of my stomach turned green this morning.’''

''Mela hemmed and hawed for a moment, while stroking his belly. ‘Natenal,’ she said.''

‘Your grandfather?’

''She gave a nod. ‘Is it all right?’''

''The baby stirred again. ‘I believe he likes it.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘I just hope that when he…’ he heard her clap her hand over her mouth. ‘He’s not going to grow up is he?’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘The dryad said the Starbright god will take care of him. It is better than nothing.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''She stood and walked to the window, her naked form beautiful in the moons’ glow. He stood and followed her over. ‘We could go to the void.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''Her expression turned to horror. ‘I want to see my baby, at least once, I don’t want to…’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘It’s not death,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ve was told that it isn’t death.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''She turned to him and shook her head. ‘It is death Astrin. The cold, the dark, what else could it be?’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘A chance.’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘That’s a story!’ she shouted. ‘You can’t…’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘Trianna did.’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''This stopped her anger, and she gave him a confused expression. ‘Who?’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘She runs one of the markets. The old lady who wears a hood because she was burnt? She’s not burnt, she’s not from this world.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘Astrin…’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘I am telling you this, because I want to give you the option. It is one chance in a million, but if you would rather take it than sit here and wait to die, then…’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘What would happen to us?’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘I don’t know, she said no one can know. You fall and fall and fall, sometimes you land, sometimes you simply pass into the death you believe it is.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘We’d be aliens.’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘I’ll go first.’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''She shook her head. ‘No, I won’t…’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘You have to…’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘I won’t let you take my child!’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘Then we stay. We will watch our world dissolve around us, our child will come into the world long enough for him to smile, then we all die.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''She looked at him as though he had grown an extra appendage. ‘How can you be this cold?’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘I’m sorry.’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘No you aren’t.’ She stared out the window, then deflated a little. ‘We’ll go together.’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">‘Mela…’

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''She looked up at him and her expression told him there was no changing her mind. ‘Is this what you want to do?’''

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">He stood silent for a long moment, then nodded.

<p style="color:rgb(189,190,190);font-family:Verdana,'CenturyGothic',Tahoma,sans-serif;line-height:normal;">''‘Then it’s what we’ll do. Together.’''