Perdita
‘Ari RUN!’
Arimantha woke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding nearly out of her chest at the old nightmare. That particular memory loved to make an appearance anytime she closed her eyes. Arimantha couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a decent nights sleep. Her body ached with a bone- deep tiredness that wouldn’t ease with stretching. Well, that’s what happens when you fail to save your family and everything you loved in one night, she thought. You don’t sleep. You just relive it every time you have a moments peace. As Ari sat up and scanned the room, she noticed through the pale light filtering in that she was the only one awake. A flash of anger sparked through her and Ari clenched her fists, pressing them to her sides to gain control. Fear was the root of this anger. Whilst Arimantha struggled to sleep, it seemed her company did not share her plight. Closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath she decided waking them all now in a fit of rage might make her feel better in this moment. But she would regret it later, especially if Tali had any say in the matter. Cas stirred next to her at that moment, so Ari decided to move outside before her restlessness woke the entire room. An exaggeration really, there were only five others, her dear easy-going Cassian included. The twins slept against the far wall, Aadi and Aadil holding hands as Ari imagined they had in the womb. Talia and Leif curled close under the mantle, both for warmth and comfort. Ari once wished she could share a love with Cas like Tali and Leif had. Just so she didn’t have to feel so alone. But Cas was Ari’s closest friend, her rock all the same. They had all lost their world together. Their families taken by the same evil. The Malum, dark spirits that had burst through the earth and plagued their world for the past ten moon cycles. They had lived without their families for almost as long as they’d had lived with them now. The Loriet, Arimantha’s tribe, along with the Caeli tribe that Leif belonged to, were the first tribes to be attacked. Most thought this tactical as they were the strongest tribes. This however, brought the terrifying thought that the Malum had been studying them before the attacks. The Alrim, Cas’ tribe, fell soon after. There was no fighting back in the first wave of attacks. How did you fight something you never knew existed? That moved like a shadow in the night, bringing its own terrifying cloud of darkness? The answer is that you don’t. Most screamed, ran and just tried to survive the night. The Loriet tried their best to fight back against the unknown force. To give the other tribes time to escape. Their sacrifice worked. That is why most believed Arimantha to be the last of the Loriet, whilst large portions of other, less threatening tribes, remained. Ari’s sisters voice pierced through her head like an alarm bell. She couldn’t help but see it as a warning, no matter how many times Ari woke to that same command. It was as if her sister was still trying to protect her.
