The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

Two left feet

Liran was starving. His bag with the food in it was in the yurt. And of course Grandmother would feed him if he asked, but he couldn’t ask.

“Hannah, go and ask Grandmother for food,” he instructed his little sister.

“No!” she shot back at him, “You go and ask for food.”

Liran groaned. “Hannah, there is nothing to be afraid of,” he tried, weakly. He wasn’t so sure about that—she was harmless enough, but that girl might very well be the most dangerous person Liran had ever met.

Hannah was silent and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Aren’t you hungry?” he prodded, unwilling to give up. His stomach felt like a brixl.

She looked at him, her brown eyes wide. She nodded.

“Me too,”

The two of them had been hanging out with the goats all day. It was getting really boring. They’d already played every imaginable game that you could play with sticks and stones and straw. Not that it would be much better inside. Grandmother didn’t have games or anything nice to do. She’d just as soon send you on an errand—feed the goats, walk the goats, or collect some herbs. But still, there was food inside.

Liran’s stomach grumbled. He elbowed Hannah, who was lying next to him. “Come on, really Hannah, she’s not an Iddy. You don’t need to be afraid of her. There’s meal bars in my bag—all you need to do is go and get them. We could be eating a delicious meal bar right now…” he winked his eyebrows at her.

Her face was curled up, eyebrows furled, lips small and tight. “Then you go in there,” she said quietly.

Liran groaned, and stood up. The girl was stubborn. “Ayah, I’ll do it!”

“Really?” she exclaimed, jumping up with him, clutching his hand.

“What, now you’ll come with me? But you won’t go alone?”

She shrugged. “I’m so hungry, Liran.”

They climbed down the short ladder, careful to avoid any goat pellets on the ground, swerved around the goats that crowded them, closed the gate behind them, and made their way over to the yurt. Liran stood outside and listened. They were talking inside.

“What are you doing, Li—“

“Sh…” Liran whispered.

“And then… I killed her. Twisted her little head, just like a chicken. She died instantly.”

Liran was shocked—Grandmother spoke perfect Standard. What was she talking about?

“You killed your own baby!?” he heard the girl say.

What?! Liran thought. What is going on here?

Hannah saw his reaction and said, “What?” her eyes full of fear.

He grabbed Hannah’s hand, and walked her away, “Stay here and don’t say a word. Give me just a second.” And then he returned to listen. 

“…expelled me from the City, brought me back to Earth…”

Back to Earth? Liran was surprised. He’d always known that the Grandmother had more knowledge than most people—had she lived in the City when she was a child? If so, then maybe there was hope for Zahra.

Liran licked his lips and continued listening, but couldn’t hear anything.

He leaned in further, but it was silent.