THE OMEN GIRL | Wattys 2020 Winner

𝟏𝟏

I am running, still running, my feet thud thud thudding.

To my right, the metal teeth of the city screeches by me, and by me, all railings and walkways and signs and smoke. To my left, the ocean sector sweeps. The vastness of its waters is something like loneliness.

I keep running.

I slip and stumble, and to catch myself I slam into a streetlamp. It's the only thing holding me up. I tear my veil and mask off of me. My omen stain still protrudes like stone from my shoulder, and my gasps are metallic things, blood-iron on the tongue. I do not know if it is possible for lungs to bleed from running too hard, for too long. It does not matter.

It hurts.

It does not matter.

The sun has set. The sky above is a somber blue, and the stars are shading in. Waning light clings to the horizon, and here, there, the streetlights are blinking on.

I don't know what to do. I don't even know what's happened.

I drew a starsong, arah'avah, around Roaz. I drew the omen stain onto his skin. I did not even think that was possible.

My own stain bubbled out of control because of my emotions, or maybe because of the starsong I drew. Pea saw my stain. Naqi saw my stain.

I didn't look at their faces. I didn't dare to.

I'm trembling.

What do I do now? Where do I go? Who can I turn to?

Esp will want nothing to do with me. I've failed her. I'm no use anymore, no good, no good at all. The temple – maybe they'll send people after me. Not only am I an Omen, one that entered a holy space, but I've caused an omen. They'll look for me, and take me, and like those other Omens that entered the House of Stars during the Joining, I'll be executed.

Footsteps, running footsteps, thud loud and louder behind me. My heart drops. Panic opens up in me, swallows me whole, and my stain bristles. They're here. I have to run. I have to hide. I don't want to die.

I push from the lamppost and turn to see, to see who has come for me.

Wheezing, groaning, hands on his knees, is Naqi.

He's the one that's come for me. Alone, in the dark, in the jagged bowels of the city. I don't understand.

"Lumi," he pants.

I say nothing. Is he going to attack me? Does he have a whistle-sling on him? No. He has nothing on him, no anchor and no star. I don't know how he's managed to keep up with me all this time, all this time of me trying to lose myself.

I move away from him.

"Lumi. Please. Stop."

I turn and step down the street. I keep going.

"Lu." And this time, Naqi comes close enough to take hold of my hand. He tugs.

I wrench against him. He tightens his grip. I throw a blind punch, and he jerks back far enough that he is not stunned, though my knuckles clip him over his lip and chin. He grapples my arms even as I punch and punch, and when my blows do not connect, I kick. I rail. My heartbeat roars in my ears. I'm shouting, I realize.

"Khab," I spit. "Let go. Let go me. Zap off. Zap off!"

Naqi winds his arms around me instead, to keep me from thrashing. He traps my arms in his hold. Somehow, from his body to mine, I can feel the rhythm of his heart, a rhythm like desperation.

I don't understand what he's trying to do. I don't understand what he wants. I could use my omen stain to push him off, to run away, far far away, but he's holding me still and anchoring me down, and within the weight of his embrace, my violence is sapped from me.