The Bloodied Scriptures

Chapter 7: the Contest

The marketplace was crowded with beggars sitting on the dirty streets and people swarming around. I pushed through, a wave of slurs coming out of their mouths.

I took a load of bread and brought it to the shopkeeper. His beard was dirty and his hands were too, but I heard this was the food I could get with my money right now.

"8 pennies!" he spat, through his wooden teeth.
"8?! Here it says 3 on the sign!"
"Only 8 is a miracle for vermin like you bringing diseases to England!"

I slammed 8 pennies on the table and left.

I bumped into a woman in the crowd. I looked at her face, and she looked about a few years younger than me. She was of a darker skin colour than me, with rare purple eyes. I quickly turned away, but then felt a small hand tug on my sleeve.

"Hey! You're Heli, right?"

I looked back, to see the same girl smiling.

"Yes."
"I love your work! I've seen them before when they fell from the ground. Sorry for snooping."
"It's okay. Um, but do I know you?"
"Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Clara. I'm the mage in your class."
"A mage...I wasn't aware we had one."
"Well, we do! The one with Mr. Lyre at least."

I sat on the floor and invited Clara to sit.

"I-I'm good. The floor looks a little dirty."
"It isn't that dirty unless you don't go here often. Why are you here?"
"Did you already forget the festival?"

The Festival of Lights is a celebration of arrivals and accomplished events. Inspired by a celebration in South Asia, a story of a king coming back to his people, and the residents lighting up the city. The citizens of England don't really know much about the story since it is something from a foreign place, and there aren't many immigrants from that part.

Perhaps endings of stories, and there was a writing contest for it. A pretty unknown story was given out with everything written until the end. The writer's job is to write the ending, with their own creative style. The theme of the lights at the end. At least one aspect of light is written in a creative way.

"No, I definitely didn't forget."
"The greatest thing is that the contests of draws and other stuff are all anonymous, so regardless of status, someone will win something!"

She clapped her hands in glee and laughed.

"I'm going to enter the writing contest," I announced.
"Oh wow, I wish you luck!"
"Thank you."
"May I come with you?"
"Why do you need to ask?"
"I'll take that as a yes."

I ran up to the stand and grabbed a glittery mask from the basket. I put it on and set out into the carnival. Children ran around chasing each other and other people waited at the activity stands. The uplifting trumpeters played their happy tunes.

Towards the right, there were food stands filled with treats and freshly baked bread, straight from the oven, steaming hot on the pans. I walked over and grabbed a loaf of bread. I left the money on the stand and took a step. Just as I was about to reach a slice into my mouth, a pair of men pushed me to the ground.

"Want me to wipe that dirt off your face, scoundrel?" One chuckled.

I didn't look back and gritted my teeth. This mask will never hide the true colour of my skin. They approached me and punched me across the face. I sniffed and wiped the blood off my nose.

"Gentleman, shall we not disturb the peace brought on today?"

I looked over my shoulder to see a tall man standing over my figure. His eyes were a crimson red, which I could never doubt which pair belonged to.

Lilith grabbed the men by their necks and threw them into a tent. He walked over and I rose to my feet.

"Lilith."

He turned around, scrunching his eyebrows, biting the insides of his cheek. I approached him and creaked a forced smile.

"Don't do anything rash."

He looked away and sighed.

"Fine, if you wipe that fake grin off your face."

My smile dissipated, and I started to walk away. He ran to my side and followed me throughout the path dragging me into the middle of the carnival. I took a bit out of the steaming loaf, its texture soft and chewy and fresh aroma in my nose.

"So much for being outside society."
"Very funny. Why are you at the carnival anyway? You don't seem the type to go out."
"What, I can't have fun once in a while."
"Uh..."
"All jokes."
"That was a joke?"
"Yup."

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"See it's a good one."
"I'm only laughing because of how bad it was."
"I didn't ask."

I stopped in front of the wooden stand and slipped my hand into my rough leather bag.

"A writing contest, huh?"
"Yes, it is."
"You're going to win, Heli."

He patted me on the back and I took the rough papers out. I slipped them into the rusted slot and suspended them in relief.

"The results are going to be given out in about 4 hours."
"I'm going to vote for you. I promise."

I exhaled and stopped in my tracks. Putting my hand on his shoulder, I looked straight into his eye.

"Vote for what is the best quality of work, not the person."
"Alas, I know who is the best young writer out there, Heli. I have read many books in my life and never gone across something so surreal and touching in my life."

He leaned forward whispering into my ear.

"I read some pages of your novel, I would know."

He took my hand and led the way.

"Hey! How'd you get your hands on it?"
"Like I said, I'm a stalker. Now let's go amuse ourselves."

Little gestures, like taking me across the fairs and playing the games there is exactly what brings me closer to him. Maybe his entanglement of soft spoken words sprouted from his lips.

Bells tolled and I turned towards the noise.

"The contest winners will now be set! Let us see who has won."

I leaped a little on my toes in response.

"Clara, from the mage migrator family, has won the title of winner of the entire festival games!"

What a coincidence. Clara stepped on the stage, and a tiny smile grew on her lips. Maybe I did a little in response to see a kind person get up on the stage and wave to everyone, celebrating her victory.

I'll spare you the details. It was her moment not mine, so it really isn't my business. What is my business is my own victories from my own hard work.

Click. Approaching the stage.

Click. Grabbing my certificate.

Click. People holding my work and shouting my name.

Whispers in the crowd. Questioning their decisions based on what they see, but screw you. I won, you didn't. Go fuck yourself.

It was heavenly, and light, like the feeling in my chest.

I gripped his sleeve and let go, spinning with my head to the sky. My laughter echoed from my heart and I dropped to the ground in exhaustion. I got up and shook Lilith by the shoulders.

"I...can't...believe it!"

I hugged him and squeezed him tightly.

"Thank you for believing in me."

He lifted my hand gentler against his and smiled.

"How could I not?"

A smile and a smile returned. Heartbeats, slamming harder against my body.

"It's the first time I see you smile truly, joyfully."

Is it? How long since I gave a sincere grin? One filled with joy, to a person I appreciated the most. No, not in long. I looked back and lowered my eyes. I set off running in the distance.

"Heli? Heli! Wait!"