Flash Friday - Pyramid

If you follow me on social media then you know that I received the final round of edits on Ashael Rising this week. I also received a design questionnaire to work on the cover design for the book and all the text that belongs there. So needless to say, I'm a bit swamped this week. I had intended writing a piece with the prompt that I got two weeks ago - I even have the shape of the story in mind. Alas, I ran out of time. Instead, I decided to share Pyramid with you this week. I wrote this piece for a competition. Pyramid placed in that competition but unfortunately the journal folded before publication. I hope you enjoy it, please do feel free to leaver me your comments and prompts for future stories.

Pyramid

I was there, you know. The day He fell. I was just a girl then, not the wrinkled old woman you see before you now. I saw Him fall from an empty sky.

He didn’t look much like a god. Just a scruffy boy, ‘bout the same age as me. Nuthin’ much to look at. Knew He was a god all the same. Fall woulda killed Him, otherwise. Just a red splat on the ground. Of course, you folks over in the valley already had your wolf-girl. No need for another god. So He was ours.

Had a thing about triangles, He did. So we started building a pyramid for Him. You know, that one over there? The one you tried to set fire to last night? Well, it’s taken a long time but it’s nearly finished now. Your fire didn’t do much to harm it, silly little thing that it was.

Why did you do it? Did your wolf-girl send you over? No? How about that High Priest who’s always following Her around? Doesn’t much like our Lord, now does he? Especially since Himself and wolf-girl have gotten so close. Your high-priest doesn’t like the thought of wolf-girl growing up, I’d wager. Doesn’t like the thought of being left behind. Did he hope to cause trouble between them?

I don’t suppose Mr. High Priest Man would tell his plans to the likes of you, would he? What do you think your wolf-girl would say about you sneakin’ over here and tryin’ to set fire to Our Lord’s pyramid? Lucky for you, Our Lord spoke to Her, ‘splained what happened.

What? You want to know what She said? Well, lucky for you, She was of a mind to be merciful. She’s not going to have Her wolves rip you apart. No, she gave you to me. Said I could do whatever it took to find out why you did it. You might think I’m naught to worry about, little old woman, bent with age. Not broke mind you. Never broke. Still, I’ve got me some ways, ways of Him who fell from the stars. I can make you talk.

I thought you might come round to seeing things my way. Just take a minute now, get your breath back. Have some water. Your throat must be sore from all that screaming. Yes, yes, I promise to stop, all you need do is tell me why you tried to burn down the pyramid; the building that our folk have been putting their blood and sweat into these many years. I mean, it’s not like we had engineers here, not after everything fell apart the way it did. No machinery, like in the old days. No, folk have died moving them blocks. So, why did you try to burn it? What did you think to achieve?

I knew it was that High Priest. Never trust a man who thinks he can lord it above the rest of us. So, he wants to sow discord between Our Lord and wolf-girl? A child of their union would be an abomination, indeed? Seems a wee bitty judgemental to me, seeing as we’re the humans and they’re the gods. Might be they know better than we do. I saw a book once. It talked of the gods of long ago, before the end of everything. They were joined, had children, so why not our two? Oh well, Mr High Priest Man will be here soon enough. Maybe he can explain it to me.

It’s a steep climb, but you’ll be able to rest when we get to the top. We got things set up nice for you up there. That’s it, all the way. Just the one piece to put on top now – the capstone. Yes, that’s a winch for lifting it up. My, but don’t the folk look small down there.

Just you have a seat here. Rest a moment. Of course he’s here, you need a High Priest for a dedication ritual, or didn’t you know? And we got some wonderful news today. The dedication is to be a wedding too. Your wolf-girl is about to become Our Lady. You’ll get to see the ceremony. Or part of it, at least.

Don’t worry now, the knife is sharp. It’ll be over in but a moment. No Pain. Oh, you’re not being punished, no. You’re being honoured. You’ll dwell here, beneath the capstone of Their pyramid for all time. Lucky you.