Sofia

It was dark not the dark we know but deep pitch eye searingly black. It smelt too, it flew up her nostrils and made her eyes water and burned her throat.

All around there were flames and the sound was indescribable. Wailing from every direction, deafening wailing full of pain, grief, loss and hopelessness………… Sofia cringed in a ditch covered in mud, her wings in tatters blood running down her hair and across her face. Fear, she felt fear she did not know what it was yet though. Her stomach ached, again she put her hand between her legs and found blood, “what is this she asked” inside her head. “It is a curse” the voice said,” it is the cycle that women bear. Every month they make an egg if it is not fertilized they loose it.” Sofia’s heart leapt ..”then I can have a child” the voice laughed it was almost cruel “No you may not bear a child you forgo that right” A strange feeling came her.

Pain was what she felt it ripped at her guts and her womb , it throbbed at her bleeding fingertips and toes, her head hurt, her brain was spinning . Something else now a burning in her eyes and wetness on her cheeks, she had seen this before it was another human thing, tears. Tears OH! but there was pain in those and they fell freely burning her face.

Blinded by tears she ripped at her wings, she screamed in agony as she tore them from her back flesh, sinew rent reluctant to leave her back they caused much damage in their passing . Wet with blood and tears, in shock and agony she screamed at the black emptiness around her “What now?” Thunder above her head and lightening hitting the ground just at her side. Fear shook her whole body at once she felt water and mess running down her legs…….. She new what this was and she was appalled and a new feeling to her, embarrassment

Later, dirty, wet and shivering she huddled in the ditch cradling her blooded wings she tried to understand what was happening. The pain of her body was over shadowed by the pain in her soul, “What now?” she screamed again. This time the voice did answer. “You shall walk in the realm of mankind, you shall suffer and strive as mankind does, you shall feel all they feel but more . You shall not look on the One’s face until you have atoned for you sin. You have fallen from grace .” Then the voice was gone, for the first time she was alone no voice, no face just silence.

How long she stayed there is did not know it could of been hours it could of been aeons. Shivering and bleeding she stayed still until the agonised screams and smell of burning finally was stopped. When she emerged from her hiding place there was no evidence of the battle that had raged day and night. Where were her kindred , was she alone .

Sofia folded and buried her wings, she dug the hole with her bare hands. She walked until she found a stream she washed her hair and her body, how she wished she could wash her soul and her aching mind. This done she walked not knowing what was to happen to her, would she meet more of her kind or would she just have to toil for ever in the realm of men…