They came to me the broken, the shattered, the hurt and I repaired the vessel. I didn’t require ornate temples or bright vestments in those who worshiped me. All I required was a soul that could hold the truth and often this could not happen until the soul was rendered, broken and in pieces. When the pieces were put back together; in a shape defined by the truth that was found at the lowest ebb, then I accepted their worship. In the deep woods or amongst the jagged rocks, even in the dark soil you may find alters dedicated to me. I am made up of broken the pieces of the world in all its inhabitants.
Leiha huddled naked into the corner and wept at the pain that throbbed; broken arm a white shock, the bite marks on her breasts and the burning between her legs all overwhelmed her senses. She heard the men laughing in the other room as they drank the beer and threw dice. The winner would swagger in and use her in whatever way he chose. She was teetering on the edge of womanhood used and abused by those stronger, learning the lesson of degradation.
Chiva felt the anger burning in her throat. A hard knot of words she had to hold inside. Her father had already punished her for speaking out of turn. She knew the stock sold to them was inferior and price too high but her brother was the buyer, not her. Her father had slapped her ears when she said they would die before resale. He threatened her. If she didn’t keep them alive for resale she would receive the beating for not doing her job properly. Not her brother for buying poor stock. She kept the stock moving to the high meadows, to the spring grass that might fatten them up if they didn’t come down with lung rot which sounded to be present in their coughing baa.
Ina hid her face behind the veil; she saw the pity and shock in the eyes of others when they saw the scar tissue disfiguring her face. The burns causing the skin peel and blister creating corrugations that deformed her features. She also saw the relief in those eyes that it was her and not them that had been disfigured. In her mind she still could not define the moment or action that caused the lighter fluid to be thrown in her face. That moment of violence that destroyed her life and took away all her joy.
They come at night, creeping on silent feet out of their homes that offer no security, away from the masculine energy that seeks to destroy the feminine spirit. They come into my embrace, a place of security and acceptance. They come to find themselves to draw out the essence that has been starved of recognition. To find the feminine spirit, the forgiveness, the merging into a single unit that upholds each woman both singularly and together in a divine embrace.
I moved quickly through the woods I had heard of the gambling den that sold young girls. Tonight it was my target. I came to the place from the back, quietly I moved through the shadows to the door that lead out to the privy. I eased it open and ghosted into the passage. I could hear the yelling in the front room, I tried the doors along the passage one was locked. I needed the key. I eased into the kitchen. I could see a set of keys on the hook by the door. As I moved toward them I heard the door to the front room open. I sidled into the corner by the shelving where it was darkest. A man came through, head turned back to the gambling room.
“Give him another five minutes then drag him out and then we will have another round” he directed to someone in the other room.
As the door shut and he turned into the kitchen, I raised the blow pipe to my lips and blew. The needle went straight into his jugular. He felt the sting and had started to turn towards me when the drug started to work and he stumbled. I move out and quickly shoved him so he fell into the pantry banging his head as he went down. I shut the pantry door and grabbed the keys from the hook.
Back out into the corridor I ghosted and quickly tried keys in the doors. In the first room was empty, the second had a young girl, naked in the corner. I quickly went over and leaning towards her whispered.
“Come, let’s get you out of this place.”
She stared at me eyes empty.
“Sweetheart, I’m here to help but you need to move quickly before anyone else come.”
I lifted her to her feet. She was so young and so damaged. I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. She started whimpering.
“Shh, sweetheart, we need to go quickly and quietly.” I lead her to the window, then ghosted back to the door and locked it.
“We are going to climb out this window and I will take you away from here” I said
Her eyes were still blank with shock. I got the window open and managed to get her out. I pulled the window to and moved her around the side of the house. I needed a diversion to get her away from here. I pressed her to the ground by the water tank where the long grass would hide her from a casual gaze.
I could hear the build up of sound in the house they would spin for a winner very soon and someone would be looking for her. I moved to the back door and into the kitchen I could hear thumping in the pantry. I went to the stove and grabbed the can of light fluid splashed it across the kitchen and door to the main room then threw a match into it. The oil went up with a roar and I took of out of the kitchen.
When I got to the water tank the young girl was trying to crawl away. I pulled her to her feet and help her to run. The fire started roaring behind as it licked the dry walls of the old house. We got over to the coppice of trees where I had hidden my horse. Looking back I could see men running from the burning house. I helped the girl onto my horse.
“Where are we going” she asked
“I’ll take you to the goddess, she will look after you” I replied. “I am Libete; what shall I call you?”
“Leiha” she replied
They all come to me when they reach the point of no return and I repair the broken vessels and give them strength to step back into the world of men with a truth of their innate power over mind, body and spirit.
