Cilla's Ball

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Each time one of Cilla’s people fell, another feather appeared in the glass ball. One life—one feather. She had lost count early in the battle.

Her heart yearned to join her siblings as they fought a nearly hopeless war to save their land. But her talent—her skill—was too precious to risk. She fled with the final wave of refugees.

Already the elders had nearly completed evacuating the very young and very old. Soon, the general would sound the retreat, allowing those who risked their lives to enable this escape to disengage and follow.

Most of Cilla’s people had left months ago. Now the stubborn few who had remained to defend their homeland would join their families in exile.  

Cilla would wait to perform the final sending for today’s fallen, though she would do so before crossing the border out of the land in which they had been born. She owed them this. She would not fail in her duty to release the souls of those held in her ball, that they might find peace in the next world.

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This fantasy microfiction was inspired by the image. I think those are actually supposed to be leaves in the glass ball, but let’s pretend they’re feathers because it works better for the story.

This is another story I’m pretty certain subconscious associations conspired to shape. The first element of this conspiracy, I’m sure, is the constant presence of anxiety over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the millions of refugees who have been forced to leave their homeland.

The second is the video game, Final Fantasy X. Though I haven’t played for at least four months, I had picked it up after years of not having played. Yuna, who sends the spirits of the departed on to the next world was always my favorite character.

I hope you enjoyed this creative product of my somewhat convoluted mind!