sunfright | friday.

I slept a little, but somehow just feel more tired than I did, sitting up at 3 am. It's thus been a slow morning, waking up very gradually. However, this slow pace seems to have been helping my productivity, because I've already read/edited chapter 6, moving on to chapter 7 in a moment, as well as started writing a new thing. This is the first new piece of writing I've started since finishing Lest They Leave, so this excited me more than anything. I'm not planning on it being terribly long or anything, but I have written a beginning and have an ending in mind, plus it's mostly structured in my head, usually a good sign that I will finish it...

It's written for

ladiesbingo's "deities and followers" prompt which I just couldn't leave untouched, now that this round is closing soon (March 31st). It's emulating a religious text, like biblical writings or ancient Greek myths and is the bidding of a fantasy goddess unto her, in these particular fragments, female worshippers. It was nice working a little in my trademark "prosetry" (prose-poetry) style again and I will definitely try to finish this one before the bingo round closes. Even if I don't manage to do a whole line, I can post it as a single during amnesty. That'd be nice.

Because I'm so relieved to be actively writing again and because I'm rather proud of the formatting of this, I'll share the first couple of verses with y'all.

CHAPTER 1: OPENING
[1] Women of the city, throw open your gates, for the high mistress soon shall be arriving, venerably. [2] Do not shut your doors and your windows to the gentle caress of the sea breeze, it is the herald of divine things, it shaped your race out of salt and foam. [3] Like these, mankind is dissatisfied, and mankind is degradable. [4] Like these, it is mankind’s fate to dissolve among the waves, that is why you send your dead, on woven mats, toward the horizon, where ocean meets sky. [5] You have done so for a thousand years, and for a thousand years to come, you will not stop. [6] But I am not the mistress of a dying or dead people, I am a goddess of the living, what happens in the deep is none of my concern. [7] I want the women of the city while they can still awaken from their sleep, that is when I walk with you through the night, that is when I send you dreams of counselling and consolation. [8] That is when I am with you, and you remain mine to guide. [9] Do not fear what follows, do not fear the eternal slumber, for someone else than me walks with you there. [10] Yes, open your gates, women of my city, for your high mistress soon shall be arriving, victoriously. [11] She has laid claim to every passageway and entrance which leads into you. [12] She knows your every part. [13] Let her in.