Amanah

"Where are you, little one?" the sound sliced through the air. Rhetorical. The only answer would come from the mirror, and that was long-buried. But those who knew the wind and the land could uncover it, if they survived the cruel blow to themselves and the earth.

Another sound scratched, "It is not yet day."

A deep chill boomed through the earth like a drum, foretelling apocalypse. It was responding.

Until a startling earthquake followed the noise, and ripped the ground in half. Crackling, burning, the soil crumbled into the abyss, forever lost.

The wind billowing up from that fault line was filled with song, for the creature Sound was alleviating his boredom, albeit gloomily, for he was stuck on a mission with his soul twin who hated him.

"Little one, come out to play
a game with the voices on the gray
be found before the dawn or you
shall find your body broke in two!," Sound warbled tonelessly.

"Oh, be quiet", the second sound spat, losing control of another earthquake, which ripped right between the Sound's quivering feet.

Shocked, Sound reflected, It'll only get worse, leaning far away from the fault line. This did no good, for the deathly finger pointed in his direction caused Sound to lose his balance and eat the dust.

"You!", Second Sound growled, "stayput!"

And the big problem with that, Sound glared, was that Sound was not meant to stay put. Sound was meant to sing and tease and curse and laugh.

"Yh-kih!" Sound glared at the rocks, and muttered curses in low notes. Then, seeing the destruction his curses dealt to the rocks, Sound's face brightened with quick thinking. He smiled evilly and sang out a different curse. This lower note caused the rocks to shatter into a fine blanket of ash.

Through the debris, arms of mist wrapped themselves narcotically around Sound's head, but he pulled away, swatting at the foggy embrace.

The mirror!

Sound's eyes widened in triumph.

"Second! I found the mirror!"

Footsteps fast, Second hunkered down and they both watched hungrily as the mists parted and revealed a mossy stone, on top of which a figure lay unconscious, breathing, heartbroken.

Her arms were curled around it, tightly as if the stone were her own kin.

Sound breathed out in surprise--the rising moon was spilling clear light over the woman-creature's still form...but to the side, a fist-sized form lay stiller still, slick with blood.

It was mottled with veins of purple and blue, once red and alive, now too weak to support the heart. The thing was dead.

It had been many turnings of the moon. The villagers, already wary of the rock, now disappeared from that area completely, unsure what to do with the tortured form that lay there. A knot of village women in bright skirts paused over the bloody mess that lay to the side, feeling a wave of sadness and despair for the lost life.This was not supposed to happen, Sound wailed silently, clutching at the mirror.

Sound closed his eyes, breathed in, breathed out, and disappeared.