The doors swung.
Seemed to stutter a little on it’s hinge, and then slammed shut.
The slump, ran across the ragged crowds, but was quickly replaced by the memory that there were still the one free night of the year. This was the end of the Case Carving day. . .
The day when one, lone case carver was lead into the hallowed towers to sit aside, those that toiled on the genuine cases . Hacked and honed from the ghastly mines that extended deep and far under the land. Overlooked by the looming towers sat squat on the massive granite buttresses, against which their simple shelters clung.
Once a year someone got to go. . .
But this isn’t her story, cos someone was asleep. Again.
Rian prodded the shape. A blinking monocled eye glared up in suspicion and disbelief. . . It belched. Once, loudly, considered, thought better of it, reconsidered and belched again . . .
Rian flushed by the sudden change in atmosphere, prodded again more urgently, “Oy, you’ve got to move…”
“Leave me asleep” muttered the shape. It gave a jolt as a new thought popped into it’s addled brain. " Food…? ". A small belch again and then something else dawned . . . “This isn’t my bed is it …?”,
“No” hissed Rian, you’ve dropped off in the middle of the clearing in the village square where we’re building the case carvers bonfire, so I’d get a move on if I were you …!
A Crow flew over, Cawwed briefly, as it watched the two figures fleeing to the edge of the circle, and caught the first thermal draughts as the flames hungrily licked at the heaped carved cases stacked between Kindling, as once again the zynthian pantomime lurches into view . . . .
With the burning of the Non success cases !!
Oh Yes, it Isn’t . . .
Oh No, it is!!
) and after rubbing his head walked off unsteadily towards the fires burning with growing vigour in the village circle, silhouetting the shapes of the villagers as they watched the failed cases burn as homage to the great towers and ramparts stretching high above their heads.
All beginning to succumb to the licking flames.
he said, to the clock with the dead battery on the wall, that he keeps forgetting to change.
