From the top of the hill we could see a single row of lights moving around the town like a colossal snake, zig-zagging between the streets as it slowly gathered more lights. Tomorrow they'd announce all the deaths but we'd already know the numbers.
We were supposed to stay inside and wait for the lights to pass us by but we figured out that the lights didn't go anywhere near the hills and thus if we kept ourselves up there, nice and quiet, they'd pass us by every six months or so. Nine years down and we're all still here while twenty-seven have joined the lights since.
This year we counted one more than the official death count. It wasn't that we'd overcounted or the council had undercounted - there's a new light. Normally they come in with seven gatherers, the line has started with seven for as long as the light has existed but this year there was an eighth.
Coincidentally they took more than ever before as well. Who or whatever is leading the lights is voracious, ambitious and makes us question the safety of our little hideout on the hill. The others don't think we've been discovered yet, they think we'll last another year at least.
I don't have the heart to tell them that I found a lit candle up there last night.
The lights will be back tomorrow.
I don't fancy our chances.
We were supposed to stay inside and wait for the lights to pass us by but we figured out that the lights didn't go anywhere near the hills and thus if we kept ourselves up there, nice and quiet, they'd pass us by every six months or so. Nine years down and we're all still here while twenty-seven have joined the lights since.
This year we counted one more than the official death count. It wasn't that we'd overcounted or the council had undercounted - there's a new light. Normally they come in with seven gatherers, the line has started with seven for as long as the light has existed but this year there was an eighth.
Coincidentally they took more than ever before as well. Who or whatever is leading the lights is voracious, ambitious and makes us question the safety of our little hideout on the hill. The others don't think we've been discovered yet, they think we'll last another year at least.
I don't have the heart to tell them that I found a lit candle up there last night.
The lights will be back tomorrow.
I don't fancy our chances.
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