Vision in Red by Sajjad Rasool - HTML preview

Children of Olive

"IBRAHIM AL-MASRI!" she shouted.

The Librarian flinched. It stopped.

"FARMER!" Amal read. "FATHER OF THREE! OWNER OF TWENTY DUNAMS!"

The Librarian took a step back. Its hand wavered.

"HE DID NOT ABANDON HIS HOME!" Amal screamed, her voice cracking. "HE WAS TAKEN!"

The words hit the Librarian like tangible force. The creature shuddered. Smoke began to rise from its gray suit.

"Speak the names!" Amal yelled at Yasmin. "Read them!"

Yasmin scrambled up. She stared at the page over Amal's shoulder.

"LAYLA AL-MASRI!" Yasmin shouted. "BRIDE! EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD!"

"MUSTAFA KHALIL!" Amal added. "GROOM!"

"YOUSEF THE BAKER!"

"MARIAM THE WEAVER!"

They chanted the names. They filled the Archive with the sound of the dead.

And with every name, the Librarian shrank.

The gray skin bubbled. The suit dissolved. The blank space where its face should have been began to crack.

Enough! the creature projected. Silence!

"NO SILENCE!" Amal roared. "WE ARE THE NOISE!"

She raised the heavy ledger high above her head.

"And we are keeping the receipt!"

She slammed the book shut.

The Librarian let out a soundless wail and dissolved into a cloud of gray dust.

The white noise cut out instantly.

The shelves stopped vibrating. The paper storm settled to the floor like snow.

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