The sun had crossed the horizon while we walked, orange rays illuminated the sky behind the mountains, saying their last goodbyes for the day. My body cooled down slowly from the game, and I noticed how the air had become much colder. As the adrenaline abated, I felt how every bone and muscle in my body hurt. It must be covered with scrapes and contusions. The light from the huge fire flooded the hill now, spreading warmth and sparks. Everyone gathered around, and the atmosphere became suddenly silent. One could hear the breath of a neighbor, the buzz of a midge, and the howl of the wind in the mountains. Then, a note rang in the air, a note so piercing and pure that it filled the silence with clarity. A note deep and unchanging, like it came from nature itself, played by an instrument I could not decipher clearly in the half-darkness. The depth of this note seemed to fill my inner being. A voice then, one of a woman, high and clear, singing in a language I did not understand. But it didn't matter. As soon as she started singing, and the song unfolded, it filled my heart with sudden wonder and sadness. Everyone was silent. Only the fire crackled to the sound of this mystical instrument and a voice singing of something that evoked nostalgia. Then I saw that a procession passed the fire. Twelve men in groups of four carrying three corpses wrapped in linen sheets. This was a burial. They carried the bodies past the fire and the people who stepped aside, following the procession in silence and mourning. The song continued to resound on the hill. One of the corpses was small, probably a child. Some bystanders wept while the fire danced on their faces. Rahab also had tears in her eyes. They glistered in the light of the fire. Otherwise, it was pitch black now. The procession continued down to the valley while the people just watched. The song carefully filled the air and stirred something in my heart I could not understand.🏁

Submitted by Akribane - 11/15/2025

The sun had crossed the horizon while we walked, orange rays illuminated the sky behind the mountains, saying their last goodbyes for the day. My body cooled down slowly from the game, and I noticed how the air had become much colder. As the adrenaline abated, I felt how every bone and muscle in my body hurt. It must be covered with scrapes and contusions. The light from the huge fire flooded the hill now, spreading warmth and sparks. Everyone gathered around, and the atmosphere became suddenly silent. One could hear the breath of a neighbor, the buzz of a midge, and the howl of the wind in the mountains. Then, a note rang in the air, a note so piercing and pure that it filled the silence with clarity. A note deep and unchanging, like it came from nature itself, played by an instrument I could not decipher clearly in the half-darkness. The depth of this note seemed to fill my inner being. A voice then, one of a woman, high and clear, singing in a language I did not understand. But it didn't matter. As soon as she started singing, and the song unfolded, it filled my heart with sudden wonder and sadness. Everyone was silent. Only the fire crackled to the sound of this mystical instrument and a voice singing of something that evoked nostalgia. Then I saw that a procession passed the fire. Twelve men in groups of four carrying three corpses wrapped in linen sheets. This was a burial. They carried the bodies past the fire and the people who stepped aside, following the procession in silence and mourning. The song continued to resound on the hill. One of the corpses was small, probably a child. Some bystanders wept while the fire danced on their faces. Rahab also had tears in her eyes. They glistered in the light of the fire. Otherwise, it was pitch black now. The procession continued down to the valley while the people just watched. The song carefully filled the air and stirred something in my heart I could not understand.🏁

Submitted by Akribane - 11/15/2025