Oct 10th asst. High above the river

High above the river

(Ben por riba do río / Bem acima do rio)

Lucinda tells this story to two young children. To them she's just an old story teller. They huddle around an autumn fire. The ageless old lady begins to speak, to tell a story:

Lucinda has crossed the river. She feels safe. Almost.

She knows enough to stay hidden until she sees the man she's looking for. Lame, young, bearded. She figures there will be more than one that fits his description but she has to risk it.

There is nothing left but risk. And the will to survive.

She has made it out of the Queen's clutches. Managed to hide by day, forage and move stealthily towards her goal every night. She has had to risk crossing the river. There was hope it would be safer on the other side.

— Safer, yes. Safe — Lucinda lowers her voice to a whisper — it's never safe.

She slips on a loose rock. She freezes, waits to make sure no has heard. She crawls into a shelter of shrubs. Pulls a cape over her to get out of the rain.

— Can I help you?

Lucinda wakes startled. It's an older man. going down to the river.

— No. I just was tired last night and fell asleep.

He seems to accept that and goes on his way.

Lucinda gets up, stumbles up the path, tries not to make a sound looks for side paths less worn but steeper.

There are a few buildings in a cluster. She waits.

And waits.

She hears singing in a field. There are two children running through a harvested field. She feels the cold. Odd, she thinks, she never feels the cold. It's cloudy so she waits some more.

A young man walks by, cap in his hand. He's clean shaven. He meets another, looks like his brother. They speak in a tongue Lucinda can almost understand.

— So many odd people showing up these days.
— Yes, we must be careful.
— Old Ivo said he saw a young girl going up this way. You should've passed her coming down.
— Haven't seen anyone.
— Well, be careful. One can never tell.
— No. One can never tell.

Lucinda waited beyond her hunger, willing dark clouds, a storm, the night.

When the stars came out she couldn't wait any longer. She went towards a candlelit window. One of the men sat inside.

— You looking for someone?

Lucinda turns and sees a small child. Too young to be out.

— Come on in. My father said someone might be by.

Lucinda went into the house. It was far too warm. Far too light. There were crucifixes on every wall. She shuddered.

— Come. Sit down and eat. My brother will be back shortly.

Nothing more need be said. The silence seems threatening. She dares not speak.

— See you found her. Old Ivo was right. Put a crucifix in her hand, her hand on the Bible.

Lucinda starts to recite the rosary. It is all she knows. All she has memorized. Is it enough?

— You'll need a place to stay. Rosa Velha has a bed.

The brother leads her out into the dark. In a shadow stands a bearded young man. He tips his head her way, says nothing, silently follows them, limping into the dark.

Lucinda remembers that night, now 400 years ago, knows that no one in this town remembers her name. Those who would fled long ago. Like that young man who found her, gave her two children of her own before he was taken away. Her son... These children could even be family. She has no one she knows of. She's moved so many times since. Soon it would be time to move again. Soon it will be a new century. New Years 1898 will be just one more year among many.

The children whisper.

— What happened next?

Lucinda tells them about how the young lady sleeps in peace every night among sprigs of rosemary and dried chamomile blossoms. How she eventually speaks with the young man with a limp. How they marry and have children. She doesn't mention the bad times. The inquisition that came in waves. 1492 flee Spain, 1497 flee Portugal, 1506 flee Lisbon or die in the massacre, 1558 burn. A respite in 1601... for a few months. The Jews and the new Christians felt the Inquisition; the Moors had fled. No one knew about the vampires among them. Blood flowed and that kept many from starvation. But no one could be trusted. No one. Not even family. Through the years some had found each other again. But few look the same after a hundred years of hiding. She wondered where Rosa Velha was now. Évora? Lucinda knew that the secrets lost in the recesses of the brain were oft forgotten; those held close to the heart slowly killed it. She opened her heart.

— So, Lucinda made it across the river to this very spot. She married that young man with a limp and had two children. Just like you two.

Lucinda smiles and the children smile back.

— Now off to bed.

The boy whines.

— But I don't want to. I'm not sleepy and it's dark out there.

— Rosinha?

Rosa winks then grabs her brother's hand.

— I can see in the dark. Come.

Far below Lucinda the river flows as it always has. As it always will, unless she outlives it.

© Kåre Enga 10.outubro.2015.

Saturday, Oct. 10
*Bullet* Required: Contest Round 2: Antagonist Background Story ▼

Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. Add the background story to your character database (if applicable.)

*Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday, Oct. 11 to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of this IM Console . If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you may still post your assignment completion for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines.

Thoughts:

Nah: Maybe a story about Lluc... the wannabe werewolf? Or is that too cliché?

Maybe: A story based around 1494 would be instructional. The Spaniards weren't very nice... to any objectors.

Queen Izzy banned Jews and Moors in 1492. When her daughter Isabella of Aragon became Queen of Portugal the price was extending the bans. The year was 1497. It affected thousands. Some Jews became Marranos (conversos) and some hid. Subsequent waves of persecution almost wiped them out. The marrano community of Belmonte restored a synagogue in 1996.

This story is fine but doesn't seem to fit the prompt or does it?

The vampires (of any faith) would be vulnerable to an Inquisition. Don't age properly, allergic to certain foods like garlic, become a person of the night...? Anything suspicious would be dangerous. So... how to express this.

Note: Rosa is the name of the protagonist's grandmother (great-gran?). Is this Rosinha (like Rosie) the same Rosa? Also Rosa Velha is the name Thoom was called by when she lived in Portugal. Is this her?