Stars
The day Rishid and I left home was hot and sunny, a clear contrast to the cold darkness of the tomb, but not a pleasant one. It made our constant walking uncomfortable. However, by the time the sun went down and relief from the heat was present, Rishid said we should find somewhere to stay the night. I agreed, and he soon found an "inn" for us to stay at. He went inside to arrange a room for us; I stayed outside, sitting on the steps of the building, enjoying the cool air.
It was by then completely dark out. Curiously, I looked upward—what was the sky like at night?
Immediately I gasped. My eyes widened and I stumbled to my feet, wanting to—no, needing to look at the view more closely. I tilted my head back, mouth open in silent awe.
Thousands of tiny lights shone above me, like white jewels on the black cloth of the sky. Adorning the darkness, breaking through it.
Stars.
I had read about these lights in our books, of course, and in the "outside world" books Isis brought me in the months after the Ritual. But seeing them… with my own eyes… I shook my head once, slowly. The authors' words could never describe this sight.
It took me a while to find my voice, but as soon as I did, I called, "Rishid… come see…"
He obliged at once, coming outside to look at the sky with me. After a few moments, he said softly, "They're beautiful."
Nodding, I drew in a shaky breath. "Beautiful…" I repeated. This was the only word that could come close to describing the stars. As I stood there, transfixed, I reached up my arm. I wanted to touch the stars, to hold them, even though I knew this was impossible. I could only look at their beauty; I could not have it for myself. Taking the stars was forbidden to me, as so many things were…
"Why?" I whispered. "Why is this kept from us?" I stared up into the starlit sky—sky which, except for a brief two hours when I was eleven, I had never seen until this morning. Because of my family's laws. Anger began to seep into me, and I raised my voice to a shout. "Why aren't we allowed to see this beauty? Why can't we have it?" I stretched out my arms again, reaching as far as I could. I wanted to hold these stars, to take in my arms the tiny lights that had been hidden from me all my life. As something wet ran down my face, I realized I was crying in frustration. "What gives him the right?" I spoke of the Pharaoh. "Why is he allowed to keep this from us?!"
My legs weakened and I kneeled, trembling with anger and sorrow. Each breath I took was a sob. When I looked up again, the stars were blurry, distorted through my tears. Wiping away the tears with a clenched fist, I reached my other hand up once again, trying to embrace this beauty. Then I leaned backwards until I was lying down, staring straight up at the sky, still reaching toward it. Rishid sat by me and took my fist in his hand. He didn't speak, knowing that his words would do no good now; I would not be comforted, and no one, not even he, could answer my questions.
"This beauty should be ours as much as anyone else's," I said, my voice a whisper once more. "He has no right to keep it from us." The hatred I felt for my family's "master"—our captor—burned within me, filling my heart. "I will make this beauty ours." My voice was almost inaudible, but it was firm, with no trace of uncertainty. I was not uncertain. I would free my family. "I will kill him."