Victoria (20)

    Jinaj village was a great, grey, ugly erection of buildings, dark and lifeless; not including the ivy and lichen that grew over everything, which was certainly alive.  A cat hopped from roof to roof and went out of sight around the corner.  A dog began to bark.  Sensing the danger was gone, a squirrel hopped out of hiding, sniffing the dead leaves in the street.  This squirrel was black as a closet with a tail as bushy as a threatened cat.  The street was otherwise deserted, but when the squirrel turned to check the two people, its red eyes alone made Aritka nervous.  She drew her cloak tighter around the child.
    “Come this way,” said the black rider.  He led her down a narrow alley, only just wide enough for single file.  The cold stone walls were covered in scaly lichen that flaked off on Aritka’s cloak.  Mold grew in the damp places.
    The lane opened out on a courtyard.  It was empty, save for a few, small black birds.  A dry fountain stood in the center, lichen lining the bowl.  Six wide steps led up to the public housing complex, which was made of the same grey stone as everything else.  A porch branched off to either side and wrapped around the sides.  Staircases connected to the deck above, and so on to the sixth level.  There were twelve square windows on the front side of each floor, most of which were empty but showed signs that someone occupied the room.  There didn’t appear to be any doors.
    As Aritka and the black rider approached the steps, an old woman hunched over a cane came around the corner and limped down the stairs.  “Keep the child hidden,” the black rider said quietly, and Aritka pulled the cloak straighter.



To Be Continued....