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NORMALCY

It was quite a normal afternoon at the crowded market square. Children squealed with joy at the sight of the toy seller, fully loaded with wooden toys, who gaily sauntered over to his usual shaded spot, jingling his string of bells. A man frantically sought his missing dog, another raced after a few chickens that had somehow managed to jump out of the coop. A lost child wailed for his mother. Shopkeepers screamed out their offers at the top of their voices to attract customers, and customers, especially women, desperately screeched and tried to haggle for the best possible prices.

The taverns were busy with the constant influx and efflux of people, especially weary travellers, who were animatedly narrating stories of their adventures and experience to the enraptured locals who were all ears to them.
The scent of tea, liquor, and delicious food wafted in the air. There was also the rotten stench of spoilt food and the odour of freshly slaughtered meat, but you couldn't help it really. Street children chased each other, immersed in their own games, and people cursed if they bumped into them.

Some held a hand against their head to shield themselves from the sun which shone mercilessly down upon the market. Beads of sweat glistened on everyone's foreheads, and many faces reddened due to the sweltering heat.

Everyone was excited about the upcoming festival of the Ruan Sect. There was a lot of excited chatter everywhere among the refreshing scents of perfume, flowers, sandalwood and incense, the appetizing aroma of food, and not to forget the usual noise and hustle bustle of everyday.

All of these mixed together gave the place a rather unique scent which hung in the air from early in the morning to almost midnight.

So you see, it was a bright, sunny, normal day in the crowded market place of the Ruan Sect.

We always talk about looking at the bigger picture, don't we? But it's really quite ironic sometimes, the way we talk about the essence of it so importantly, because at times, even in the midst of brightness and normalcy, things amiss do occur, contributing to the dark corners of the central highlights, or the bright frame, which we don't notice, primarily because those portions either don't involve us or don't concern us.
You will be able to see it too, the even bigger picture, along with the dark, mostly concealed frames, but only and only if you choose to look beyond the facade.

And something akin to it was happening right then.

In a dark alley, away from the main square, surrounded by high walls, as a result of which daylight hardly seeped in.

Darkness prevailed forever there, both of body and of mind.
Such darkness always occurred in secret, in hiding, away from the gazes of all prying eyes, and of course, away from the average eyes as well.

Faint muffled screams accompanied by low grunts.
Helpless sobs which pitched into gagged shrieks and dropped down to pained whimpers.
Groans. Gasps.
A horrible stench of liquor, blood and sweat, which made one want to puke.

Here, the dark tragic shades lay in thick, suffocating, excruciating layers beyond the overall bright, ecstatic hues of preparations for the festival.
Hidden and masked well from the madding crowd.

Oh, only if someone chose to probe in there.
Only if prying senses chose to prowl there.

Here it is, the first chapter of my story.... Please give it a try and let me know how am I doing.
Thank you so much to all those who voted and commented on the prologue and the Author's Note, it really means a lot.
Lots of love and hugs and uwus,
Erus555.

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