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𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰

𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝖡𝗒 𝖠𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇𝖺𝖯𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗉𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾9

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𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞

𝖠𝗎𝗀𝗎𝗌𝗍 2024 (𝖠𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇/𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾)

ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ #1

Word Count: 2948

Runner Up

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Content Warnings: Violence, Language, Kissing, LGBTQ Elements

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The first sensation that Elizabeth felt after the drugs wore off was her head cracking against the cold, stone floor of an unfamiliar room.

Elizabeth groaned as an iron taste filled her mouth and her head throbbed from the impact.  She glared up at the two men who had thrown her into the room, already sprinting for the asylum on the other side of the door.  "You know," she hissed, blood dribbling from her mouth onto the pristine rock below her.  "You could be a little more gentle.  I'm sure your master doesn't want you breaking her precious toy."

The man on the left, who seemed much more confident in his black uniform, cleared his throat before he spoke.  "We were given orders to bring you here alive.  The boss said nothing about being friendly."

"You wouldn't know friendly if it stabbed you in the ass and hung you by the collar your boss has around that meaty neck of yours, Johnson," Elizabeth countered, wiping blood from her bottom lip.  She pointed at the silver dog tag that was dangling around the man's neck, engraved with his initials: JC.  "I see you haven't given up your post as Vanessa's main bitch."

Johnson's face turned the same color as his fiery, red locks. He lunged towards Elizabeth.  However, his companion grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him back. 

Elizabeth chuckled at his reaction.  While Johnson would never admit it, she knew just how to push his buttons.  The two had known each other since the start of the mission that had gotten all of them stuck in this mess in the first place: the search for the lost civilization of Imbali.

The city of Imbali was a South African legend that had intrigued archeologists all around the globe for centuries.  It was also known as the land of the ancestors.  The stories spoke of a land filled with flora and fauna unlike anything in any other part of the world.  Ancient carvings and folk songs proved that the land actually existed.  But, no one had been able to solve the clues and find the mysterious civilization.  Until Elizabeth and her team had come along.

It had been Elizabeth's dad's dream to find the city of Imbali before he died from stage 4 colon cancer.  Before he had contracted the disease, he had spent months searching the South African jungles for the city.  Unfortunately, he had never found any trace of the lost civilization.

Elizabeth was determined to make her father's dream come true.

She had teamed up with a group of individuals, including Johnson and their friend, Vanessa, to comb the jungle for the lost city.  After a week of searching, Elizabeth had stumbled over an artifact cleverly hidden amongst foliage.  It was a brass compass, whose needle didn't point north.

After some thought and consideration, the team realized that the compass was the key to finding Imbali.  But, a fight soon broke out among the group when it came time to discuss what they would do with the intel they gained from the lost city.  Two parties eventually emerged: the Preservers, led by Elizabeth, and the Marauders, led by Vanessa.

The Preservers wanted to study the civilization once they reached it and learn as much as they could about the people, creatures, and plants that had lived there.  After they finished, they would leave Imbali untouched.  On the other hand, the Marauders had no intention of studying the city after learning of the riches the people of Imbali once held.  Their plan was to raid the entire city of its precious metals, jewels, and spices. 

Eventually, the fight turned into a complete war, causing Elizabeth and her close friend, Theo, to steal the compass and flee their encampment.  For almost six months, they had been able to stay off the Marauders' radar.  But it appeared that their luck had run out.

Elizabeth was incredibly worried about Theo.  When their camp had been ambushed, one of Vanessa's guards had thrown a rock at his head and Elizabeth hadn't seen if it had hit its mark.  Theo could be seriously injured, or even...no, Elizabeth didn't want to think about that possibility.

Johnson's rough voice pierced through Elizabeth's mental barrier, bringing her back to reality.  "You'll pay for that," he hissed.  "I can't wait to cut out your tongue for all of those smart remarks."

Elizabeth locked eyes with the guard holding Johnson.  He had beautiful emerald green eyes, which had little golden flecks in them.  Though the rest of his features were obscured by his uniform and a thick black mask.  All of Vanessa's henchmen wore masks, but Johnson had taken his off to taunt her.

She found herself peering closer at those emerald eyes, blowing her curtain bangs out of her face.  Something about them...was very familiar.  But she couldn't put her finger on exactly what.

Before she could ponder any longer on her theory, a piercingly cold female voice sent a chill through her body.  "Now, now Johnson.  That's not how we treat a guest."

Elizabeth's face hardened, her pulse quickened, and her thoughts jumbled as she turned around.  There was an iron desk and a set of two chairs in the room that she hadn't seen before.  And sitting in one of those chairs was Vanessa.

Vanessa was a beautiful and cunning woman, with layered copper hair that bounced as she walked.  Her dark eyes were as cold as ice and could see past almost any lie that was thrown at her.  She was small in stature, but she made up for it with the black heeled boots that she wore to every occasion.  Today, she was wearing a black blazer, a matching leather outfit, and a long golden necklace made out of large chain links.

Her nude lips curled into a thin smile as she looked at Elizabeth.  "Darling.  I wish we could have met under better circumstances," she admitted, her 'r's rolling as she spoke.

"So do I," Elizabeth murmured as the emerald eyed guard showed Johnson out of the room.  "But it is what it is."

"Mm," Vanessa agreed, pursing her bottom lip and grazing her teeth over it.  She gestured to the chair across from her.  "Please have a seat."

It took a few moments for Elizabeth to get up, her head still throbbing from her fall.  She adjusted her jacket so it no longer showed much of her tank top and took the seat across from Vanessa, who was watching her curiously.

Vanessa uncrossed her legs and reached underneath the table.  When her hand returned, it was holding a bottle of gin.  "Care for a drink?" She wondered, placing the bottle on the table.

"No, thanks," Elizabeth said instantly.  Elizabeth had learned to never trust a drink that she hadn't made herself.  

Vanessa's expression didn't shift, but Elizabeth could hear the disappointment in her voice as she returned the gin to its original spot.  "Pity."

"Just tell me what you want," Elizabeth ordered, twirling her fingers.  "I know you want to kill me and the fact that you haven't yet tells me that you want something.  What?"

Vanessa's eyes traveled from Elizabeth's fingers to meet the blonde's ocean dyed irises, stopping for a second on her lips.  "Who ever said that I wanted to kill you?" She whispered, sounding hurt.

Elizabeth was stunned into silence, her hands pausing in their fidgeting and her smart mouth abandoning her.  She attempted to look away from the woman in front of her, but Vanessa was a drug.  She appealed to Elizabeth, even though she knew the consequences of taking her would ruin her life.

Vanessa knew exactly what she was doing to Elizabeth.  Her dark eyes narrowed as she reached over to touch Elizabeth's hand, her fingers tracing her knuckles.  "Look, Elizabeth, darling.  I'm sorry about what happened between us.  I really am!" She argued, noticing Elizabeth's skeptical expression.  "I...I know it's a shot in the dark, but I just want us to get along.  Put all of this lost city nonsense behind us."

"You mean...you want to be friends?" Elizabeth couldn't help asking.

The copper-haired woman erased that theory with a shake of her head and a shy smile.  "No.  I want us to have an...alliance."

"Ha!" Elizabeth exclaimed, causing Vanessa to jump back.  "I should have suspected it sooner.  You want me to get you to the lost city and then you're going to ditch me, just like you tried to do the first time."

"Liz-" Vanessa tried, but Elizabeth cut her off.

"All you want is the money.  The fame, the glory.  You want nothing to do with me or my team.  You never cared about me. You brought me here so you could sweet-talk me into giving you the compass.  Sorry, darling.  I'm going to give you that compass on the day Hell-"  Before Elizabeth could continue her rant, Vanessa leaned across the table and kissed her on the lips.

Elizabeth barely had any time to process the experience before it was over.  Still, Vanessa's peck left her head spinning in circles like a merry-go-round.  

She closed her eyes to calm the headache that she had just gained.  Vanessa was cursing at herself for her scandalous decision and Elizabeth could hear the faint clacking of her heels as she paced. 

Elizabeth bit her tongue as she opened her eyes and watched Vanessa's pacing.  The woman froze behind the desk the second that she noticed Elizabeth staring.  "My dear, I'm so sorry," Vanessa mumbled, even though she didn't look that sorry.  There was a different look in her eyes, one that Elizabeth recognized.  It made her eyes burn.  "I was-"

"I'm going to need you to shut that pretty mouth of yours," Elizabeth ordered before she reached across the desk and pulled Vanessa towards her by her golden chain necklace, their lips crashing together.

Vanessa instantly turned the kiss hot and heavy, sliding her tongue into Elizabeth's mouth.  She hissed as she tasted the iron blood in Elizabeth's mouth, but she didn't let go.  Elizabeth climbed over the desk between kisses and ran her hand through Vanessa's long hair.  The women crashed against the desk within seconds, Vanessa's hands cupping Elizabeth's ass and hers touching Vanessa's face.

Elizabeth heard a clunking noise that sounded like a drawer opening, but she must have just imagined it.  For when Vanessa attempted to pull Elizabeth on top of the desk, all of the drawers were closed.  She could feel Vanessa's hands carefully sliding towards her pockets as she pulled.  Then, a scream graced Vanessa and Elizabeth's ears.  

Both women looked up, but there was no one in the room with them.  Vanessa's eyebrows creased in confusion as she tried to peer into the hall.  But Elizabeth stopped her from looking any closer by sliding her hand into the woman's and snatching the knife that Vanessa had retrieved from the drawer.

Before Vanessa could react, Elizabeth slammed the woman's head against the metal desk.  Vanessa made a terrible noise, but Elizabeth didn't relent, even as blood poured from Vanessa's sinuses and flowed in streams off the edge.

"Sorry, darling," Elizabeth murmured, lifting Vanessa up by the back of her head.  "I'm afraid you won't be seducing your way into my pants after all."  She patted her right pocket, where a circular lump was weighing her down.  The compass.

Footsteps entering the room caused Elizabeth to look up, a smile curling her lips.  The emerald eyed guard mirrored her gaze as he tossed his mask off to the side, revealing longish dark hair and tanned skin.  Theo.

"Sorry I'm late," Theo apologized, striding over to the women.  "Johnson put up a bit more of a fight than I had expected."

Vanessa made a strangled sound, causing Theo to grin at her.  "Don't worry, love.  Your friend'll recover.  But I doubt you'll be able to use his...er...services any time soon."

Elizabeth could feel Vanessa's fury growing as she unclasped the woman's chain necklace.  "You two," she complained as Elizabeth forced her into the chair and tied her hands with the necklace.  "I should have expected this after Johnson failed to find you once they finished apprehending Elizabeth."  She looked up at Theo with disdain.

Theo rolled his eyes.  Then, he drew back his fist and punched Vanessa in the face, sending blood flying everywhere.  Vanessa opened her mouth to complain, but Theo cut her off.  "That's for kissing my wife."

Vanessa's eyes went wide.  Elizabeth moved to stand next to Theo, purposefully flashing the diamond ring on her finger.  After the woman studied the ring for a moment, she fell silent.

"C'mon," Theo told Elizabeth, taking her hand.  "Let's go find Imbali."

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"Okay," Theo finally said after three hours of hiking in the dense jungle.  "Something's wrong.  You haven't said a word since we left Vanessa's compound."

Elizabeth bit her lip as she pushed a tree branch out of her way.  "Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because you usually never stop talking, especially when we're this close to a breakthrough."

Elizabeth shrugged, curling her hand around the compass in her pocket.  She supposed that she had been rather quiet for the past few hours.  She had been in deep thought for most of their hike.  

"It's..." She trailed off, locking eyes with Theo.  "I can't believe we're actually almost there.  We're almost to Imbali.  We've almost fulfilled my dad's dream."

Theo smiled warmly, reaching out to take his wife's hand.  "I can't believe it either.  Your dad would be so proud of you if he were here."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand and peered at the compass one last time.  The arrow was pointing straight at a curtain of ivy that was covering a nearby boulder.  She moved the compass a few times to confirm, but it pointed at the boulder in every position.

"That's it," she whispered, her grip on Theo's hand tightening.  "That's Imbali."

"Wow," Theo remarked, though he sounded incredibly unimpressed.  "It really rocks."

Elizabeth smacked him on the arm with the compass, causing Theo to crack up.  "Do you take anything seriously?" Elizabeth questioned, feeling an unwelcome smile curling her lips.

"You're the one that agreed to marry me," Theo grinned.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and tucked the compass into her pocket.  Then, she crouched down in front of the boulder and began to empty her knapsack.  She started by pulling out four candles and placing them at the cardinal directions.  Then, she retrieved a flint and steel, which she used to light the candles.

Theo reached into his own backpack and handed Elizabeth a small djembe.  Elizabeth adjusted the way she was sitting so the djembe was sitting between her legs.  After taking a deep breath, she began to hit the djembe in the pattern her father had taught her.

She played the djembe alone for a few seconds before she began to softly sing.  "Singabahambayo thina kullomhlaba.  Kepha sinekhaya, e Zulwini.  Singabahambayo thina kullomhlaba. Kepha sinekhaya, e Zulwini.  Haleluya, haleluya.  Haleluya, haleluya, haleluyah.  Haleluya, haleluya.  Haleluya, haleluya, haleluya."

Elizabeth finished the song with a few final taps on the djembe, staring at the boulder expectantly.  

The boulder didn't shift, the curtain of ivy didn't part, and Imbali did not appear.

"I don't understand," Elizabeth mumbled.  "It should be working."

She had done everything right.  She had played the correct instrument, placed the candles in the right formation, and had sung the song perfectly.  She didn't understand what had gone wrong.

Before Elizabeth could fret any more, she felt a chill run down her spine.  She glanced up at Theo, who was shivering, proving that the chill wasn't just in her imagination.  

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the forest, ruffling Elizabeth's hair and extinguishing the four candles one by one.  Elizabeth reached into her pocket to clutch the compass in her pocket and held her other hand out to Theo, who cradled it against his chest.

For a moment, nothing happened.  Then, a second gust of wind parted the curtain of ivy that was draped elegantly over the entrance to Imbali.  What the wind revealed caused Elizabeth's jaw to drop.

The center of the boulder was carved out in a circular shape, revealing a gorgeous valley on the other side.  The grass was a sunny yellow and glowed like it was gilded in gold.  Thousands of flowers peeked out from between the blades of grass in a rainbow of colors.  Elizabeth's favorites were the stunning bluebells with their narrow flowers and gorgeous blue shade.  Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower, sucking up their nectar.  Behind the valley, Elizabeth could see tall skyscrapers made of various precious metals: iron, bronze, silver, and more.  

Elizabeth could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes as Theo drew her into his arms.  Before he could say anything, Elizabeth clutched his face and began to kiss him all over.  Theo laughed and stopped Elizabeth once she reached his jaw, pressing his lips against hers.  He tasted like joy and love, which tasted even sweeter at the edge of Imbali.

"You did it, Liz," Theo said when they finally broke apart, running his fingers through her dirty blonde locks.  "I'm so proud of you."

"As am I," another voice called, causing Elizabeth to freeze in place, her heart beating a thousand times faster.

Elizabeth watched Theo's eyes as they focused on something behind her and she could see tears forming in them.  Tears of her own trailing down her cheeks, Elizabeth turned around.

There was her father.  He was just as handsome as he had been when Elizabeth had known him.  His blond hair was tousled artfully and his blue eyes widened with love as he laid eyes on his daughter for the first time in years.  As he took a step closer, Elizabeth could see the sun shining through his translucent body.

He was a spirit, but Elizabeth could see life in his eyes as he smiled at her.  "Hello, my child.  Welcome to Imbali, the land of the ancestors."

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𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜/𝙳𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜

Imbali: 'Flower' in Zulu

Djembe: An African Drum

Singabahambayo: A Zulu folk song adapted by the Emmaus Chamber Choir and Victor C. Johnson

Singabahamba yo thina kullomhlaba: 'We are pilgrims on this earth' in Zulu

Kepha sinekhaya, e Zulwini: 'But our home is in Heaven' in Zulu

Haleluya: 'Hallelujha' in Zulu

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𝖠𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋'𝗌 𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾

This story is named after the song by Keane, which is one of my favorite songs.

Additionally, the Zulu song used in this short story is a real song!  If you'd like to listen to it, an arrangement is in the external link.

Thank you all so much for reading! This is my first attempt at a short story challenge and I hope you enjoyed it. It's not my best work, but it is what I could come up with for my favorite of the prompts. I will be doing a lot more of these in the future, so stick around if you'd like to read them.

:)

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