Walls

By Cassandra Hamm

The walls crumble more every day. It’s not just something you can fix with workers and stone, either. If it were that easy, we would’ve saved the city long ago.

But these magic-imbued walls are held together by our relationships—by love—and that love is fading.

I hurry through the city. The streets are still magnificent, if you can look past the fear tingeing the air. The sound of yelling reaches my ears, followed by a shrill cry. I cringe. Like we need any more trouble in Paraiso. The walls start to shiver, sending more rock tumbling down the sides, crushing anyone who gets too close.

The walls continue shaking as the couple keeps arguing. Gray clouds race toward the city. It’s almost like they’re prophesying the end of Paraiso—which is stupid. We’ve held up on flawed love for hundreds of years. We’ll hold out for a while longer.

I hope.

I step onto Tarza’s porch, and before I can knock, the door swings open. Tarza is dressed for adventure—leggings, baggy shirt, pack slung over her back. Her wild, dark curls tangle around her face.

“Kaeson!” Her smile isn’t as bright as it used to be. “You made it!”

Why wouldn’t I be here? Unless she thinks I don’t want to be here… which is sort of true. I shift my weight. “Um. Yeah. So, I was thinking, for our date—”

“Oh, I already have something planned. Something that could save us.”

My eyes stretch wide. “Yeah?” I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.

“We’re leaving Paraiso.”

I freeze.

“What do you think?” Her dark eyes shine. “I’ve got all my things ready. You can go get packed, and then—”

“Are you crazy?”

Now she frowns. “Come on, Kaeson. There’s a better life for us somewhere else.”

Outside is terrifying. I don’t want to face the beasts beyond the wall. But I’m not going to say that in front of Tarza. “This is our home!”

“Let them deal with their crumbling city.” Tarza takes my hands. “We’ll be free, Kaeson, not having to worry that our mistakes will doom everyone else. Don’t you want that?”

“But we’re the only ones holding Paraiso up.” Okay, I don’t know that for sure, but I just saw another relationship fall apart this morning. So it’s highly possible. “We can’t just leave.”

“Maybe it’s time the walls fell,” she snaps.

How can she think that? All the chaos and confusion… all the beasts able to reach helpless citizens. Like me.

Does she really want me to get eaten?

Tarza yanks her hands away to snatch up another bag and pushes past me, heading toward the gate. My thoughts clear long enough for me to realize I’m never going to see her again if I let her go now.

I know I don’t deserve her. I never have and never will. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want her.

I thought that would be enough.

“Wait, Tarza!” I rush after her retreating form and grab her arm. “Wait. Please, think this through!”

She whips around to face me. We’re close enough to the walls to see every detail of the rough-hewn stone––and close enough to be crushed if anything falls. Just beyond are the dark clouds, roiling with unspent rain. The thought of a storm freaks me out, but to Tarza, I’m sure it’s intoxicating.

“It’s dying, Kaeson—we can’t change that.”

“But if we stay together, we’ll keep the walls whole.” I take her trembling hands. “We’ll protect thousands of people!”

“I love Paraiso. But not the walls.” She swallows. “And I love you. But I need to be free.”

Tremors rock the boundary of Paraiso. A boulder falls, eliciting screams.

“Please. Stay with me.” My voice breaks. “I need you. Paraiso needs you.”

“I’m sorry, Kaeson.” Her eyes glimmer with tears.

The stone cracks, cutting all the way across the city’s perimeter. I yank her away from it.

“Finally,” she breathes.

There’s the smile I fell in love with, but it’s not directed at me.

Each wall surrounding the city cracks and tips—almost comically slow—until it crashes into both buildings and people, snuffing out the horrified cries of citizens unable to escape and leaving nothing but clouds of dust. The rumbling stops, but the screams continue.

I stare numbly at the dust clouds where the walls used to be. Paraiso is gone. Because of me. Because I couldn’t hold my relationship together.

I turn to Tarza. Her eyes are fixed on the unknown.

“The walls…” My words sound muted under the screams. Under my own fear. “Just like you wanted.” Now she’ll stay. She won’t be trapped anymore.

But what good will staying be if we’re all eaten?

“It… it isn’t enough.” Her voice is hoarse. “I’m sorry. I can’t be here anymore.”

Panic seizes my chest, and I reach for her to find empty air. She’s gone—leaping across the remains of our fortress, crossing the rubble in great bounds, dark curls flying behind her.

“Tarza! Wait!” Part of me longs to run after her. The other part knows I can’t.

“My baby! Have you seen my baby?” someone wails.

“Rina! Where are you?”

“The beasts! We’re doomed!”

I close my eyes, blocking out the dust, the cries, the devastation. I can almost pretend that nothing has changed, that it’s a normal day in Paraiso, that Tarza will be back by my side in moments. Or maybe I am holding onto a dream that was never meant for me.

Rain batters my closed eyelids. All this dust will turn into mud, and my shattered dreams will remain somewhere in the wreckage.

“Goodbye.”

Can you guess which song inspired this story? (This month it could be any time period, any genre.) Share in the comments!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassandra Hamm is a writer who has always been fascinated by the inner workings of the human mind. She received her B.S. in psychology and continues to apply her knowledge to her characters. She is a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and teaches at Young Writer Lessons, both of which are affiliated with The Young Writer.

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