Contest Entries

For The Night Is Deep

RR3's Round 1 entry.

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FOR THE NIGHT IS DEEP

By superjelly

Back in the days of old gods and old men, there were the nights of old women.

Urduja was an old Babaylan--- a leader; who was wise and powerful, a healer; who was skillfull and merciful, and a woman; who was beautiful and alluring. As her days were numbered and the strands of her hair had turned gray, she knew while sitting on the Throne of Withered Roses that it was time to choose her successor.

The council of old men huddled around her to have the blessing of her kiss. There, they fully understood what the Babaylan wanted to say despite the silence of her heartbeat.

They announced the following morning that at the last night of blood-red winter when the Moon of the North arises, they will elect the new Babaylan.

* * *

Five young women kissed the Golden Cup of the Babaylan to fulfill their vows of candidacy. Among them is a woman named Bilquis who smiled at every common folk she passed by and told tales of the stars to the younglings. Even those beyond North talked about her, how she would wash the feet of the vagabonds and fed them strawberries.

"She could be the new Babaylan," said a common folk.

"She is bright and fair after all," another remarked.

So when the last night of blood-red winter came, it was no surprise to see Bilquis sit on the Throne of Withered Roses. They have danced the whole night, and all together they welcomed the three stars and a sun in the morning of the Pearl of the Orient.

Good years came and stayed. There were no longer blood-red winters, and the moon of the North kept on rising. Bilquis shined brightly in the mornings of the Pearl of the Orient.

But little do they know is she shined even brighter at night.

* * *

Drunken old men walked through the halls of the brothel with harlots in their bosoms. For the ones who still drowned on rich liquor, they watched whores bathe in glitters as they danced in the silver poles. Each of them wore masks that covered half of their faces. An old governor from the West travelled to see the best whores of all Sanip, and was not disappointed when he finally picked the woman in the corner.

They went inside a dimmed room and lay in a bed covered with red sheets. The governor lashed his belt on the whore as he penetrated himself inside her. The woman did not make any sound, much to his surprise. He found himself going deeper. He has never been that deep inside any woman before. He started to scream as he no longer felt pleasure, but instead, fear.

"M-monster!"

And he was completely devoured by the vagina of the mysterious whore.

The harlot stood up, removed her mask, and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at the face of a monster; one that was respected and hid behind a mask. One that was chosen to lead and yet have deceived.

In Bilquis' breast, the face of the old governor is now carved in her flesh with thousand other faces of greedy old men who were the real monsters.

***

DISCLAIMER: Bilquis is based on Neil Gaiman's Bilquis from American Gods.