Lion Head Mesa dunyā

the world remained in darkness for zakariya, who had learned early to always be his sister's shadow. at times she seemed to know things he did not, though zakariya did not yet grasp it fully. he only knew that nazli was the only true source of safety in his small, cruel world.

he shadowed her faithfully on her daring venture toward the light, only to go deathly still when he heard something familiar. footsteps. his hearing had already sharpened in the absence of sight, and he knew what this sound meant. someone was coming. he heard nazli trip and scrambled after her, more sure-footed than his sister and much more panicked by the thought of company. he started to nose her back, further into the darkness, though zakariya knew it only as safety. he could not comprehend the wish to be in the light, for he had never seen it that he could remember and had never felt the warmth of the sun. he knew only safety and danger. safety was nazli, home, familiar things. anything else was danger.