Eternal Malediction (RE)

The walk into London was longer than any of them expected.

Two and a half miles didn’t sound like much when Roy first suggested it. "We’ll walk," he’d said. "It’s good for the kids. And we don’t have money to waste on buses."

He said it casually, but Roy rarely said anything without thinking it through first. He knew the group needed the walk not just physically, but mentally. With everything that has been going on, a walk would help.

But the road from the outskirts into the city stretched on like a tired old ribbon, winding past rows of brick houses that looked like they’d been built before any of them were born. The air smelt faintly of chimney smoke and damp earth. The sky hung low, a dull grey blanket that made everything feel muted.

Roy walked at the front, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, shoulders relaxed but eyes sharp. He always walked like he knew exactly where he was going, even when he didn’t. His pace was steady, unhurried, but purposeful – the kind of pace that made others follow without question.

Kieran walked beside him, silent, hands shoved deep into his coat. His breath fogged in front of him, disappearing quickly in the cold air. He didn’t complain, but his expression stayed tight, like he was thinking about something he didn’t want to say. He kept glancing at Roy, then looking away quickly, as if he wanted to ask something but couldn’t bring himself to.

Tanaka trailed behind them, kicking stones along the pavement. Every time he kicked one too far, he jogged ahead to catch up, then kicked another. It was a pointless game, but it kept him occupied. Lys walked beside him, occasionally nudging him when he kicked a stone too close to the kids.

Rin marched proudly at the front of the ’kid group’, swinging his arms like he was leading an expedition. Mella held Mira’s hand, skipping every few steps, her little boots tapping lightly against the pavement. Mira, trying very hard to look older than she was, kept glancing at Roy and Kieran as if she wanted to join their conversation, except they weren’t talking.

The silence stretched.

Only the crunch of gravel and the distant hum of cars filled the air.

Roy finally broke it. "We’ll get food first," he said without looking back. "Bread, vegetables, maybe some meat if we can afford it. Then fireworks."

Tanaka perked up. "Fireworks? For real?"

Roy shrugged. "If we find cheap ones."

Rin gasped dramatically. "Fireworks?!"

Mella squeezed Mira’s hand. "Can we get the sparkly ones?"

"We’ll see," Roy said.

Kieran didn’t say anything.

He kept walking, eyes fixed ahead, jaw tight. He didn’t know why he felt uneasy. Maybe it was the sky. Maybe it was the silence. Maybe it was the memory of Lily’s trembling voice behind the cabin earlier that day. He didn’t want to think about it, but the thought clung to him like cold air.

The road narrowed as they approached the city. Houses grew closer together, windows lined with old curtains. A few people stood outside their doors, smoking or sweeping or simply staring at the sky like they were waiting for something to change.

The closer they got to London, the quieter the group became.

Mella stopped skipping. Rin stopped marching. Tanaka stopped kicking stones. Mira’s humming faded. Kieran’s jaw tightened.

Roy kept walking.

They crossed under a railway bridge; the concrete was stained with years of rain and soot. A train rumbled overhead, shaking dust loose from the beams. The kids flinched. Roy didn’t.

When they finally stepped into the city proper, the air shifted.

London wasn’t loud. London wasn’t bustling. London wasn’t alive.

People walked the streets, but their movements were slow and stiff, like they were forcing themselves to keep going. A man stood outside a bakery, smiling at passersby even though his eyes looked hollow. A woman pushed a pram down the pavement, humming cheerfully, but her hands shook the entire time. A group of teenagers laughed loudly near a bus stop, but the laughter sounded thin, strained, like they were trying to convince themselves they were okay.

Everyone was trying to look hopeful. Trying to pretend. Trying to survive.

Rin slowed down, looking around. "Why does everyone look... weird?"

Lys rested a hand on his shoulder as she opened her mouth. "Just stay close." Her voice didn’t come out. It never did. She mouthed the words instead, hoping he understood. He nodded, not noticing the silence.

They walked deeper into the city, heading toward the market. The pavement was cracked in places, weeds pushing through. Posters peeled off brick walls, advertising concerts that had already happened. A man sat on a bench, staring at his shoes. A woman fed pigeons with a bright smile, even though her hands trembled.

Roy didn’t slow down.

He led them through a narrow street lined with old flats. Laundry hung from windows. A few people sat on stoops, staring blankly at the pavement. A man swept his doorstep with a bright grin, even though his eyes looked empty. A woman polished her shoes obsessively, even though the leather was cracked beyond saving.

The kids stayed close now.

Mella held Mira’s hand tightly. Rin walked beside Lys. Tanaka stopped kicking stones entirely.

Kieran’s eyes darted around, taking everything in, but he didn’t say a word.

Then Roy felt a tug on his sleeve.

He looked down.

A boy, the same or near the age of Rin, stood there. Thin. Pale. In school clothes too big for him, it was charred and discoloured. His hands were cupped together, trembling slightly.

He wasn’t speaking. Just looking up at Roy with wide, desperate eyes.

He pointed toward the alley, and Roy’s eyes followed the gesture.

A woman sat slumped against the wall, her back pressed to the bricks. She looked weak with her head tilted forward, her hands limp in her lap. Her ribs showed through her shirt. Her breathing was shallow.

The boy tried to speak, but no words came out. Only a soft, broken noise.

Mella’s face fell. Rin stepped closer. Mira covered her mouth.

Kieran’s expression hardened. "No. We can’t. We were told not to waste money on useless stuff."

Mira spun toward him, eyes blazing. "Useless? He’s starving! His mum is starving! You always help people when they need it!"

Kieran looked at Mira, hard, then it turned into a light one, and finally looked away into the sky as he reflected on something.

Roy looked at the boy again.

The child tugged his sleeve once more, harder this time, desperate for someone to understand him.

And that was when Lys froze.

Her eyes locked onto the boy’s trembling hands, the way he tried to force sound out of his throat, the way his mouth moved without forming words. Something flickered across her face, pity, yes, but something sharper underneath. Something that twisted in her chest.

She felt it like a sting. A disgust that wasn’t aimed at him... but at herself. Because she could speak. Her voice worked. Her throat worked. Her words existed.

She just couldn’t use them. Her mind wouldn’t let her.

And seeing this boy, this child who physically couldn’t speak made something inside her recoil. It felt wrong. Unfair. Like she was stealing something from him by choosing silence when he had no choice.

Her fingers curled slightly at her sides as she looked away, jaw tightening, eyes burning with a quiet shame no one else noticed.

Roy slowly knelt down to the boy’s level.

The boy’s eyes widened and Roy raised his hands.

And began to sign.

The boy froze, then his eyes lit up, glowing with sudden recognition. His hands moved shakily, forming signs back at Roy. Not perfect, not fluent, but enough. Enough to communicate. Enough to be heard.

Roy’s expression softened. He looked back at the group.

Mira watched with her hands clasped, hopeful. Tanaka looked confused. Rin and Mella stared in awe. Kieran looked away, guilt flickering across his face.

Lys didn’t move.

She watched Roy’s hands, watched the boy’s trembling responses, and watched the silent conversation unfold, and her throat tightened painfully. She swallowed, but no sound came out. Not even a breathy attempt.

She hated that she couldn’t speak. She hated that she could speak. She hated that she didn’t know which one was true anymore.

The boy tugged Roy’s sleeve again, signing quickly now desperate and excited, relieved to finally speak to someone without grunting or pointing.

Roy nodded slowly, listening.

The boy signed something on the lines of Mum. Hungry. No food. Please.

Roy exhaled slowly as he looked at the woman again. Her breathing was shallow, her head drooping forward. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days.

Roy reached into his pocket, pulling out 3 notes, each worth £5, and he gave the boy one of the three notes.

He hesitated.

He looked at Kieran, and Kieran didn’t meet his eyes.

He looked at Mira; she nodded, eyes shining.

He looked at Lys. She gave a small, firm nod, the only soundless approval she could offer.

Roy placed the cash gently into the boy’s cupped hands.

The boy stared at them, eyes wide, then looked up at Roy with a trembling smile. the kind of smile that looked too big for his small face.

He signed thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Roy signed back to take care of her.

The boy nodded quickly, then ran to his mother, kneeling beside her and showing her the coins. She looked up weakly, tears forming in her eyes.

The boy got up again and ran back to Roy as he watched him run back. The boy hugged Roy, which startled him, as he patted his back in response, and the boy ran back to his mum.

Roy stood slowly, and the group stayed silent as they walked on.

The market was only a few streets away, but the atmosphere felt heavier now. The kids stayed close. Mira walked beside Kieran, glancing at him occasionally. Tanaka didn’t kick any stones. Lys kept her eyes on the pavement.

Roy walked ahead, hands in his pockets, shoulders tense.

They reached the market, a small open area with stalls selling vegetables, bread, cheap meat, and old fireworks leftover from last year’s celebrations. The vendors smiled brightly, calling out deals and waving at customers, but their eyes looked tired, their voices strained.

Roy bought bread. Lys bought vegetables. Tanaka found cheap fireworks and one massive one called ’The Bomb’. Mira bought sweets for the kids. Kieran carried the bags silently.