Hi ! This is a story I wrote a while ago. I tried to correct as many errors as possible but since english is not my first language, there are probably some left. I know it's not exactly the best story ever written, but I don't think it is totally worthless either. Anyway, I'd be grateful if some of you could tell me what they think of it.
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Heartless
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I was born different.
I have never known my parents. I think my mother died while giving me birth. Of my dad I know nothing. Also, I am a mute since birth. For a very long time I did not mind. The only thing that bothered me was that I was homeless. Everyone knew I was an orphan, but the houses being so small and crowded, and me so big even as a child, no one would give me shelter. My home was the town itself. I spent my time outside, listening to people speaking, birds singing.
Immobile. Quiet.
I hardly remember the day I was born. It was so long ago. I first saw a dim light and blurred faces. I felt people, men mostly, touching me, stroking me, fondling me. One of them even kissed me. All these people around me made me feel warm, loved, safe. For a time which felt like months, years even, I felt like the most important and beloved being in town. I could feel the expectations around me, everyone talking about how big and strong I already was. Weeks after weeks, months after months I grew, developing rapidly under the care of the men who tended me. By day or by night, while always in the streets, I felt the center of the world. Being in the streets, I could see anywhere, know everyone, share any secret. Even the drops of rain felt like a warm caress on my skin, soon dried by the heat of summer. I did not fear the chill of winter, even standing naked in the streets.
One day I knew I was finally whole, I had reached the peak of my strength. I was bigger by far than anyone I knew and felt that nobody could hurt me. At the same time, I heard that the King was coming to our town to see me. People said that he was so impressed of what he had heard about me that he wanted me to lead one of his armies. Everyone stopped work and came to see me. They washed me, decorated me, made me beautiful for his coming. I could see the pride in every eye, the growing excitation coming from every place in town. I remember being a little scared of all this fuss, but I know I've never been as proud of myself as I was in these days. It did not matter that I was mute, that I was homeless, that I had no family. The city was my home, its people my family. And my King was coming.
A few days later, a procession came to the city with a lord at his head. While he was nowhere near as big as I was then, I could only be in awe of this man whose poise and bearing spoked volumes about his power and inner will. Hearing the whispers, I realized that he was the King of Lindholm, our beloved country. It was very unusual for him to leave the capital and come to a place like this, our town being the farthest south of the kingdom, the frontier-town which controlled the only pass through the mountains to the realm of Kalim, our mortal foe.
The King stopped before me and smiled in approval. He blessed me with an incantation meant to give me strength and long life. This is when the realization came to me. I had never thought about my purpose in life until then. Now, with this man standing before me, I knew what I was meant to be. I should be the protector of the kingdom, the most powerful line of defense against our enemies.
The festivities lasted for the rest of the day, and the King left for the capital the following morning. I never saw him again.
After that, people did not come to see me anymore. They often stopped to look at me but they always passed by after a while. They knew that a war was coming and did not want to be reminded of it.
Several weeks later, when the vanguard of Kalim's army finally came to invade us, they had no idea I would be waiting for them. I was standing before my countrymen, and I clearly saw the disbelief in their eyes. The battle was over before it even started. They retreated when they realized they had no chance and we all laughed at their cowardice.
Until they came back.
Ten times more numerous, with siege engines, crossbows and battlemages.
We won again. I used all my might to protect my people while they sent a rain of arrows from behind my back. I was attacked from all directions and badly hurt but in the end, thanks to me, we prevailed. Everyone was overjoyed with this decisive win and I was left to guard the city, recovering, while our soldiers went to raid and plunder Kalim. None of our foes survived.
After this battle, I knew that my strength would never be the same. I never healed properly and people did not seem to care, now that the war was over and the country safe. I was not needed anymore. Sometimes, people came and talked to me about their lives and pains, but they quickly left when they remembered I could not talk back.
The only thing I could do was to rest so I did, for a long while. I slept all the time, except when it rained. Each time, I was awakened by the drops sinking into my wounds and hurting so bad I felt like crying. Birds shat on me. I wanted to scream, feeling so lonely, unable to die, but the words that could release me would never come out.
The town grew in a city, and soon room had to be made for new buildings. They took me apart, piece by piece, until I was completely invisible to their eyes.
I still live here today, even though no one remembers me. Parts of my body are buried in the fields while others have been used to build a new road, and little bits of me lay scattered on the market place. I do what I've always done. I listen and I wait.
So alone.
