Narrated by Christopher Collingwood
Song 1
The river calls to the Zuccatti
For the blue moon shines tonight
Whispers of souls drown in the water
So the river prepares for the dead
For the Zuccatti sing songs by the river
So the dying rest peacefully at night
The Zuccatti stand by the shadow reeds
So the dying are not held by the living
The Zuccatti throw stones in the river
So the dying don’t follow false moons
The Zuccatti burn the possessions of the dead
So the dying will not linger for their kin
The Zuccatti stand guard by the river’s edge
So the Zuccatti do not rise again
The Zuccatti keep the dead to the water
So the living may sleep another night.
Song 2
Stay watch by the river as the blue moon comes
The cold wind blows for the passing
Stay close by the river as the water moves
For the dead are often restless
Listen to the sounds of the river
For you may hear the souls passing
Stand clear of the shadow reeds when the water moves
For the dead might rise again
Watch those who stand by the river
For the dead have an endless hunger
Keep the dead to the deep waters
So they may never reach the land.
Song 3
The summer nights wait for Ya’vila
For she has been gone too long
She travelled barefoot along the riverbanks
Careless of the words of her ancestors
Ya’vila was drawn to the songs of the moon
And was tempted by the dream of eternity
So she walked barefoot into the river
And disappeared to the whispers of the night
Lal’ilus searched for his lost lover
For the moon had lasted many nights
He walked across all the dreams of lost wanderers
But the riverbeds remained silent
The moon tried to lure him with its song
But he was already haunted by another love
He asked the great winds for guidance
They told him that Ya’vila was gone
And the only way to find her was through death
He accepted all fates for the price of love
So the winds guided him to the water’s edge
Lal’ilus made his way into the river
From the waters Ya’vila began to rise
Darken eyes and colourless skin
She was no longer among the living
Lal’ilus called to his love
But she attacked him like the madness of the night
And left him mortally wounded
Lal’ilus cleansed her with his knife
She fell to the water clear of her sins
And a great sadness fell on him
For now he had nothing but the darkness to take him
He called to the winds to forgive him
So they sent him a great tide
That sent him to Ya’vila
Ensuring he would not rise again.
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Author’s Note: The Zuccatti death songs are all that remain of the great Zuccatti civilisation. A once peaceful people, they were often referred to as children of the river, as their culture thrived along the river ways of their world for thirty thousand years. This was until a great cataclysm caused the extinction of the Zuccatti civilisation. Historic evidence suggests that this may have coincided with a prolonged period of drought, and may be the reason for a change in burial customs, from benign water burials, to cannibalistic rituals that saw consumed bodies unburied throughout the streets. Scientists are hoping that the study of the Zuccatti death songs, may provide hidden insights into the extinction of the Zuccatti civilisation.
BIO: Christopher Collingwood was born and raised in Sydney Australia. He completed university in Sydney and graduated with a degree in business studies. Chris has devoted his spare time to writing, with works published in Outposts of Beyond, Illumen, Neo-Opsis and Oz Poetic Society.