Avug's saga, chapter 1

Avug's Saga

Three minutes at the edge of awakening: Avug lies sleepless after a night of work and punishment, caught between who she is told to be and who she feels she might become.

In a world where some are born to obey and others to rule, her questions are the first sparks of quiet rebellion, stirred by forbidden machines and family secrets.

The first chapter of four in Avug’s saga; a short-story where duty cracks, and the hidden gears of change begin to turn.

Transcript

Presenter 0:02

You are listening to Stories from Väruld. In this episode, Avug's Saga, Chapter 1.

Narrator 0:12

When Avug's shift ended, she got her bucket of water and went to find her mom. The sun was already up and she was late. She walked across the meadow, criss-crossing between other moms and their children, making ready for the daylight. Her mother was waiting for her. Avug sat down and they drank their water together in silence. When they were done, most groups around them had already gone to sleep. Avug helped her mother to unroll the mattresses. She ripped off her clothes and lay down. She ought to be tired, but she was not. The night had ended with her being punished for doing a bad job. Again. Her butt hurt, and she could not sleep. She turned her head and watched her mother laying beside her, drinking sunlight.

Avug 1:05

Mom, are you awake? Hmm, maybe. Why is your skin darker than mine?

Narrator 1:13

A silence followed, and Avug wondered if she had upset her mum.

Blanda 1:18

If you take green and put a little brown in it, it's still green, just darker.

Narrator 1:23

Avug frowned.

Avug 1:24

You said that Blomster made us green.

Blanda 1:28

He did.

Avug 1:29

But then who put the brown in you? Did another of the gods do that?

Blanda 1:33

In a way. Go to sleep now.

Skvalder 1:39

Your mum is dark green because her mum made a child with one of the damn brunies.

Narrator 1:44

A woman on her other side said, loud and clear,

Blanda 1:47

Mind your own business, Skvalder!

Narrator 1:50

Her mother hissed.

Avug 1:51

My mum is n't brown!

Narrator 1:53

Avug yelled.

Blanda 1:54

Hush, Avog.

Narrator 1:56

More people were awake now.

Skvalder 1:58

Everyone know you're a half-breed, Blanda. Why not tell her the truth? It's better if she knows what she is.

Blanda 2:05

Avog is a grön!

Narrator 2:08

Now it was her mother's turn to yell.

Blanda 2:10

Just look at her! Do you see anything of a broony in her? She is as green as any of Blomster's leaves.

Skvalder 2:17

It's more than the colour of your skin, Blanda.

Blanda 2:21

She doesn't eat! And her skin is green. If you want a gruin to fulfill more than that, you should take a look at yourself before you judge others.

Narrator 2:32

People around them started to complain and told them to shut up. Both her mom and the other woman did. Avug closed her eyes and wished she was tired. The sun shone through her eyelids, making her vision red inside her head. The other woman was right. She was not a true grön. If she was, how come she did not do the job assigned to her as well as she could? Everyone else she knew did their tasks the best they could. Maybe she was the only one not telling her mother everything, too. And why could she not stay away from the mechanical table?

Presenter 3:15

Thank you for listening to Stories from Väruld. In the next episode, Behind the Scenes of this podcast.