Ishtah: The Prostitute's Daughter

“The ceremony of the god Ashur is about to begin. Outside the city begins to celebrate, but the door of our house remains tightly shut. Our food has begun to grow scarce, yet my mother has made no motion to work. She hasn’t called me to braid her long tangled hair, to trace her eyes in black, or paint her lips red. Closing my eyes I try and find what might save us, yet the silence yields my young mind nothing. There would be no point in praying to the gods. I couldn’t imagine them listening...