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Challenge of the Week #56: Write the beginning of a story about a tyrannical king who threatens the entire realm. The most masterfully written piece, as voted and determined by the Prose team, will be crowned winner and receive $100. Quality beats quantity, always, but numbers make things easier for our judges, so share, share, share with friends, family, and connections. #ProseChallenge #getlit #itslit
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James

After dawn is not dusk

We took peace for granted, since we did not know that the little conflict between brothers and friends always ended with both parties drinking or laughing. 

  All that changed, the day the white spirits arrived. Our once beloved king got poisoned by the mysterious gifts they offered. Every night the king's guard would seize  families from every town in the kingdom.  They would be taken to the cauldrons of the white spirits. These cauldrons could move on water, they then travel deep into the yellow sun until the cauldrons disappeared. 

 Pandemonium rocked the kingdom.  Many tried to run, but they got killed by the juju of the white spirits.  Everytime the juju takes a life,  it always makes a terrible noise like an angry thunderstorm that frightens anyone close by. 

  Furthermore,  the white spirits were also interested in our farm produce. The king stationed his guards on every farmland.  Any farmer who refused to weed his crops or cultivate more seeds would be beaten with wet twigs.  

 During harvest, all farm produce is taken to the kings courtyard. Little rations is bestowed to the farmers,  majority of the harvest is given to white spirits in appreciation for the fruitful harvest.  We had used white powders on our farms, which was given to us by the white spirits. 

  No one had cowries to buy anything. They had become worthless since the white spirits came.  Whatever we needed,  we bartered  amongst one another.

  In the midst of peril,  I began to recruit brothers and sisters far and wide. Together we became the resistance.  From the ashes of our fallen compatriots,  we intend to rise and fight for our freedom. 

              GLOSSARY

White spirits: colonial masters 

Cauldrons : ships

juju : gun

White powder: fertilizers

cowries: money