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System of Shadows

VIII. The Watching Skies

By March 16, 2025March 20th, 2025No Comments

VIII. The Watching Skies

Next: IX. Judge Eleanor BlackWood

Ms. Chen’s daughter and the rightful owner develop a new habit: tracking the aircraft that circle endlessly above Pine Valley Court. A powered plane completing its circle every eighteen minutes. A silent glider drifting in tighter patterns. Both appearing three days after their first meeting in the hospital records room—a coincidence too precise to ignore.

“In true spiritual communities, warriors show up,” Ms. Chen’s daughter said firmly. “They don’t need to know all the details. They just need to understand they’re part of something meaningful. Micro-volunteering at its finest—eat cake, take an item, say a prayer, drop it off somewhere new.”

For the first time in months, the rightful owner smiled genuinely. “It would disperse the targeting.”

“Exactly. Who’s going to stop a massive community gathering? How would they track hundreds of items moving in different directions simultaneously? The network thrives on isolation and controlled information. This would be the opposite—connection and controlled chaos.”

As they spoke, they watched the glider make another silent pass overhead. The idea of community intervention gave them momentary hope—a vision of what could be if the world worked the way it should.

“It would need to be perfect,” the rightful owner said. “The timing, the coordination.”

Ms. Chen’s daughter nodded. “It would. And that’s what community should be for. When we call ourselves warriors of light, we should turn up for each other. Not with weapons, but with casseroles and moving boxes and prayers.”

But even as they spoke, both women understood the harsh reality beneath their hopeful words. They had reached out before—careful messages, veiled requests for help, subtle signals to those who called themselves spiritual warriors. The responses had been polite deferrals, concerned but distant encouragement, promises to pray without promises to show up.

“I thought they would come,” the rightful owner admitted quietly. “When I first realized what was happening, I was so certain someone would notice. That my absence would matter.”

Ms. Chen’s daughter squeezed her hand. “My mother believed until the end that her church family would recognize the pattern. That they would look beyond the official story.”

The planes continued their endless circles overhead, recording two women who, to all appearances, were simply taking an evening walk. The observers couldn’t hear their conversation, couldn’t sense the weight of abandonment settling between them. They could only track movement, not measure the growing understanding that community—real community—remained an unrealized ideal.

“People want to help in theory,” the rightful owner said, watching the glider begin another circle. “Just not when it’s complicated. Not when it might involve them in something they don’t fully understand.”

“Or when helping might mark them as targets too,” Ms. Chen’s daughter added. “Fear is contagious.”

Above them, the circling planes were a constant reminder that while they were watched with relentless attention, they remained fundamentally unseen by those who should have recognized their distress signals and responded.

And that’s where our story ends for today. I hope you enjoyed the journey. But the story isn’t over yet—there’s always more to discover. Be sure to join me next time for the next chapter. Until then, stay curious, and I’ll see you soon.Thank you for listening to the Story Seed Studios productions.

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