Winner

The crowds cheered, and my mother cried.
Father tried to quiet her, in hopes that her grief wouldn't be noticed.
But they always know.
I could do nothing when they came, trapped as I was in the winner's circle. I couldn't even show any of my anguish as they dragged my mother away.
For I was supposed to be a winner, and nothing was to detract from the happy occasion.
Not how my mother's grief was rewarded with a trip to the Rejuvenation Center.
Not the fact that after today, my father would be completely alone.
Not even that I hadn't even entered the Djinn's Contest.
I was a winner.
The winner's circle became hazy with smoke, but I couldn't join the other two winners in cheering along with the crowd as we were drawn into the lamp.
All I could think about was everything I'd just lost.