Again

"Overnight police responded to a call in Muskogee..."

Durga turned off the news. She was so tired. It felt like every day there was another man who thought others were weak and unworthy. Those men would commit violence against people without a thought, so sure that no one would ever stop them. Even when these perpetrators of violence were captured, they showed so little remorse. They would target innocents without thought - men, women, and sometimes children. It always hurt the most when there were children.

"Atlanta area officials have released a response to yesterday's incident..."

The other gods always seemed too busy to help, to answer the prayers. Even before something happened that needed Durga's attention, she sometimes felt like she was the only one paying attention. Durga wasn't sure she could keep doing this on her own for much longer. Last year was actually a nice break. Since everyone was staying at home, the crises were usually smaller, the intervention easier, and the retribution easier. It felt like she could breathe for a few weeks. It seemed like there was some space in between each crisis, and despite feeling like she was alone, it wasn't as hard.

"Police in Minnesota report additional devices...."

Now it was a new year. People were beginning to leave their homes again, and the violence was on a roll. Durga dreaded the day when everything opened up fully - the malls, movie theaters, and schools. A goddess can only be in so many places at once. She wanted to shelter everyone and offer what protection she could. But as she had learned over the years, her many arms could only juggle so many things at once.

"In today's news, police in Boulder..."

It had been millennia, eons upon eons, but Durga did still not understand humans. She had killed demons for them and had done everything she could to make the world a safer place. When the gods were defeated battling the demon Mahishasura, she fought and killed him so that he could no longer torture innocents. Everything that was going on in the world today did was not caused by a demon she could fight. Some things needed to correction, but mortals were doing this to themselves in the end.

"Breaking news: Police report...."

Durga sighed. It was going to be another day of trying to protect someone or, more likely, several people. Another week of listening to cries for protection and doing her best to save as many as she could. It would be another year of trying to fight invisible demons on behalf of those who could not fight. Durga wished there was someone she could pray to.

Breaking News image from here

Author's Note: This tale about Durga was inspired very loosely by the story Durga fighting Mahishasura. Mahishasura was a demon who had asked for immortality. When that wish could not be granted he instead asked that no man be able to kill him. That wish was granted because why not? Very sure that he was now as good as immortal, he set about doing awful things like torturing those who still worshiped the gods. Because of his wish, the gods could not kill him and were actually defeated in battle. So Durga was created! With her many arms and weapons she defeated the demon who was so sure that a woman would never have the strength to take him on. For my fellow Lord of the Rings fans - it is pretty much like when Eowyn kills the witch king. No man can kill you? No worries! I'm not a man!

With recent things happening in the news I ended up telling a very different story than I started writing. Durga is about fighting demons and protecting innocents. I ended up thinking more about how can you do that when there is not a physical demon you can fight? Durga is also frequently depicted as the warrior - many arms holding weapons, maybe charging into battle. In her "downtime" is Durga just world-weary?