Chased Distance: A Novella (WLW)

Chapter One: March 3rd, 1876, The Qualla Boundary, North Carolina

Bethany "Beth" Ensley walked through the Cherokee tribal land on which she was raised since age two, within which she held little stock. In fact, she held none and belonged to none. Truly, her adoptive father provided for her since her coming to North Carolina by fates outside of her own control, but that only extended to her immediate care. Things like affection or simply carrying a civil conversation didn't pass between them and despite her readiness to bring about a deeper connection, Beth knew it was for not.

She was "Unega" no matter the color of her hair or her obvious genetics. Beth was seen as white by all those within the community who'd recently adopted the edict ordered by the Cherokee National Legislator and would soon be "ejected", as they called it. After the decline in numbers of the Cherokee Nation and some of those within the various tribes around the United States intermingling with the white man, there was a need to curb the population. There was a need to rectify the decline in true Cherokee.

As barbaric as she felt it might be in hearing of the new declaration which would soon take effect thereby stripping her of the only home she knew, Beth empathized with the people who raised her. Some had lost everything in the last few decades and were only now regaining any semblance of the lives they once led. Finally able to truly re-establish themselves as a strong, striving nation, how could she be anything other than happy for them?

They were really beginning anew, something which Beth craved day-in and day-out, and would become even more vigorous for it, but the cost was sending many into the world of pioneers, commerce and new laws that each seemingly changed every day. In her tribe's territory of the Qualla Boundary, most only knew of it and nothing other than the horrors of the outside world. The vast majority of those within the close-knit community desired remaining far and away from those less savory in the outside world. Meaning that many who would be forced from their homes may not survive the excursion and Beth feared she would fall into that number, drifting to the winds and forgotten soon after her departure from the only home she could recall.

That being said, she had the benefit of outside knowledge, information which she kept at her side at all times. Or at least, at most times. As Beth walked with her creek water in her arms, sloshing about in her basin, she sighed and recalled the many hand-written lines her mother left in her journals.

There were two. One spoke of how she and Beth's father, Russel Ensley, met. The second was of her mothers aspirations for her life and was the most filled, literally falling apart from the many extra parchments, dried flowers and drawings strewn within. Something about the attention to detail in the journal made Beth wish she'd been able to meet her at least once, but her mother's final journal always reminded her of the possible fate they may share one day. A fate which now felt closer the longer those within the tribe openly discussed her possible ejection.

With a lofty sigh as Beth rounded the corner, she proceeded to the entrance of her tent, but stopped at its flaps. After kneeling down with her basin, she set the water down onto the grass below and glanced up as she felt eyes on the back of her neck, making her skin crawl. This was a common occurrence as of late, yet remained as unnerving as ever.

Beth veered her gaze over the faces of several people standing outside of their huts and tents, worriedly watching her every move. She tried to ignore them, knowing full-well that if she fed into their stares, it would only make that worry turn to fright. Not that they could or would ever fear her. Far from it, in fact. To the contrary, they would fear retaliation if they did not follow the edict put forth by the Legislator. Their word was law that no one ever went against, yet by the expressions cast back at her, she would have assumed they might have arrived at that conclusion already and the fright was already determining their actions.

She quickly ducked into her tent and closed the flap, leaving her water outside as she realized several pairs of footsteps were rather rapidly approaching from outside. Beth tried to steady her breath. She tried to remain calm, steadfast in everything she did just as always. Stoic, but quick to act. For the life of her, she couldn't.

Only in her wildest dreams did she ever consider leaving Qualla. Not after reading the last line of her mother's final diary. Her mother's final words. Do not journey to Louisiana! The words rang loudly in Beth's ears as she felt her pulse pounding.

"Unega!" Someone called from beyond her tent flap, startling her into action.

Beth gathered her mother's journals, the clothing she wore when those men stole her life, and her water bag, grunting when she noticed she hadn't been given the opportunity to grab any food just yet. Still, she wasn't about to be thrown out by the people who raised her. Not when it might leave unimaginable sorrow deep within her heart, from which she may never recover. Not when she hadn't been able to meet Elu again. She just had to find her first.

Elu was home. After being gone and thrown into slavery for an entire decade and a few years, she'd come back. They were to meet under the tree they played in as children around sundown, but it was still entirely too bright out to locate her now. What do I do...? Beth ran her fingers through her hair, and then shook them out, determined to gather herself before she made her escape.

She flipped her bag over her shoulder and fixed the looped tie on her water bag around her neck, then had an epiphany. If they are here for me, they will find her soon thereafter... Elu was among those being ejected, regardless of her just returning or what she'd been through. If the tribe was removing Beth now, then they would be doing the same to Elu soon and she could find her along the outskirts of the territory.

"Unega! Come!" It was the chiefdom's son and he sounded like he meant business.

With an only moderately calming gulp, still terrified of the unfamiliar voices she finally heard mingling with those of her tribe, Beth reached for the tent flap, but her arm was suddenly caught by a Caucasian hand. She was yanked clear of the tent and crashed to the ground with a huff, quickly regaining her footing as she always did when knocked down.

When you get knocked down, do not ever give up. Her mother's powerful words left for her in her second journal rang true in her mind as she projected herself forward, yet didn't get far. Soon enough, there were two burly arms around her waist and she was being hoisted from the ground. Beth fought against her foreign captor, but was settled on her feet and pulled snugly against a man's chest. Rapidly, a hand grasped her chin and turned her face toward the man in uniform who studied her face for a series of painstakingly drawn out moments.

He tilted her face up by her chin and the other released her waist enough to turn her around in his arms, but was unrelenting in his overfamiliar touch.

"Let go!" Beth whimpered as she pushed against his chest with her fists, yet this only appeared to amuse him.

"You are to be escorted from the Qualla Boundary to the boarding house in Fort Montgomery. There, we will discern your skills and you will be given work." He stared intently into her eyes and she watched as the little bursts of light cascading through the treetops shined his own an opaque emerald. However, there was a wild glint there in his iris like nothing she'd witnessed in her twenty-two years and she knew that at her earliest convenience, she must escape. She wasn't sure why, but his eyes only alarmed her more, despite her previous thought that she couldn't grow anymore frightened. As the man squinted down at her, the wrinkles around his eyes deepened like that of an endearing elderly person, yet there was nothing aside from animosity blasting down toward Beth in his whispered words. "Been a while, young'un..."

Her heart bottomed out in an instant as her world was turned upside down.