OTHERBORN: THE DIG [WP PROLOGUE EDITION]

ELEVEN

"We are being attacked."

"What?!" I sit up from my nap on the earth in the late afternoon, in the safe space between Reggie's home boulders, and I scramble up to my feet.

"What do we do?!" I am still groggy, unable to understand anything about my surroundings right now. I listen...

"Miguel has been here before. And Morack's son, you remember..."

Oh! They're all here again. I rub my eyes in the dimness, squinting.

Nyack looks like he's glaring my way.

Miguel speaks to me, which makes me nervous. It's not normal that I be addressed by someone other than Reggie—not while in his presence. This should be his job.

"Cryo was in the village this morning," Miguel says.

My uncle nods meekly.

I'm surprised. I have slept deeply, unaware—another bad sign.

The village is almost twenty-five miles from here, but Reggie can run. I'm always surprised about this since he wasn't born one of us.

It makes me believe how much our prowess comes from our food, our daily practices, and time with the land. I've learned how the wholeness of All graces us with the gifts that we have. Reggie's absorbed it.

I struggle not to lean back into a sleep-fog as Miguel continues.

I just need him to talk about being attacked!

Has it already happened? Have people been hurt? Are we in danger right now? How soon?

How fast do I need to wake up and get busy? What am I to do? Who are the attackers? Are they the "men" I had seen? This wakes me up. I swallow hard.

"We're sending the youngest to be among elders. And you'll go with Nyack to Grandfather Sojourn." Miguel looks back to Uncle.

"Do you want your words spoken by Nyack?" Clearly, I've missed much, in my exhaustion. And their conversation continues, but I don't hear very much more.

My foggy head fights me. All this is so fast. Still, I'm in shock. Why haven't I told them that I saw the men?

I don't like Nyack. He's older than me and spiteful, ever since I showed him up—only once—in a race. And, I guess on the steep cliffs, alone, later on—out of sight of the tribe.

I, being too proud to be careful and show him respect...had been making my win too obvious to him. I could have beaten him at it again after that. I actually thought better of this later and didn't take him up on his challenge right off.

Instead, I had taken a detour and rest by the river, and then joined the race late so they wouldn't all know. We are allowed to do this, as long as we finish the circuits we've missed, before again kicking the ball.

By the time I felt rested, I didn't want to catch up or kick. It would make it worse between me and Nyack if I won or even came close, so I held back.

You think he'd be grateful... But he had just glowered. At the end of that day, only he knew, and he never spoke to me again—not once. So, when he had gone away after that for his training, I was more than relieved!

Now I am to be cared for, with, and by Nyack?!

This cannot be true! It's a misunderstanding!

Anyone's better.

Did Reggie know they would send me with Nyack before Miguel spoke? He's seen how Nyack is glowering just being near me. Would Reggie really let them send me with him?

I tune in again to hear them now talking about how soon we will leave.

Still in a daze, I am silent. I throw my goat hair cape, which doubles for blankets, into the pack. I don't see the small pouch for my seed that I need. I fumble through layers of my bedding and clothes. Here it is! There'll be something in it.

I had gone exploring and left some still here to prepare for next time. Relieved, it might be half full already, I see this will hold me—for a time anyway.

When Miguel reacts and turns for the door far faster than I can expect—Reggie guides me out through the hides with his hand on my shoulder. I'm shocked to speechless.

I falter, then recover and stiffen. I can see Nyack has walked ahead twenty paces, with his back to the stay. I feel the pinch of Uncle's hand and follow Nyack out over the stone entrance.

I only turn back briefly to see Uncle Reggie urge me into compliance with an expression of worry and strength. I know he's thinking of how to get to his workshop... Then what?

What's to be done? No one has time for hearing my pleas now. The tribe will all scatter.

How long this time will we have to remain unseen?

We haven't needed to do a full "disappearance" since I remember four winters here, and I don't think we ever saw everyone again in our daily lives after that. But most of us still do cross paths at running events and changes in seasonal territory. Nobody died.

The elders are long adapted to shifts. Their housing needs alter regularly with the lay of these lands, seasonal flooding, heat, cool, harvests, much with the seasons. I don't think anyone has actually gone into hardship.

Would someone have told me?

I return to staring at Nyack's back as we trek. When I keep my distance well away, I can feel almost safe. I know he won't slow down or talk. And I follow with distance... It's the safety I need now.

I long for my skull. My heart sinks!

The skull of Hueso Amigo is still on the cliffs behind the big boulder above Grandfather's cave!

And I listen to Nyack's tire sandals ahead of me squelch in the sand...while my every stride leads me further from the people and caves that have been my whole life till now.

Tomorrow seems to have no shape. With all plans for the skull and schooling abandoned high on the cliffs, we trudge toward mountains and a mysterious new life with Elder Sojourn from here...

~~~/

...to be continued in "the pilot" edition for a possible new series, under a similar "Otherborn: The Dig" cover, coming up next...

Hope you will join us, as Kai's new life expands possibilities he's never imagined. ✨🌅🔆🌄💫