The Hero"Ka Me'e"

Follow Your Gut

 Zea stared in shock at the spot in the trees where Haku had disappeared. All she could see was a narrow path leading forward and she decided there was nothing to do but follow it. She tightened her grip on her satchel and began to walk. She heard a rustle in the wooden walls behind her as she started off. She jumped and turned quickly to try and catch the culprit but nobody, nothing was there. As she turned back around her satchel and arm brushed the wooden walls. She shook of the jumpyness, and headed back down the path.

Zea scanned her surroundings as she walked along the surprisingly long path. After what she guessed to be about ten minutes she came into a clearing. Zea didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't what she saw. There, in the middle of the small clearing on the soft undergrowth sat an elderly man his legs were crossed and his eyes were closed as if he were concentrating very hard. On what Zea could not be sure but she decided it would be best not to disturb him. Instead she observed him, he had bushy white eyebrows that were furrowed in concentration and his head was quite nearly bald he had tan skin almost matching the color of the parched underbrush. As she stood there she began to feel awkward and as she was about to pass him and move on, she felt a nagging feeling that maybe she should sit next to the odd little man. Zea decided to listen to the feeling and promptly sat, crossing her legs and with one small glance at the man she snapped her eyes shut as well.

Zea was surprised to realise that when she closed her eyes her other senses sharpened and she could hear the old man's soft breathing as if it were an earthquake. She could smell the earthiness of the makeshift walls and floors. She heard the soft rustle of the wind tangling through the trees and the soft call of a robin. As she began to enjoy the calm sensation and the sun on her head. The man began to speak,

"Exemplary job young one." he congratulated in a wise and surprisingly strong voice for such a frail man, " You may ho'omau" Zea's heart almost stopped until she translated ho'omau to mean continue. Her heart began to race this time. She had done it! She couldn't help but to give the old man a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and his still unopened eyes creased at the ends. Then he said "Now you must go"

Zea grinned happily then called back as she was beginning down the path "Aloha!" She took one last glance at him before she turned around the corner. He was sitting, still cross legged with a big smile on his face enjoying the sounds of the forest which Zea knew to be, as the old man might say, exemplary

Zea continued on the path which she took to be a maze because of all of the branching passages. She tried to remember each and every turn, but she knew she wouldn't be able to remember them all. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to find her way out.

As she walked into the second clearing she gasped in surprise. Another old man, this one so frail looking that it seemed that the wind might just blow him away, kneeled at the edge of the small brown pond calling frantically for the duckling to come to him. She felt her heart sink as she noticed that the duckling was trapped inside a circle of brown water and was sinking.

Zea knew that this little duck wasn't going to get out alone and she had best help him. She tore her satchel off and rushed to the edge of the oddly colored water.

"Stop!" the old man said in a surprisingly powerful and commanding voice just as she was about to jump into the water. The man turned to her and Zea couldn't help wondering how old he was. As he met her eyes, she took a sharp intake of breath. This man had the most beautiful, wise, sea blue, or sky blue, or sea foam colored eyes. Zea couldn't decide what color they were because they were just continually changing like a kaleidoscope with blue beads. His eyes talked for him they were tinged with worry and bidding her not to step into the brown water. The he cracked his lips just a bit as if it pained him to speak and he carefully explained himself.

"That is sand and it is deadly, if you were to set foot into it, you would sink and it would drown you and suffocate you simultaneously." He paused gazing sadly at where the little duckling franticly tried to get out of the evil sand and began to speak again. " Our little friend here is out of luck, nothing can be done for it. Unless."

"Unless what?" Zea pushed, her worry for the little thing making her frantic.

" No it's no use, i'm sure it won't work." The man replied glancing at her with the barest hint of a sly smile.

Zea didn't notice and in an exasperated voice coaxed, " But we can't just let it die in the sand, it's just a baby!"

" Maybe so," he said "Well you've convinced me," he continued explaining, "when you are caught in the sand, if you struggle, you sink, so first you calm down, then you must drop everything because you will be weighed down and it will cause you to sink more. Once you do that you should lay on you back with your arms outstretched so you float. Once you distribute your weight you will be able to free your feet. Then you may swim to the edge of the sand. Also breathe deeply because if you are full of air you cannot sink." He let out his breath as if imitating how she should breathe.

Zea was starting to get nervous but with one glance at the duckling nearly completely covered by sand and still struggling, she grabbed a branch off of the leafy floor, removed her shoes and her satchel and stepped carefully into the evil sand. Immediately it began sucking at her toes like a baby does on his thumb. She took another squishy step and winced at the nasty sucky noise it made as she removed her foot from the sand. She began to sink so she lay on her back and took deep breaths as she tried to pull her feet out. But when she tried to pull her feet out, her hips sunk into the wet sandy mess.

She slid the stick under her hips and she pulled her legs out of the sand. She then adjusted her body so she was lying fully on her back with the person sized stick at her side. Then she began to windmill her arms backward to try and swim the best she could. To her delight she began slowly inching backward. "Llleft arm! Rrright arm!" She grunted as she wrenched her arms one by one out of the wet sand. All of the sudden she began to sink. She kicked faster but she just sank deeper. Her breath quickened, but out of the corner of her eye she saw that the little duck's beak was the only thing sticking out of the sand. The feeling in her stomach hardened and she grew determined to save the poor thing. She slowed her breathing, in and out, and in and out. Then she continued to swim. This time it seemed like it took merely seconds before she was at the little duck's side. She stretched her hand out, cupped it and placed in under where the little beak was. When she brought her hand up it contained a very yellow, very sandy little duckling. She placed it on her stomach and swam carefully back to the solid earthy ground.

The old man helped her out. Zea then entrusted him with the little duckling who was quaking with fear and cold. The man smiled at her and said, "Very well executed little miss. It takes strength of mind to not struggle when in the hands of this deadly sand. But you did, and you listened to me and were able to save yourself as well as this little fellow." He gestured with his head to the little duck in his cupped hands. "But as much as I would love to lecture you about this you great feat," he continued his eyes creasing as he smiled " You must continue through this maze. But don't lose heart because you have been doing exceptionally well. He paused studding her with an expression Zea could not read. . . 

"Goodbye." Then he turned and said no more.