Social Experiment

The Fox (Dameeka)

I wake up to startled screams. Looking around, I see eight people with crude spears pointed at us.

I leap to my feet, panicking. I catch a glimpse of Hailey in the ring of spears. I rush up to her, and a couple spears aim towards me.

"What's going on?"

"I trusted Zeke," Ozzie answers from next to Hailey, "we told him to only bring Abbi and Xavier."

"We ran out of food! We had to come down here!" I explain.

Hailey shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Dameeka, but we're only sure we can trust them."

Abbi comes to stand beside me. "What if they live somewhere else? This place is plenty big, we can have two separate civilizations."

"Make that three," I add, "there's no way I'm staying with Terrance and his gang."

"Rodney stays with us!" Hailey glares at me.

"Fine, if you want him, take him. We'll make two villages elsewhere. Okay?"

She glances around at everyone thoughtfully.

"Fine. Lower your spears!" She calls out and her friends obey, "They're going to live away from us."

Ozzie turns to the crowd. "Abbi, Zeke, and Xavier are welcome to join our village!"

Immediately, Xavier appears. "Thank you! I'd be more than happy to join your group. Who's leader?"

"Hailey." West answers.

Abbi turns to me. "I'll come live with your group."

We split up, some people following Terrance even if they weren't part of his uprising. They explain by telling us that "they don't think segregating ourselves from Terrance's group helps bring about peace".

Zeke heads our group, attempting to find a good place to build shelters. Eventually, we find a pace next to a large lake in the middle of the forest.

"We'll cut down the trees, making a clearing as we build homes." He decides.

"The other village has a name," Elle says, "Riverstone Village. Mikayla told me it helps them feel like a team."

I grin. "Good idea. What should we call ours?"

"We'll decide that later," Zeke dismisses, "we've got to build the village before we name it."

Elle and I volunteer to hike to Riverstone and ask to borrow supplies. We follow the smoke in the sky, knowing that it comes from a fire.

Sure enough, we find the village of nine. Ten, if you're counting dogs. A few spears go up, but only half-heartedly, before Hailey orders them down.

"I'm guessing you're not just here to visit?" She asks.

"Actually, no. We came to borrow tools for building, if we could." Elle answers.

Hailey turns to Peter and West. "Go grab some tools, please. No knives!" She adds.

"What do you need knives for?" I inquire, sounding more accusatory than I had intended.

"Mikayla and Rodney are excellent at carving things we need: spears for hunting, door hinges flasks to keep water in, a dish for Bella..."

My eyes go to a small doghouse, where the golden retriever sleeps. I long to live in this peaceful village. They've built all their homes, and they're working on Xavier's as one.

West and Peter return, handing us more tools then we anticipated.

"Sorry we can't loan all of them to you," Peter apologizes, "but we need to keep some for Xavier's hut."