Fairy Eyes

Chapter 18: Osara

Osara was born faraway from the rest of the world, out in the mountains with her tribe. She didn't think in terms of countries or borders. To her, the world belonged to everyone.

It wasn't the truth though. They told the kids not to venture past the mountains, for if they did they would surely encounter dangerous monsters there.

So they are isolated, and taught to be isolated. They stick to themselves. Only a select few will come through the desert to the river to meet a neighboring tribe.

She was raised to be a good mother. Her mom taught her how to cook everything, housekeeping duties, and taught her about the ways her own father would get mad.

Her mind was elsewhere though. She was not supposed to, but she found herself sneaking away from her lodge at night to go hear the stories that the elder would tell the boys by the campfire.

The elder was a wise man, a medicine man. He had been taught by a long line of holy men, and only chose one of the men to take his place. The man he would choose would not have the responsibility of getting married or fighting, but instead would be the one that would learn from him how to take care of the spiritual wellness of the community.

The elder told many stories of the aliens that came from faraway. How there was once a time that they walked among us. Giants walking around, eating people whenever they felt like it. People having to submit to their wills by worshipping them and giving them gifts. Or he would tell stories of the lost civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, how such locations were gathering places for aliens across the galaxy.

One day, a great flood came to the planet. The flood took the giants away. Those that knew of what was going to happen made tunnels that took them into the center of the Earth. It was there they used technology to get rid of the magma, manage the temperature, create a breathable atmosphere and running water. So a lot of the giants were not gone at all, but living somewhere deep into the Earth.

When she was of marrying age, she and many young women of her village were sent to the neighboring village to dance for the men. So they covered themselves in mud and danced. They had an idea of what was really going, that the boy had something hidden in his pants that would hurt them and make them have a baby.

Osara saw the man that she was supposed to marry. He was a gruff acting man, and he took a handful of her breast and squeezed it in front of the other men, laughing. She didn't like him.

Then when she was taken back to her own village to make the final preparation of saying goodbye to her family forever at their last dinner, she burst into tears saying that she could not get married. Her father yelled at her, and she ran away from the house.

She ran to the hut of the elder, knocking on his door. He was surprised to see her when she entered, hugging him.

"Elder, I can't do it. I used to sneak away and hear your stories. I don't want to get married, I want to go to the land of the giants."

He smiled, putting her face in his hands.

"My child, this is great news."

"You are not mad?"

"No. Every so often someone in the tribe is destined for bigger and better things. You Osara are meant to go the land of the giants."

"Will they eat me?"

"If you have confidence and demand respect, they will treat you with that."

The elder helped her to pack her things before sending her on her way.

She carried her sack on her back, holding 4 spears inside. Looked back at her village, and then walked up to the cave that was ahead of her. Took one last look at the stars before walking in.