Second Life: As the Sun Sets

Hanaq Pacha

The cool breeze of the beautiful winds of the mountain invigorated everyone today. I remember embracing the strong winds as a child, never speaking badly of nature's beautiful gift. I adored, and still do today, every kind aspect of nature the universe can offer us.

But even now in my old age, I am still able to replay the moment in which I danced along with my sisters atop our family's straw roof that fateful day. Being so young, it was almost second nature for us to be reckless, as our hearts were set on having fun and not giving a damn. The danger that loomed over us was but a simple one. If either I or my sisters managed to fall down the roof, deep down we all knew the hay stacks below at the sides of the house would protect us as they had always had been. Oh, those were the times I wish I could lavish back again and again in my youth. Oh how benign was the danger was then!

While playing with my three sisters up in the rooftop, I recall very clearly her crisp clear voice calling out to me in the close distance.

"Alchu!" she would say.

"Pamackuway!" I would answer, but she could not hear me, yelling once more instead in order to catch my attention.

I wish I could remember the other words she yelled out to me that day. I do so miss her very dearly. Oh how much I would give to be able to hear mama and papa and my sisters. Unfortunately, "Alchu" and "Pamackuhway" are the only native words I can ever recall from my childhood. Besides the memory of those two words, I also know of my second name, which is Yainu or Qasikay I believe. Yainu or Qasikay, whichever name was truly my second name, was the name of my former household. To be frank, as a result of being scarred from the massacre, my memories prior to the even of which I will testify have all been erased as only the single horrifying memory remains in my head.

May I ask that you begin your memory? - asks the Lawyer.

Yes, my apologies. As the day progressed, the sky began to increase in fogginess up above my mountainous village. The clouds had darkened by mid afternoon as I was still playing with my sisters. At first when I saw the clouds, it appeared rain was going to come but it was not rain that came for us. No, it was the end to my happiness that was coming.

OBJECTION! How can one be so sure of this woman's testi- yells the Defense.

Objection denied! You may proceed miss, my apologies. - buts in the Judge.

Thank you your honor. The day seemed to end peacefully with a light fog-like, yet calm sunset granted to us by the grace of the clouds. The next day though, almost in pure defiance, became a cold day, cloudier and more invasive than usual but this time, the sky was more dense and had taken on the color dark red-grey. We as a family, were accustomed to the acid rain but even then we all knew that the acid rain came every ten years or so. It would become very unusual for it to come from that point in time, given that the last occurred nearly five years prior. Regardless, since we were always knew the dangers of the acid rain, my sisters and I did what we were always told to do on days like those: we went ran back inside to our straw covered metallic held home. Little did we know however, that the odd colored clouds were encouraged by not acid rain, but instead, by the foreign arrivers.

Once inside the house, I remember looking at the floor mirror inside our shared sleeping room as my sisters and I bunched close together, ready to pray to the gods of the green mountainlands to bless us all with no more than an inch of the wicked acid rain. Following our prayers, I thought it would be a good idea to look outside the window in order to watch the acid rain come, but instead of expecting and seeing rain, my entire community was greeted with about thirty huge silver colored balloons. Immediately after the appearance of the balloons did a series of loud sounds erupt, filling my body to the core with fearful curiosity.