random drabbles and short stories

a day in the forest

The birds were chirping in the early morning, the late Autumn breeze blowing through the trees. The people stood around their leader's hut, waiting for their princess to emerge. They stood in the cold air, slightly shivering.

Finally, the curtain was drawn back, and a tiny girl came out.

The men, women, and children gathered even closer to the hut, eager to see their soon to be warrior.

The princess was clothed in a short tiger print skirt, matched with a tiger print bandeau. Her caramel skin was marked with white paint all over, excessively splashed across her cheeks in small lines.

She nodded to her people and didn't back down against their scrutinizing stares. They heard a laugh from inside the hut, and the chief and his wife emerged from it.

They both smiled, the chief with a boastful one, and his wife with an apprehensive one.

The chief gave his daughter a grin, and faced his colony, saying " my people you know why you're gathered here today. Our princess, Nakia, is about to pass through an important rite, crucial to her identification as a woman born into royalty."

Nakia listened to these words, and further rose her head, feeling very confident and proud of herself.

"She will stay in the forest for a day, and face different factors. The freezing cold, scorching heat, and even worse, wild animals. If she is to come back in a day, alive and well, she will be accepted as your queen. Is that understood?"

The people remained quiet until a small hand was seen in the crowd, being raised.

"Come forward," the chief demanded.

A child resurfaced amongst the crowd, and astonished the throng as he asked "what happens if she fails the quest?"

The chief's face visibly hardened, and a gasp escaped the queen's lips as her smile dissolved into a grimace.

"Then you won't have a queen," Nakia's smirk dissipated.

"And I wouldn't have a daughter." the chief finished.

The child quietly waddled away into the shocked crowd.

Nakia's heart started to beat as quickly as a gazelle. Worry crept into her skin and like ice, froze her body into place.

But, fear was seen as an abomination in her village, so she tried to hold down the bile threatening to escape her throat.

Her father's voice boomed, "Let's start the ceremony!"

The people began to cheer, and Nakia instantly came forward, while her father was given a set of weapons.

A bow and arrow, a dagger, and a few darts she knew were poisonous.

Her father gave each weapon to his daughter, her eyes sparkling with interest at holding such lethal objects. The princess pocketed her dagger and darts, and held on tightly to the bow, keeping the arrows in a quiver behind her.

She turned to her mother and hugged her. She smelled of mint and eucalyptus, stress-free and calming. Her mother pulled away, and with tearful eyes, gave her daughter a worn-out piece of cloth.

Nakia let out a strangled sob, knowing that it was hers.

It made her feel like this was going to be her last gift from her mother. The last time she'd step foot in the village.

Nevertheless, she put on the headband, soothing her messy ebony-colored curls. She stepped away from her mother and faced her father.

His face held an expression she couldn't decipher, yet wrapped his own arms around her. Nakia squeezed her eyes, cursing her teary eyes. She wanted to stay in her father's embrace for much longer, but she felt the whole village's eyes burn into her back. She abruptly pulled away from her father and looked toward her people.