partners. He reached inside one and pulled out two grey skins—rabbit, from the looks of it—and tossed them at my feet. I fingered the soft fur and watched as he crossed the dirt and kicked the feet of the other two men. They stirred, reluctantly, and the third man sighed and shook his head like an impatient father.
Then without another sound or a glance in my direction, he trotted away toward a ridge of leafy green trees, so green that I had to squint against its brightness. But then my throat tightened in fear, not at the lushness of the strange trees or the bright colors.
I suddenly wondered if I’d have been safer if the thick man hadn’t abandoned me for the trees.
***
With no one to watch me, I started to stand, one silent finger-length at a time.
Then, barely leaving a print in the dirt, I crept away from my spot on the cold ground. I left the rabbit skins and the sleeping men and tiptoed till I was far enough away to draw back a breath.
And then I started to run.
I ran toward my village—at least in the direction where I thought it would be. With the sun over my left shoulder, I was certain I could find my way back home.
My legs and hips still throbbed from pressing against the thick man’s shoulder, but I ran as fast and as hard as I could anyway. Instead of leaping over pale green sage brush, I leapt over round bushes with leaves so green they were almost black. When I landed, the balls of my feet slammed against dry pointy leaves that covered the dirt. It was like landing on a bed of cactus spines. I winced but kept running. There was no time to think about pain. No time to think. Running was my only chance at escaping from the World Beyond, my only option.
Behind me, the men yelled. I didn’t understand their words but their message was clear. After a while, their angry voices grew fainter and I was grateful for that. So I pushed harder, wanting to put as much distance between us that I could. I didn’t know how far I needed to run to reach Sleeping Mule Deer and my village and it didn’t matter. I’d run till I saw them. I’d run forever if necessary.
Sweat beads trickled down my forehead even though the sky was still cold and grey. My dress stuck to my legs and my necklace bounced against my chest with each step but I got further and further away, despite it all. I ran until my feet turned numb. One more bush to jump over, then another. They were endless and covered this new world, the World Beyond, as far as Hunab Ku allowed me to see.
And then suddenly, over the steady drumming inside my head, I heard a growl in the distance, a low, deep, gurgling sound. There was no time to track it. I sucked back an anxious breath and kept running.
But then the growl echoed and seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Only for a moment, my pace slowed as my eyes swept in frantic circles across the grey morning light, looking for what belonged to the sound, tracking it but seeing nothing. I suddenly wondered, Is the hunger and thirst in my belly playing tricks on me?
I squeezed my eyes shut only a heartbeat but kept my fast pace. The sweat from my forehead stung my eyes. I blinked again and just as soon as they opened a large shock of grey and white charged into my chest, pushing me backwards with its claws.
I screamed as I fell to the ground. I landed on my back, hard.
Instinctively, I curled into a ball as soon as I crashed to the ground and covered my face but the beast continued to growl next to my face. Its breath was hot and sticky. And then its growl turned into a bark when it had me trapped. I couldn’t escape its teeth. It yelped and barked so loudly and close to my ears that my head began to ring like one of Onawa’s wooden flutes. I crouched low to the ground, screaming, shielding my face with my arms but the growling beast wouldn’t back away. The more I screamed, the louder it barked, triumphant, as it stood over me, baring its fangs with front teeth as long as my finger.
Then without another sound or a glance in my direction, he trotted away toward a ridge of leafy green trees, so green that I had to squint against its brightness. But then my throat tightened in fear, not at the lushness of the strange trees or the bright colors.
I suddenly wondered if I’d have been safer if the thick man hadn’t abandoned me for the trees.
***
With no one to watch me, I started to stand, one silent finger-length at a time.
Then, barely leaving a print in the dirt, I crept away from my spot on the cold ground. I left the rabbit skins and the sleeping men and tiptoed till I was far enough away to draw back a breath.
And then I started to run.
I ran toward my village—at least in the direction where I thought it would be. With the sun over my left shoulder, I was certain I could find my way back home.
My legs and hips still throbbed from pressing against the thick man’s shoulder, but I ran as fast and as hard as I could anyway. Instead of leaping over pale green sage brush, I leapt over round bushes with leaves so green they were almost black. When I landed, the balls of my feet slammed against dry pointy leaves that covered the dirt. It was like landing on a bed of cactus spines. I winced but kept running. There was no time to think about pain. No time to think. Running was my only chance at escaping from the World Beyond, my only option.
Behind me, the men yelled. I didn’t understand their words but their message was clear. After a while, their angry voices grew fainter and I was grateful for that. So I pushed harder, wanting to put as much distance between us that I could. I didn’t know how far I needed to run to reach Sleeping Mule Deer and my village and it didn’t matter. I’d run till I saw them. I’d run forever if necessary.
Sweat beads trickled down my forehead even though the sky was still cold and grey. My dress stuck to my legs and my necklace bounced against my chest with each step but I got further and further away, despite it all. I ran until my feet turned numb. One more bush to jump over, then another. They were endless and covered this new world, the World Beyond, as far as Hunab Ku allowed me to see.
And then suddenly, over the steady drumming inside my head, I heard a growl in the distance, a low, deep, gurgling sound. There was no time to track it. I sucked back an anxious breath and kept running.
But then the growl echoed and seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Only for a moment, my pace slowed as my eyes swept in frantic circles across the grey morning light, looking for what belonged to the sound, tracking it but seeing nothing. I suddenly wondered, Is the hunger and thirst in my belly playing tricks on me?
I squeezed my eyes shut only a heartbeat but kept my fast pace. The sweat from my forehead stung my eyes. I blinked again and just as soon as they opened a large shock of grey and white charged into my chest, pushing me backwards with its claws.
I screamed as I fell to the ground. I landed on my back, hard.
Instinctively, I curled into a ball as soon as I crashed to the ground and covered my face but the beast continued to growl next to my face. Its breath was hot and sticky. And then its growl turned into a bark when it had me trapped. I couldn’t escape its teeth. It yelped and barked so loudly and close to my ears that my head began to ring like one of Onawa’s wooden flutes. I crouched low to the ground, screaming, shielding my face with my arms but the growling beast wouldn’t back away. The more I screamed, the louder it barked, triumphant, as it stood over me, baring its fangs with front teeth as long as my finger.
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