Read Online Redemption: Supernatural Time-Traveling Romance with Sci-fi and Metaphysics by Jacklyn A. Lo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jacklyn A. Lo
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smile, but
one of satisfaction. He points to her and then to himself and the message is
clear. “Zo take Mi!”
She backs away, shaking her head,
but knows there that no one can stop Zo from taking her. He will take the
leadership of the tribe and then he will take her. “No,” she breathes, the word
barely a whisper. Other members of the tribe gather in the entrance and Mi
looks away, her heart heavy and filled with an icy dread. And in that instant
she knows what she has to do. Mi go! There
is nothing else for it. She must leave the tribe. She must find a new home.
Ka is sitting in the mouth of her
cave watching over the sleeping Wu. As Mi approaches, she stands up and places
a comforting hand on her shoulder. Mi turns to point back towards those
involved in the death ritual.
“Zo,” says Mi, the fear causing
her voice to shake. “Zo bad.”
Ka nods to show she understands. Zo
does not have a good reputation among the tribe’s womenfolk, many of whom have
experienced his aggressive advances, forcing himself on them in their caves at
night or cornering them in the forest when no one else can hear their struggles
or protect them. Last summer, one young woman, a girl called Ru, was found dead
in the forest, her body bloody, her neck broken, and although no one could be
sure, everyone believes Zo was behind it.
“Mi go,” says Mi, pointing away
across the hills.
“Go?” Ka sits up, looking at her
with concern.
“Mi go,” she repeats. “New home.
You keep Wu. Wu safe. Mi come back. Take Wu new home.”
Ka does not try to convince Mi to
stay, but simply assures her that she will take care of Wu. Other women in the
tribe have young children and can provide him with the milk he needs.
~
It is with a deep sadness that
Mi feeds Wu early the following morning, knowing that breasts other than hers
will nourish him in the days to come.
“Mi come for Wu,” she tells him,
when he has had his fill. “Mi love Wu.” She passes him to Ka and gazes at him
briefly, before taking up her bag, filled with fruit and dried fish for her
journey.
“Wu safe,” says Ka. “Mi be safe!”
Mi nods, blinking back the tears,
and turns away. She peers out of the cave and looks around carefully, but it is
early enough to ensure none of the tribe has yet arisen. Even the Sky God has
yet to reveal himself fully above the distant hills. Quietly, and without a
single backward glance, Mi hurries away from the caves, towards the place where
the Sky God travels at night.
She chose this direction after
recalling stories she heard as a small girl. Her father had told her about
another tribe, who had travelled this way many years before, people who seemed
to be very different from those in his own tribe. Their skin was lighter, their
bodies less hairy and instead of being covered with pieces of animal skins
these people wore clothing they had made themselves, something he had never
seen before. They had also exchanged strange sounds between each other, words
which Mi’s father had found impossible to understand. As this is the only other
tribe Mi has heard about, she heads in the direction they took all those years
ago.
She has no idea how long this
journey might be, and she is still weary from Wu’s birth and the shock of Lu’s
death.
Must find home, she thinks, determined
to find a new tribe so she can have a life with her son.
That night, as Mi travels through
a forest and can no longer see to find her way, she sleeps in a large tree. The
next night, finding herself in open land, she digs a hole to hide herself for
the night. Thankfully Mi’s father taught her well and she knows how to
recognize predators and to hide from them. She knows which plants are safe to
eat so she can supplement the two-day provision of food in her bag. And she
needs it as two days soon become three, and then four, each one marked by
cutting a notch in her bag with a flint.
On the morning of the fifth day,
she arrives at the wilderness, an endless
one of satisfaction. He points to her and then to himself and the message is
clear. “Zo take Mi!”
She backs away, shaking her head,
but knows there that no one can stop Zo from taking her. He will take the
leadership of the tribe and then he will take her. “No,” she breathes, the word
barely a whisper. Other members of the tribe gather in the entrance and Mi
looks away, her heart heavy and filled with an icy dread. And in that instant
she knows what she has to do. Mi go! There
is nothing else for it. She must leave the tribe. She must find a new home.
Ka is sitting in the mouth of her
cave watching over the sleeping Wu. As Mi approaches, she stands up and places
a comforting hand on her shoulder. Mi turns to point back towards those
involved in the death ritual.
“Zo,” says Mi, the fear causing
her voice to shake. “Zo bad.”
Ka nods to show she understands. Zo
does not have a good reputation among the tribe’s womenfolk, many of whom have
experienced his aggressive advances, forcing himself on them in their caves at
night or cornering them in the forest when no one else can hear their struggles
or protect them. Last summer, one young woman, a girl called Ru, was found dead
in the forest, her body bloody, her neck broken, and although no one could be
sure, everyone believes Zo was behind it.
“Mi go,” says Mi, pointing away
across the hills.
“Go?” Ka sits up, looking at her
with concern.
“Mi go,” she repeats. “New home.
You keep Wu. Wu safe. Mi come back. Take Wu new home.”
Ka does not try to convince Mi to
stay, but simply assures her that she will take care of Wu. Other women in the
tribe have young children and can provide him with the milk he needs.
~
It is with a deep sadness that
Mi feeds Wu early the following morning, knowing that breasts other than hers
will nourish him in the days to come.
“Mi come for Wu,” she tells him,
when he has had his fill. “Mi love Wu.” She passes him to Ka and gazes at him
briefly, before taking up her bag, filled with fruit and dried fish for her
journey.
“Wu safe,” says Ka. “Mi be safe!”
Mi nods, blinking back the tears,
and turns away. She peers out of the cave and looks around carefully, but it is
early enough to ensure none of the tribe has yet arisen. Even the Sky God has
yet to reveal himself fully above the distant hills. Quietly, and without a
single backward glance, Mi hurries away from the caves, towards the place where
the Sky God travels at night.
She chose this direction after
recalling stories she heard as a small girl. Her father had told her about
another tribe, who had travelled this way many years before, people who seemed
to be very different from those in his own tribe. Their skin was lighter, their
bodies less hairy and instead of being covered with pieces of animal skins
these people wore clothing they had made themselves, something he had never
seen before. They had also exchanged strange sounds between each other, words
which Mi’s father had found impossible to understand. As this is the only other
tribe Mi has heard about, she heads in the direction they took all those years
ago.
She has no idea how long this
journey might be, and she is still weary from Wu’s birth and the shock of Lu’s
death.
Must find home, she thinks, determined
to find a new tribe so she can have a life with her son.
That night, as Mi travels through
a forest and can no longer see to find her way, she sleeps in a large tree. The
next night, finding herself in open land, she digs a hole to hide herself for
the night. Thankfully Mi’s father taught her well and she knows how to
recognize predators and to hide from them. She knows which plants are safe to
eat so she can supplement the two-day provision of food in her bag. And she
needs it as two days soon become three, and then four, each one marked by
cutting a notch in her bag with a flint.
On the morning of the fifth day,
she arrives at the wilderness, an endless
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