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Authors: Kaaron Warren
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think that could be true. My mother said they looked out to sea sometimes, hoping to see him returning to them."
"You have exploration in your blood, Lillah."
"Why would he do such a thing?"
"He wanted to know. He wanted to see what else there was, if it was an alternative to living on this island. He knew that the Tree was growing and he had a different sense of vision to most people. He knew that in ten generations, the land would be gone and other homes would need to be found. He believed there was another place to live on land; although not the Island of Spirits."
"How could he know such a thing? No one knows where it is but that doesn't mean it isn't there."
"He did not believe that is where the spirit went after death."
"So what did he do?"
"We had no idea he was about to take to the water. A school had just left and he had made love to three of the teachers. None stayed; they were only from Bayonet, two Orders away, and they were not ready to settle. These women talked a lot about children, of ten children each, of building Order. There were arguments around the talkfire, most believing that keeping our population low is the way to keep ourselves safe from disease. These women did not agree, nor did they care. It was not the most amusing evening.
"Your uncle was furious with them for their lack of understanding, and he said that he would find a way to avoid sharing the land with them. That was when he made the plan to enter the sea."
"He had a plan?"
"He was very organised! He took food, drink, clothing, implements. If anyone could survive, it would be him."
"Yet he never returned."
"No. Some say it is because he was sucked into the Tree on his little vessel, and that in there are ghosts who live on our blood. They use our blood to fill their veins. Your uncle is ghost food."
Lillah looked at him, horrified. "This is not a story to tell to children."
"It is your story, Lillah. There is no lesson in it. Your father will not tell you, but it is your history."
Lillah thought she had too many lost relatives.
"Can I help you down from your rock, Tilla?"
"NO! Just go away," he snapped. She climbed up and hugged him quickly. His hard body stiffened then relaxed. "Find someone else to talk to, okay?" she said.
He grunted, and she walked away.
It was only on celebration nights they stayed up past dark. Other times it was early to bed. Early up in the morning. Lillah wondered if other Orders slept differently.
She didn't join the others in drinking sap wine. She needed to keep her head clear for the morning. The first couple of days were the hardest, she'd been told. The third day was painful as the muscles screamed, and they usually rested on that day.
"It's not meant to be tortuous," Aquifolia told them. "Pain is okay in small doses but no one can think when they are hurting. Stop when you need to. There is nothing weak about it."
Lillah woke early on her first day of school and thought, "Sometime soon I am going to have sex." She lay in bed for a while, imagining what her lovers would look like. Not so different from the men in her Order. The only real difference was that she could sleep with them.
She sat up, dizzy. She had not slept well in the night; the anticipation of leaving on her first day of school proved fertile ground for imaginings.
"Lillah. Come on. Breakfast with the family." Her brother spoke through the door, then knocked and pushed it open. He poked his head in. His eyes were puffy. He looked like he hadn't slept well, either. "Come on, Lillah. We won't see you for many years. Until you get homelust and come back to us."
"That's if I meet the man of my dreams," she said. She and Logan exchanged glances, not quite of longing, nor of regret, but a mixture of both. "I'll pack my bags then come to join you."
"Breakfast first. Father has prepared a feast."
Lillah nodded. "He's going
"You have exploration in your blood, Lillah."
"Why would he do such a thing?"
"He wanted to know. He wanted to see what else there was, if it was an alternative to living on this island. He knew that the Tree was growing and he had a different sense of vision to most people. He knew that in ten generations, the land would be gone and other homes would need to be found. He believed there was another place to live on land; although not the Island of Spirits."
"How could he know such a thing? No one knows where it is but that doesn't mean it isn't there."
"He did not believe that is where the spirit went after death."
"So what did he do?"
"We had no idea he was about to take to the water. A school had just left and he had made love to three of the teachers. None stayed; they were only from Bayonet, two Orders away, and they were not ready to settle. These women talked a lot about children, of ten children each, of building Order. There were arguments around the talkfire, most believing that keeping our population low is the way to keep ourselves safe from disease. These women did not agree, nor did they care. It was not the most amusing evening.
"Your uncle was furious with them for their lack of understanding, and he said that he would find a way to avoid sharing the land with them. That was when he made the plan to enter the sea."
"He had a plan?"
"He was very organised! He took food, drink, clothing, implements. If anyone could survive, it would be him."
"Yet he never returned."
"No. Some say it is because he was sucked into the Tree on his little vessel, and that in there are ghosts who live on our blood. They use our blood to fill their veins. Your uncle is ghost food."
Lillah looked at him, horrified. "This is not a story to tell to children."
"It is your story, Lillah. There is no lesson in it. Your father will not tell you, but it is your history."
Lillah thought she had too many lost relatives.
"Can I help you down from your rock, Tilla?"
"NO! Just go away," he snapped. She climbed up and hugged him quickly. His hard body stiffened then relaxed. "Find someone else to talk to, okay?" she said.
He grunted, and she walked away.
It was only on celebration nights they stayed up past dark. Other times it was early to bed. Early up in the morning. Lillah wondered if other Orders slept differently.
She didn't join the others in drinking sap wine. She needed to keep her head clear for the morning. The first couple of days were the hardest, she'd been told. The third day was painful as the muscles screamed, and they usually rested on that day.
"It's not meant to be tortuous," Aquifolia told them. "Pain is okay in small doses but no one can think when they are hurting. Stop when you need to. There is nothing weak about it."
Lillah woke early on her first day of school and thought, "Sometime soon I am going to have sex." She lay in bed for a while, imagining what her lovers would look like. Not so different from the men in her Order. The only real difference was that she could sleep with them.
She sat up, dizzy. She had not slept well in the night; the anticipation of leaving on her first day of school proved fertile ground for imaginings.
"Lillah. Come on. Breakfast with the family." Her brother spoke through the door, then knocked and pushed it open. He poked his head in. His eyes were puffy. He looked like he hadn't slept well, either. "Come on, Lillah. We won't see you for many years. Until you get homelust and come back to us."
"That's if I meet the man of my dreams," she said. She and Logan exchanged glances, not quite of longing, nor of regret, but a mixture of both. "I'll pack my bags then come to join you."
"Breakfast first. Father has prepared a feast."
Lillah nodded. "He's going
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