Fractured Worlds (Book 1 of the Fractured Worlds Trilogy)

by Alan VanMeter

Miles away that second evening, four young children watched from the hill top, the brilliant light show from the distant tip of the spire. There was much conjecture as to if someone were trying to signal them, or if it were a beacon of some sort, probably activated by their friends. Joshua’s imagination even went so far as to see bizarre aliens performing some freaky ritual on their new captives; three lost young explorers! The three little girls shoved him back into line after he’d voiced his thoughts.

  “What?” Joshua answered back indignantly.

  “You’ve got a sick mind Joshua.” Sarah spat.

  The light show ended as darkness descended, so the four young kids returned to camp, and huddled together for extra warmth. They each had their own survival blankets, but they had found out the previous night, that the closer they got together, the more comfortable. It was too comfortable it turned out, as one of them was supposed to stay awake guarding the camp. Within an hour of nightfall, all four were sound asleep. The day had been a busy one for them.

  Early the next morning the girls found Joshua up early and already hard at work on some strange sort of contraption. When asked about what it was he was doing, he merely replied; “I’m going to catch that doggone fish!” They couldn’t for the life of them understand what the fascination was, so they went about with the more important business of gathering fresh food for the day.

  Penelope had named the small valley their camp was in ‘Purple Berry Pass’, and the adjacent valley ‘Fruit Heaven’, so she and Sarah made an early trip to ‘Fruit Heaven’ for the needed fresh produce. Becky was busy gathering more fire wood, and then she started to attempt to make a bigger, and warmer shelter for the four of them. Penny was having a hard morning Sarah saw, and nothing she tried seemed to convince her that everything was going to be alright. She missed her mom and dad, but heck who didn’t? How could they not, when they didn’t even know where they were. So Sarah just joined Penny in her crying fit and soon enough the both of them had cried themselves out, at least for the time being. Nothing else could be done about it.

  Meanwhile Joshua had fashioned some more hooks from the stiff wire that framed the bottom of the knapsacks, and was baiting them this time with some of the cheese spread from the cracker snacks still left. He used up two whole rations worth, but figured catching that giant fish was worth it. His foot however was becoming very sore by then, and so he really needed the preoccupation. Becky had done an admirable job dressing it, as best she knew how, but the chance of infection still worried her greatly. She had been very clear as to what he could and could not do with his bandaged appendage. Getting it wet was definitely on the ‘no’ list, though it would have made it so much easier to wade out in the water and place the baited cord, but he tended to agree with Becky in this situation.

  So as he finished with the final construction of his rig, he tossed the baited cord into the pond as far as he could, and tied the other end to a pliant tree branch. Then a strange hazy feeling came over him, and he wondered why he was building this thing. ‘There aren’t any fish in this pond! Why am I doing this? I should be helping with the shelter.’ He thought to himself. Just as suddenly another hazy feeling came over him, and he totally forgot the previous thought. Joshua went right back to finishing the device. He pulled down on the cord, bending the branch in a tight bow shape, and then put a good ten kilo stone on the cord to hold it. He placed the stone as precariously as possible so the fish might dislodge it and snare itself. Joshua limped backwards and inspected his gizmo. A smile came to him for a job well done. This being done Joshua sat down under the tree for a long while, waiting for a bite.

  Penny woke him from his slumber in the mid of morning by tapping his shoulder gently saying, “Joshua, you’ve missed the fish biting.” With a sing-song lilting to her voice.

  Josh awoke with a start and tried to jump up, but merely fell back on his butt again. When he saw that his rock was still in place he growled; “Dang it Penny! Why do you have to tease me? This is serious business!”

  All three of the girls were gathered around him and they burst with laughter. “Why don’t you come back to the shanty and have some food Mr. Serious Business.” Becky said with delight.

  “Yeah.” Sarah added, “Becky has almost finished a new ‘not so Shanty’ for us all.”

  The three left, though earnestly encouraging him to follow them for a brunch, and he begrudgingly complied as his stomach growled from hunger. As he entered camp he saw that indeed there was a somewhat complete shelter structure that was much more enclosed than the old ‘shanty’. So he decided to make fun in return as he inspected the seemingly wobbly shelter. When he shook it though, he realized that it wasn’t so frail after all.

  “Not bad girls.” He critiqued.

  They weren’t impressed at his precursory inspection, and showed such by a chorus of ‘whatever’s’.

  “Hey, come on!” He pleaded. “You know I wish I could’ve helped you more, but my foot!”

  That got to them.

  “Oh, I’m sorry Joshua.” Becky began, “It’s just that we’re all worried sick.”

  “I know.” Joshua interjected. “It’s OK to be worried. I’m worried too.”

  “Oh my God….Joshua…” Becky stammered.

  “I know you can’t tell from my demeanor.” He went on.

  “Oh My GOD! Joshua….Look!” She pointed behind him with excitement. He turned and saw his gizmo jerking spasmodically by itself. Josh started to try to run, but immediate pain prevented this. The girls ran though, and right by him.

  “You got it! You got it!” Sarah yelled as they reached the edge of the pond.

  As Josh finally hobbled up to the edge, he could see the huge fish fighting and twisting in the shallow water. The girls screamed in excitement mixed with fear. It fought gallantly, and viscously, so they all stayed back and let Joshua’s gizmo do all the work. They watched for minutes, and then a half hour had gone by, yet there was nothing else they could even attempt as hard as the fish struggled to survive. Finally almost an hour had elapsed before the beast came to a rest. Becky looked at Joshua, and then at his bandage before realizing that she would have to retrieve the fish.

  She let out a sigh. “I’ll try to get it up to the shore.”

  They all looked at her and gulped.

  Becky slid out into the waist deep water, and gently approached the fish. It eyed her advance, and began to once more violently thrash about. She just about jumped clean out of the pond. They all watched it tire itself out more, prodding it to do so by tugging on the cord some. When it once again seemed to be all played out, Becky went back into the water to try to retrieve the fish as it was much too big and heavy to just pull in. This time it gave her no fight at all as she approached, instead it could only roll its big eyes in exasperation. The golden fish came with her easily as she guided it to Joshua’s waiting hands. It took everything Becky and Josh had to heave and then roll it up on shore, but they finally had success. The fish let out a deep remorseful moan.

  “Oh! It’s hurt.” Sarah said empathetically.

  “Poor thing.” Penelope said sadly.

  As they all looked more closely, they saw that its eyes were different from any fish they’d ever seen; more human looking than that of a fish. Joshua saw the way it pleading gazed directly at him, and he quickly removed the hook from its mouth. Even though the hook came out cleanly, the big fish let out another pitiful moan.

  “Quick! Help me get it back into the water.” Josh spouted excitedly.

  Becky looked at him in disbelief. “But I thought you wanted to catch it?”

  Joshua continued trying to shove the huge fish back towards the pond, but it hardly budged.

  “Come on!” He yelled pleading to Becky. “I don’t want him to die.” He was near tears.

  She helped roll the golden beast back into the pond, and in seconds it was in enough water to wea
kly swim away.

  “Yea!” Penny whooped.

  They all had smiles on their faces.

  As the children congratulated each other on their act of humanity, a branch snapped loudly from a thicket of brush to their rear. They all spun around startled half to death, and there right before their eyes was an extremely large bird half hidden in the brush. It had vivid bright green and deep blue feathers, and it looked very startled by its own discovery. The bird quickly turned and started running like a dog would run, on all four legs, and it was fast too.

  “OH!” Gasped Sarah.

  Huge wings unfurled as it ran up a short grassy knoll, and they began to flap loudly. The children watched in fascination as it took a good twenty meters or so for it to gain flight, but fly it did. Over the hills to the east the giant bird flew noisily out of sight. None of the kids said a word for long moments.

  Becky was first, “I can’t believe what we just saw.”

  “That was the biggest bird I’ve ever seen!” Penny blurted.

  Sarah spouted, “It was gorgeous.”

  Joshua’s mouth was still agape, but he managed to garble; “Did you see that?”

  “Yes Joshua, everyone saw that.” Becky patronized him.

  “No! I mean did you see what the bird was wearing?” He turned to them with a frightful look written across his face.

  “What it was wearing?” Sarah echoed.

  A picture of it did come back to them all clearly. Yes it was wearing something around its waist section; a belt with objects hung from it.

  “What is going on here?” Becky whined.

  Penny asked frightfully, “Do you think it will come back?”

  They all just looked at each other with big eyes.

  10: never in your wildest dreams