by Lynn Moon
“We can camp here for the night,” he suggests.
I sigh and follow him to the back of the jeep to help with our bags. We use the headlights to set up the tent and search for fallen tree limbs for a fire. It’s not long before I’m warming my hands with my back resting against an old log.
“Hungry?” Takoda asks, as he uses a stick to stir the fire.
“A little,” I answer, glancing around into the darkness. “This place is really creepy.”
“You are afraid,” he says, softly. “So everything seems unsafe to you right now. Darkness is not dangerous, Journey. You should only be afraid of what is hidden in the shadows. And right now, there is nothing there.”
I smile and bite my lip a little harder. “Yeah, right,” I answer, really wishing I could trust what he says.
The officers left us a small cooler in the vehicle that’s loaded with food. That evening we eat bread and cheese. As the fire dies down, Takoda motions for me to get into my sleeping bag. He zips up the tent and then zips up his bag after making sure I’m comfortable and warm inside mine. We stare at each other for a while before he turns off the light that’s illuminating the tent from above our heads.
The night’s quiet, almost too quiet. We listen to the insects and small animals scurry around outside. The longer I stare into the blackness the more I want to be closer to Takoda.
It’s not long before he asks, “Want to talk a little?”
“Sure,” I answer, with relief. There’s no way I’m going to fall asleep. “I’m really glad you are my friend, Takoda. Thank you for bringing me.”
“And me to you,” he replies, scooting a little closer.
“May I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he answers, and his reply makes my stomach tighten. I just love to hear his voice.
“My father told me it’s forbidden for your kind and mine to marry—I mean to union. He said something about the children. That the children didn’t turn out right or something along those lines. Do you know what he meant by that?”
Takoda doesn’t laugh at my question, which I appreciate. I just can’t understand why anyone would forbid one person from being with another.
“Many generations ago, they allowed unions between our people. But yes, the children were born damaged. The pain it caused created harsh feelings between our people, which did more harm than the prohibiting of the unions. So laws were passed to protect us, I guess from ourselves.”
“What was wrong with the children?” I ask.
“I’m not sure exactly, there are no records. It’s as though our ancestors wanted to erase all of the bad memories. It was when the council was amended—after Gaia’s death. It was then the laws were passed.”
“That’s weird. I would think they would want you to know what happened so that no one would be tempted to marry—I mean to union.”
“Maybe,” he says. “To spare us from the horrors.”
“It still seems a little weird to me. So what if two people want to marry but not have any kids? Would that be okay?”
“Prohibited,” he answers.
“Well, I don’t think that would work on Earth. I guess we are more stubborn than people here. I mean, interracial marriages were prohibited for a long time on my planet, but eventually we realized those laws were there for no other reason than to make one race feel more important than the other. It was a stupid law on my planet and it’s a stupid law here.”
“No one has challenged the laws since they were passed,” he explains.
“How long ago was that?”
“A while—generations actually,” he sighs.
“How many?”
“Maybe a dozen or so,” he says. “Maybe more.”
“Who was Gaia?” I ask. That name keeps popping up in different conversations, lately.
“She was the original ruler of your people.”
“Hmm.” My mind tries to comprehend what he’s talking about, but I decide to wait until I return home to question my father.
Takoda continues to tell me about his people. He describes strange laws that were passed and are still heavily enforced. His voice is soothing and relaxing and before long, I fall asleep and dream of my mother.
I wake feeling more confident. We pack everything up and cover the campfire with dirt. When we’re satisfied we’ve left nothing behind but a few footprints, we head deeper into the dark and gloomy forest.
We drive for hours before he stops and turns off the motor. “I need a break,” he says exiting the vehicle.
I grab the toilet paper and a small shovel from my bag and find a quiet spot. It’s disgusting, but for now this will have to do. As I’m heading back, a loud screech echoes through the forest and makes me jump. My hands are shaking so hard it’s difficult for me to hold onto the shovel and paper.
“Takoda!” I scream. “Takoda, where are you?”
A dark shadow crosses my path. I freeze. I can’t move. I can’t yell. The scream echoes again through the forest, and I want to find some place to hide…anywhere. But here I am, out in the open, and totally exposed. As much as I urge my feet to move, they remain glued to the ground. “Takoda,” I whisper.
I run toward the jeep and climb into the passenger seat. Takoda jumps in as I close my door.
“That was not good,” I sigh not knowing what else to say. “Do you think those screams were from the Nomaddas?”
“No,” he answers.
I shake my head and frown. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, those were pigguisers. Now they are dangerous,” he explains, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Okay, I give up, what’s a pigguiser?”
“Imagine a gorilla, a big black one.”
“Okay,” I reply not sure if I want to hear more.
“Then make it the color of your skin and give it long shaggy hair, sharp teeth, and big nasty red eyes. And don’t forget the real nasty disposition. That should just about do it.”
“Okay, they sound dangerous,” I reply not taking my eyes off him.
“You could say that, yes.”
Takoda slows down and reaches over to take my hand. “I will keep you safe, Journey.”
“I would appreciate that,” I reply, gripping his hand a little firmer. “And so would my dad.”
I promise myself that if I ever get out of this alive, I will never go camping again.
10
ILLUSORY MINDS
WE TRAVEL for what seems like forever. We now need the headlights to see where we’re going. The road’s thinning and the trees are encroaching upon us. As we round a sharp curve, Takoda slams on the brakes and stares out the front window. His hands are shaking and he’s panting loudly.
“What is it?” I whisper.
He doesn’t reply, but continues to sit and stare.
“Why did we stop?”
“No more road,” he answers, staring straight ahead.
“What do you mean no more road? Where did the road go?” I ask, frightened.
Takoda grabs my chin and turns my head toward the headlights. I stare out into the darkness as he flips off the lights. My eyes adjust and my heart falls. It’s hard to comprehend what I’m staring at because there’s nothing there–nothing.
“What in the world?” I ask, as he opens his door and steps out.
I open mine, but wait and listen for any animals that may be nearby before I step out. But all is quiet, except for the insects buzzing around us.
I stand next to Takoda and stare at nothing. “Oh my…” but I can’t finish my sentence.
Only a few feet in front of the jeep there’s nothing but a vast empty space. I walk a few steps and strain to see in front of me. As my eyes continue to adjust, I can barely make out a faint impression of a valley far below. A long way down.
“You can say that again,” Takoda states, trying to catch his breath. “No one said that the road just ended like this.”
“How did you know to stop?” I ask, surprised he di
dn’t drive us off the cliff.
“I don’t know,” he answers. “My hands are still shaking.”
“So we walk from here?”
“Sure seems that way,” he answers, staring into the emptiness.
“Right or left?” I ask, not seeing a trail to follow.
“Down.”
“Down? How can we go down?”
“The ruins are under a cliff, remember the pictures?” he asks, turning to head back to the jeep. “I think I know where we need to go.”
“I don’t think I can do this,” I whisper.
He sighs and rubs his face. “We’ll be fine. We love exploring old buildings and these will be beyond anything we’ve ever imagined. And, Journey.” He stares deeply into my eyes as he speaks. “I will not let anything happen to you.”
After we lock up the vehicle, which seems a little stupid to me, I follow Takoda down a shallow trail. The sun’s gone and the stars light up the sky. There’s no Milky Way to gaze into from this planet. But the beauty of the universe is still a spectacular sight to behold.
“Wait, Takoda,” I say, as we stand at the trail’s edge.
The sky above is dark with a streak of stars that paint the sky as if an artist’s hand had strategically placed them there. The colors are of every shade and brightness. It’s beautiful and takes my breath away. Takoda takes my hand in his and squeezes it ever so tenderly.
“Okay, I’m ready.” I announce and squeeze his hand back.
The trail ends twenty feet down the cliff, and opens out onto a landing of dirt and rock. Another trail leads down farther from the other side, and I can see more brush and foliage. It’s cold and misty, and I’m wet and tired. My temper’s going to explode any minute if I don’t get some food in my stomach and some rest for my body. My backpack’s heavy, and I’m ready to get it off my shoulders.
“We’ll camp here for the night,” Takoda announces. “We’ll be safer on this ledge than in the jungle above, and we can move on after the morning.”
I drop my pack and stretch out my arms. It’s pretty where we’re standing. The landing’s about fifty feet wide. To our backs, the rock wall is draped in vines and other small shrubs, and the sheer cliff drops away forever only a few feet in front of us.
It doesn’t take Takoda long to set up our tent and have dinner simmering over a hot fire. The smell of food is comforting and I relax a little. We eat hot vegetable stew, warm bread and fresh fruit. As my stomach fills, my tension eases even more. After dinner, I unroll my sleeping bag and stretch out staring up at the stars. Takoda follows me and soon we’re lying together a few feet from the warm fire. He holds my hand and neither of us say a word. I wonder what it would be like to have a boyfriend who cares about me–someone as handsome and wonderful as Takoda. But here, on this planet, holding hands is only a gesture of friendship, not love.
“Do you miss your home world?” I ask.
“Sometimes,” he replies.
“What’s it like?” I really want to know.
“It’s very different from here. This world is similar to Earth, only much larger. The atmosphere is also different. Certain rays of light do not penetrate through the clouds, so everything has a greenish hue. We have no browns or reds.”
I sit up and look closely at Takoda. Until this moment, I took his color for granted, it’s who he is. But now I see his skin’s smooth and shiny and beautiful. My hand trembles as I rub my fingers over his arm. He smiles at me, and we stare into each other’s eyes for the longest time.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say. “I could really get used to having you around all the time.”
Takoda’s expression changes. An almost guilty look on his face surprises me. He glances down at our hands and tightens his grip.
“Journey, I enjoy being with you too. But the laws…” and he pauses.
I stand up in protest and walk toward the cliff. “On my planet we’ve learned to overcome our prejudices, we’ve moved on and if two people want to be together, nothing else matters.”
“Why do you think it was so acceptable that we could come here together without anyone questioning our motives?” he asks, walking over to me. “It is safe because of the laws. We, you and me, can never be more than just friends. No matter how much we both may want more.”
“Maybe not here,” I whisper, walking back to my sleeping bag. I yank it up from the ground and climb into my tent. The call of the wild was deafening, but at least it takes my mind away from the laws I think are stupid and keeps me from my desires.
• • •
Morning arrives and I awake to a layer of frozen dew and a cool breeze. I pull on my heavy sweatshirt and the thickest socks I have in my pack. By the time I’m dressed and finished rolling up my sleeping bag, I’m fuming. Who do these bureaucrats think they are, deciding who I can have feelings for? These laws are stupid and I cannot tolerate them. My family has supposedly been royalty for generations, and therefore it should be up to me to decide and no one else. I take in a deep breath of the fresh air and let it out slowly. Taking a firm stance gives me the feeling that I’m taking a little more control over my life. I decide to greet the morning sun and accept whatever the day has to offer.
“Good morning.” Takoda greets me with a smile and a steaming cup of coffee. It tastes almost the same and helps to wake me up, so I call it coffee.
“Thank you,” I say, taking a sip. I’m still angry with him. Because I believe if a person really cares for someone, they do not give up just because others tell them to. Why can’t he fight back? Perhaps he doesn’t feel the same way as I do, and if that’s the case, then that’s something I don’t want to know.
“It’ll only take me a few minutes to pack everything up,” Takoda says, pulling the tent apart. “Your breakfast is next to the fire. Enjoy it, because we have to leave the cooler here.”
What looks like fried potatoes mixed with another red vegetable is waiting for me along with a piece of toast smeared with a yummy fruit jelly. The flavor’s amazing and I enjoy every bite. I had not realized how hungry I was until I started eating. When I finish, I wipe off my dish. Takoda clamps the pots to the back of his pack.
We stand by the cliff for a few minutes before he reaches for my hand. “Are you ready?”
I nod and we descend the trail, leaving behind our safe haven. The nodding to the right seems to come naturally to me now. Every little sound makes me glance over my shoulder for those creatures, the Nomaddas. I’m ready to run as soon as it’s necessary. But I’m walking down a path that’s no wider than my body; there’s nowhere to run.
A heavy mist hovers over the valley as bright as a white fluffy blanket lying across a large bed. We can see nothing below the fog, so have no idea what awaits us at the end of the path. The trail ends just as our feet hit the top of the misty blanket. Takoda grabs onto a piece of wood sticking out of the ground and climbs out and over into the misty fog. As his head falls below the cloud, I regretfully understand that it’s necessary to climb down a ladder. It’s now my turn and my hands are wet and shaking uncontrollably. The ladder looks slippery and I wonder how far I will fall before I hit bottom. I grab on as tight as I can and climb down the bamboo ladder. There is a thin rope wrapped around each rung. Without that rope, the ladder would have been a death trap.
My legs begin to burn after what seems like we’re climbing forever. To keep sane, I start counting the rungs. I count past five hundred before I hear Takoda announce he’s reached the bottom. I have my eyes closed for the last hundred steps or so, and finally I feel Takoda’s strong hands grab hold of my hips and lower me to the barren stone floor.
As I turn around, I gasp as my eyes adjust to the dim light. I’m standing on a landing that overlooks a green valley. A river curves like a snake below and wanders far off into the distance. Large vines drape down from above covering everything, but the ancient brick walls seem to be holding their own, for now anyway. Large birds caw from a distance and small animals run into the clo
sest bush.
“Wow,” I say, smiling at Takoda.
“I knew you would come around once we got here. Come and look,” he says, taking my hand and guiding me over to the brick wall that’s about four feet high.
As far as our eyes can see is a huge ancient city. The city’s at least twenty stories high and no telling how far it extends around the other side of the cliff. Every opening is intricately carved with strange animals or people posing in strange and odd ways. Demonic faces stare down upon us from above as if daring us to continue on our journey. The entryways and columns are huge, as if this ancient city used to house giants.
“The Nomaddas,” I whisper.
“Well, if this place was built for them, then we are in for some trouble,” Takoda admits as we take another quick look around.
We stand under the entryway, pausing in either revelation or fear. The arch is over ten feet above our heads and extends down into the vast emptiness below. The whole city’s built from a grayish stone that’s now covered in moss. Plants clinging to life in any way they can send their roots deeply between the stones. Some bricks are small, but the majority are huge, way too large for any one person to simply pick up and move. Some of the archways are carved directly out of rocks that make up the actual cliff. It’s an amazing work of craftsmanship. Nothing on Earth could compare to this magnificent old city.
“Shall we go in?” Takoda asks, as he squeezes my hand tenderly.
“Well, this is why we came here, right?” I reply as we descend.
The stairs are wide, at least ten or more people can stand side-by-side and walk down together and not bump into each other. The farther we descend, the darker it gets and eventually we can’t see anything. We don our helmets and turn on the lights. We can’t look directly at each other, or we’d blind ourselves, so we have to focus our gaze on the direction of our descent. As we near the bottom, the railings open up and a vast amphitheater awaits us. I stop to glance over the railing.
