The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Get down!” Frank called out, trying to see who or what shot the arrow.

  Another arrow flew at them and he shoved Chaka out of the way of that one.

  As he got down low to the ground, Frank grabbed hold of the arrow. It didn’t just impale him, it cut and burned into him causing his skin to bubble. It hurt and not much really cause him pain. He withdrew the arrow quickly and blood poured out.

  Hal crawled his way to Frank. “Frank, are you alright? That’s bad.”

  “Nah, give it a minute.” Frank watched his wound, the bleeding started to slow and then he looked at the arrow.

  “What is it?” Hal asked.

  “I know this. It’s our invention. The stuff we made that cuts into LEP.” He lifted his eyes to Chaka.

  “Primal tribe,” Chaka said. “They want me. I will divert them and run the other way.”

  “Fuck that.” Frank pulled forth his weapon.

  “Frank, what are you doing?” Hal asked.

  “They’re shooting fucking arrows, Hal. They don’t have guns.” Frank stood and without hesitation, sprayed a line of fire into the dirt as a warning. “Shoot at me again and next time I hit you.”

  “They won’t understand you,” Chaka said. “Primals don’t understand that language.” He raised his voice and hollered. “I am his prisoner. He warns you not to shoot again. Cease attack. He has great power. He comes from the stars. He is a God.”

  The corner of Frank’s mouth lifted in a grin. “Oh, yeah.”

  Hal rolled his eyes. “Oh for the love of God.”

  Robbie laughed.

  Frank aimed out. He still didn’t see anyone. “Tell them to come out. Arms raised.”

  “Show yourself!” Chaka called. “Lift your limbs high. He will not reign the power down on you.”

  A few seconds after Chaka called out the order, closer than even he thought, eight people rose from the high foliage in the fields, arms in the air. The stood there, wearing only simple coverings, reminiscent of cave men.

  “Wow, they’re crafty,” Frank said. “Like the killer babies in my time. They hide well. Hal, Robbie, you can get up, you should see this Planet of the Apes shit.”

  Robbie, Hal and Chaka stood, they then followed Frank as he made his way down the small grade toward them.

  “Chaka, what made you say the stars thing?” Robbie asked.

  “It is a legend,” Chaka said. “About a man that came from the stars. Even Primal know it.” Chaka followed, he had his hands raised.

  “Tell them I won’t hurt them. Do not attack,” Frank said.

  “He will be forgiving if you do not attack!” Chaka said.

  An older man, probably not as old as he looked, moved his hands in almost a sign language.

  “What is that?” Hal asked.

  “They do not have ability to speak words. They understand language just not physically able to make a noise.” Chaka reached out to Frank’s arm, then aimed his voice at the Primals. “He has a weapon no Primal or Hubra has. Also … your mighty weapon struck him. He heals.” He lifted Frank’s arm. “Look.”

  At that moment, all of Primals dropped down to their knees, bowed their heads and lifted their arms high in praise.

  “What’s going on?” asked Hal.

  “They are humbled,” Chaka replied. “They believe. They think he is a God.”

  Frank nodded arrogantly and gave a thumbs up to the Primals.

  “Don’t say it,” Hal said. “Please.”

  Frank grinned. “I am.”

  They were fearful of Chaka, until Chaka explained as if he were speaking for Frank, that he was a friend and not foe.

  There were probably more than Frank saw, but they were hiding in fear. They only felt safe, when near water. However living on the water’s edge, left them in the open.

  “He thinks in pictures,” Frank told Hal. “I’m tapping in but it’s gonna take me a bit to figure out what he is saying and thinking.”

  “Say, Frank,” Robbie said. “In any of those pictures does it show them killing us?”

  “No.” Frank laughed.

  The leader, who Frank just figured he’d call ‘Harry’, led them into the woods. In wasn’t far into their journey where Frank figure out where they were. A residential area, suburb, that was located about ten miles south of Jordan and north of Bowman. There were no houses at all. Only thick wooded areas, but the basements of those houses remained and that was where Harry and his people lived and took cover. Until they felt danger, they stayed in the open.

  They passed a garden with fruit and vegetables

  When Frank and them arrived, Harry informed his people that they were safe and within minutes those in his village brave enough to come out, brought food to them as gifts.

  Chaka explained that they probably would feel insulted if Frank and his brothers didn’t eat their food and it was perfectly fine.

  “How do you know what they’re saying?” Hal asked Chaka.

  “We have a pet village near our own where we take great care of our Primals. Plus, I have been to the labs where they experiment on Primals as well. I know their sign language.”

  “Experiment?” Hal questioned.

  “Don’t judge us. Not when you have Dean and Ellen and you put me in a pen like an animal.”

  Hal lifted his hand. “No judging.”

  Harry’s hands moved frantically.

  “What’s he saying?” Frank asked.

  “He recognized my clothes but says I am different as well from other Hubra.” Chaka nodded to Harry. “I am. My mother was part Primal.”

  Harry sniffed Frank and pointed.

  “Yes,” Chaka told him. “He is part Hubra. The gods want all Hubra and Primal to live as one.”

  Harry signaled to his people and they cheered.

  “Oh, this is fucking weird,” Frank said. He looked up when a female Primal placed food in front of him. Frank nodded, “Thanks.”

  Chaka continued to interpret. “He says he has followed the oddly clothed men with yellow hair since they were at the bridge. He asks where the other one is.”

  Frank pointed up to the sky.

  “He returned to the land of Gods,” Chaka told him, then watched. “Yes, speak freely. I can be trusted. I work with my Primal God brothers.”

  Harry nodded and swiped his hand on the ground. He grabbed a thin stick and began to draw pictures.

  Frank looked closely. “Is this a map?” he asked then after pointing to the drawing, motioned his hand around. “All this?”

  Harry nodded.

  “He is showing you where Hubra are. He wants to know,” Chaka translated. “Where the Gods say he and his tribe can go so they no longer have to hide and run in fear.”

  “Do you know?” Frank asked Chaka.

  “Even though this is my time, things are different.”

  “But I bet the LEP, or Hubra are not. Translate as I talk.”

  Chaka nodded.

  “Hal, give me the map please.” Frank requested.

  Hal handed him the map and Frank rolled it out.

  Harry and the others gasped in awe.

  “Yeah, pretty cool, huh?” Frank winked then grabbed the stick. “You are here. Hubra … are here and here, wherever. Hubra only migrate east to west. They follow the sun. Only move when they run out of resources. You … and your people need to go…” Frank pointed south. “Here. They’ll never get you. In fact, I am willing to bet there are people like us down there, or close. Just a guess.”

  “How did you know this?” Chaka asked. “I know I was always taught there is only land in the direction of the rising and setting sun. A map such as your does not exist in our time.”

  “It took man a lot of years to explore. I mean thousands of years to explore beyond their territories. It only makes sense, in the scheme of evolution you guys are young. You haven’t hit the explorer phase yet.”

  “Big brother, that is very intuitive and impressive,” Hal said.

  “If yo
u think about it. It makes sense.” He pushed the map to Harry. “And you can keep that. We have another.”

  “He is very grateful,” Chaka said. “He thanks you.”

  “No problem. But we have a journey and mission and need to go. We’ll eat with you because you went to all this trouble. Hey, Chaka ask him if they saw Johnny or Fort?”

  Chaka conveyed the question describing two men dressed like Frank.

  Harry and the others shook their heads.

  “Thank you, anyhow,” Frank said.

  Harry further signed.

  “He wants to know if he can give you a rufosa or gift as you call it. He wants to give you a gift before you leave. One that will aid you on your journey.”

  “Um …” Frank turned to Robbie and Hal. “Should we take the roof thing?”

  “Gift.” Hal corrected and shook his head. “Chaka tell him it isn’t necessary, thank you, but we don’t need a gift.”

  Chaka conveyed and then translated to Hal. “He said a God not taking his rufosa would be a curse and he would be insulted.”

  “Hal, he’s insulted,” Frank said.

  “Frank, they have nothing you cannot take something from them,” Hal insisted.

  “I think we should,” Robbie said. “I mean we have the flower, it will be another cool souvenir. Plus, he said it will help us on our journey. It could be a cool futuristic compass.”

  Hal scoffed. “Robbie, please, looking at this people, it won’t be a futuristic compass. Deny the gift Frank.”

  Frank waved out his hand. “I don’t want to insult the man.” Frank looked at Harry and nodded. “Yes. Thank you. We’ll take the gift.”

  EIGHTEEN – POLW

  “I told you not to take the gift,” Hal griped. “Did I or did I not?”

  “What were we supposed to do?” Frank asked.

  “Say no thank you,” Hal said. “That would have been polite.”

  “You have to admit,” Robbie said. “If we comparing this to Planet of the Apes. He’s like our Nova.”

  “Yes!” Frank pointed. “He is.”

  “Seriously though, Frank?” Robbie questioned him. “Not saying you were wrong. But what are we supposed to do with him?”

  “Harry said he’d help us. He probably has a talent,” Frank replied.

  “Nonsense.” Hal scoffed then looked at the ‘gift’. It was skinny boy of maybe twelve or thirteen. His hair so matted and dirty it was hard to tell its color or length. He wore an animal skin around his lower half and fur covered his feet, tied at the ankle.

  The boy sniffed a lot, his head going left to right and he zig zagged his body in between them, moving in a chimpanzee manner.

  “They’re laughing at us,” Hal said. “Back there, right now, they’re laughing out loud. Saying, ‘Ha, ha, ha, try to tell us you’re a king. Here, take the feral boy. He’ll kill you while you sleep.’”

  “Hal!” Frank snapped. “What’s done is done. What are we gonna do. He’s with us. We can always take him back and let Dean work on him. Maybe Dean can find out why he can’t talk and solve it for the future...”

  “What do you think, Chaka?” Hal asked. “Was this a joke or was it a real genuine gift.”

  “I think they believe they gave an asset to the God. And he can be an asset. Send the small Primal ahead to look for danger. If he returns, all is fine. If he does not, then you know.”

  Hal stopped walking. His mouth opened in shock. “You’re suggesting to send the boy out to see if he gets killed or not?”

  “Yes.”

  “How can you suggest that?”

  “He’s not my species.”

  Frank laughed. “That was good.” He cleared his throat. “However, even though that was a good suggestion, and we appreciate the feedback, we can’t send him forward to die. It wouldn’t be cool. Besides, I think he likes me. Huh, Rufus. You like me.” Frank handed him a small piece of beef jerky the patted him on the head.

  “You feed him like a pet!” Hal groped. “And we all know what happened the last time you have a pet. You stopped feeding him. You’ll probably stop feeding … what did you call him?”

  “Rufus.”

  “Where did you get the name?”

  Frank pointed. “That’s what he called him. He said Harry wanted to give us Rufus.”

  Hal breathed out sharply. “Rufosa.”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “No, you said Rufus.”

  Frank waved out his hand. “So I use the nickname. I don’t call you Halbert or Robbie, Robert. I don’t call Chaka Chocolate.”

  “You’re an ass,” Hal said.

  “Hal, why are you always ….” Frank stopped walking and lifted his hand. “Stop. We’re here.” He looked back to them over his shoulder. “We’re in Bowman.”

  It wasn’t what Hal envisioned. Even though he knew they were a thousand years in the future, after hearing that it was the sacred city, somehow he expected it to be still partially standing. Like ruins of ancient times. Even the leaning tower of Pisa was a thousand years old and was still in existence. He didn’t expect to see his town, or rather what was left of it, intertwined within the forest, As if someone how it had become one with nature.

  Parts of buildings, moss covered and broken emerged from the ground. Hal couldn’t even figure out which building was which.

  The only thing he did recognize was the church. The huge stone masonry church that graced the corner of Bowman has lost the top portion of its steeple. Time had stolen that. There were no doors, yet the archway remained. The back wall was almost a hundred percent intact. The roof was gone, of course. Potions of the pillars still stood erect. While the pews had long since disintegrated, the marble floor, miraculously was still there. Unlike every other building, no trees had gown threw it.

  “Remarkable that this is still standing,” Hal looked around.

  “I’m betting because this is known as a sacred city, LEPS, Primals, they come here. That’s why the church isn’t overgrown,” Frank said.

  Robbie stomped his foot. “Floor is still here, which means, the basement is still there.”

  “The big question is, how do we get down there?” Hal asked. “I mean, the sacristy is gone and that led to the back stairwell.”

  “What do you think Chaka?” Frank asked. “Do you know a way?”

  Chaka didn’t answer.

  Hal turned his body to see Chaka staring at the opposite wall. “What it is?”

  Chaka moved to the wall, frantically smeared his hand against the dirt, stepped back, looked then repeated. “Things have changed. I don’t know how or why. This wall decoration has never been here. I have been to this place many times. Something has happened that made this different than when I was here. I don’t understand the language of the writing...”

  Hal couldn’t make out the mural where he stood, he knew it was one. He recognized the faded, yet obvious golden halo.

  As he stepped closer, he could see the veil with the halo, and he assumed that being in a Catholic church it was the Blessed Mother or Saint Anne.

  Until he saw it full on.

  Chaka stared in awe at it and so did Hal.

  Robbie laughed. He laughed out.

  “Oh my God,” Frank said.

  “Robbie, this is not funny,” Hal said.

  “Yeah, Hal, yeah it is. I guess things did change. At least we know, for this time frame, how it all started.”

  The mural was mosaic and built to withstand time. It took up the whole wall. On top was a blue scrolled banner with writing. Words Chaka had said he couldn’t understand. It was unlike any language Hal had seen.

  A woman wearing a blue veil was center, a golden halo encompassed her head. To one side of her, appearing almost angelic were human beings, floating and pointing, on her other side just as angelic and in the same pose were LEP. The woman held a swaddled infant in her arms. The infant also had a halo but clearly was LEP. It was twisted version of Madonna and child. What made it worse was the w
oman clearly wasn’t the blessed mother, but rather … Jenny Matoose.

  NINETEEN – BEGINNINGS

  Dean introduced Hank to the concept of a reclining chair. He loved it and once in it, didn’t want to move. Which was a good thing for Dean, because he was tired. He passed out on the couch, trying to grab a couple hours of sleep before starting his day. He had work to do in the lab and he was going to continue working with Hank on being ...Frank.

  When Dean woke, it was still dark. Hank was wide awake in the reclining chair.

  “I need to stand. I can’t get out of this chair,” Hank told him.

  Dean helped him, then told him to have a seat at the dining room table and wait for him.

  He left Hank there and then proceeded to take a shower. He felt good, wide wake and ready to go… or so he thought. He decided to check on the kids and when he peeked in on Alex, she looked so innocent and cute as she slept, Dean felt compelled to snuggle with her and he fell back to sleep hard and fast.

  Little Billy always knew when his father stayed at the house. He believed his father had no concept of sound and was the loudest person when he took a shower. He dropped the soap, the shampoo and slammed doors. Who was his father kidding? He wasn’t quiet. It always woke up Billy.

  He heard his father leave the bathroom and when Billy got out of his bed, fully intending on spending time with his dad, he realized it was in vain. His father was out cold in Alex’s bed. His hair was still wet and Billy knew his father was going to give new meaning to ‘bed head’ when he got up.

  Since he was already awake and there was no reason to go back to bed, Billy got dressed, put on his shoes and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat.

  He turned on the living room light and stopped cold when he saw him sitting at the dining room table. He wanted to shout out with childlike enthusiasm, “Oh, no way!” because he knew as soon as he saw the build and hair, who or rather what he was. Instead he composed himself, and tucked away his pride in his father’s successful experiment, and hands behind his back walked slyly to the table.

  “Hello,” Billy said.