Awakening the Mare (Fall of Man Book 1)

by Jacqueline Druga

  23. Oceans Wide

  I had heard of its existence, but never in my life had I believed the ocean would be so empowering and overwhelming.

  Like a pilgrimage, people loaded into long vehicles that Tanner called buses, packed inside, and they all rode to the end of the country.

  I saw Tanner briefly, he said he was really busy and would catch up to me later. He was escorting people on the bus. It was as if I were forgotten about. The only people I knew in Angeles City seemed so engrossed in preparing for something. The last thing Davis said was, “This is where we part. We have to get ready for the full moon tonight. You know what that means, right? I’ll catch you later.”

  He too, would ‘catch’ me later as if I were going to be flying through the air. What an odd phrasing. I didn’t get it.

  I toted my bag and climbed into the bus. A woman gave me a blanket and told me when we get to the ‘beach’ to stay with my assigned group.

  I was lost, confused, and had no idea what was happening. I didn’t even know what the full moon had to do with anything. All I knew was that I was shuffled about. Somewhere, somehow, it dawned on me that no one knew I was a new arrival.

  My best option was to do what others were doing, be like a sheep and follow the flock. Obviously, they weren’t going to slaughter. Instinctively, I knew they were avoiding one.

  The buses stopped with a loud squeal and everyone stepped off in an orderly fashion. I felt the coolness of the crisp breeze and the air smelled differently. Only a few steps into my walk I saw the ocean It blended into the sky and extended out as far as the eye could see. The ocean was enormous. I had to take a moment to look. People brushed by me but I was frozen in awe.

  What a beautiful sight, one I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

  I did not know exactly who my assigned group was, but I followed those from my bus as they made their way to the beach. My feet sunk in the sand and it was harder to walk.

  A woman must have noticed how confused I was.

  “Honey, you can set up anywhere,” she said with a smile. “Pick a fire pit and relax, it’s going to be a long night.”

  I thanked her and was still confused by what she meant. I stood there watching others set up blankets and plastic boxes next to rings of bricks, laughing and having fun, being relaxed. I was far from relaxed. I found my own ring of bricks, placed down my bag and blanket. There were charred sticks in there along with two fresh logs and twigs.

  Fire pit. That must have been what it was.

  I glanced around, noticing others creating a fire in their ‘pit’ and I figured I would do the same. In my stable bag, not only did I have my time capsule and some food items, I had the means to create a fire.

  Starting a fire was actually something I was quite good at and I got mine going pretty quickly using the flint cube. After spreading out my blanket, I pulled out my time capsule box and a small sack of oats and nuts that my mother had mixed and baked with honey.

  It was peaceful sitting there and staring at the ocean. I blocked out everyone. I couldn’t help but stare.

  “Sweetheart, I am so sorry,” Davis said, plopping down on the sand next to me.

  “For what?” I asked.

  “Leaving you alone.”

  “You are the leader, Davis. I understand.”

  “You did a great job on your fire.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I brought you dinner and water.” He handed me a bottle and an item wrapped in a cloth. “It’s a sandwich.”

  I smiled and accepted it. “Davis, why are we on the beach and what does the full moon have to do with anything?”

  “You don’t know?”

  I shook my head.

  “Then I apologize again. The first night of the full moon, the Sybaris are at their worst. We try to bring as many people as we can together near the water. See that wall behind you?”

  I turned and peered. I had been so busy I had not noticed the large wall that extended all the way down the beach.

  “The Sybaris will come to that wall. It’s our way to get the most of them when they are all out there. We’ll shoot them. They’ll try to get people, and they may succeed. But they’ll get a heck of a lot less people here than if people stayed in their homes. Here, people retreat to the ocean and go into the water.”

  “I cannot do that. I’ll sink.”

  “You don’t need to go out that deep. Just to your knees. Don’t you swim?”

  “Swim?”

  “I guess not. Swimming is a term we use for when you go into the water, don’t sink, and are able to move about and float.”

  “Thank you for explaining that.”

  “Hey….” Davis smiled and reached down. “Is this your time capsule?”

  “Yes, it is. I always like to look through it. It tells so much. The girl, Janie, who made this box, wrote pages and pages of explanations. It has your leaders, your warriors…”

  “Our warriors?’

  “One,” I replied. “He must have been a great one. “ I searched the box for the picture of the strong man. His arms were bare except for the large gloves that came nearly to his elbows. He wore a leather warrior outfit and his chin and face were chiseled and strong. “Here.” I handed it to him. “Ben Hur. You must have been proud of him.”

  Davis took the photo. “Ben Hur is actually Charlton Heston, an actor.”

  I stared at Davis, waiting for him to say more.

  “You don’t understand do you?” Davis asked. “You will know after tomorrow. Let’s just say he was a hero to many. And boy, I’ll tell you, that Janie person was an odd one.” His hand moved about the box. “Oh, hey, Best of Poison.”

  “Do not touch it!” I said quickly before he could pick it up.

  “Val, it’s a cassette. No worries, okay? It’s old. They stopped making these a long time ago.”

  “That’s a good thing.”

  Davis smiled and stood. “Well, I have to be going. I have to get my guards ready for this evening. I won’t leave you be alone too long. I’ll send Tanner over.”

  “He irritates you but you trust him,” I noted.

  “Yes, yes I do. You can say… in a sense, he saved my life.”

  “Oh, a hero like Ben Hur?”

  Davis laughed. “Not quite.” He rubbed my head and walked off. I didn’t understand why he patted my head, though it seemed friendly enough.

  After he was gone, I settled back into my box and shifted between the contents of my time capsule and studying all that was taking place around me.

  For as many people as they were, it was the first time I truly felt alone. I was in a new place, with new people, far away from my family.

  24. When the Moon is High

  The moon had not peaked in the sky, yet darkness had started to settle in. To my left and right, dots of fires illuminated the beach in a straight line. Though there was a beauty about the entire scene, I felt sad and out of place. I did not know if people intentionally avoided me or if they were so consumed with their friends and family that they did not notice.

  I nibbled on my sandwich. I wanted to make it last all night as well as the fire. I poked the fire to keep the flames going.

  Finally, Tanner showed up. I was really happy to see him. He dropped with a loud exhale.

  “That is an impressive fire,” he said. “Who built it?”

  “I did.”

  “Good job. So Davis said you have a Poison cassette.”

  “I do. I’ll let you see, but don’t touch it.”

  Tanner held up his hand. “I won’t. I promise. I don’t want to die.”

  “I don’t want you to die either.”

  “Val, I’m kidding. Joking. Get it?”

  “No. And you called me ‘Val’. Why?”

  “A nickname. Something we do. Shorten names. And I was joking about dying too.” Tanner smiled at me. “Do you know what a joke is?”

  “I do. We tell them all the time in Akana.”

  “We d
o too. We also joke with each other. Kind of make up tales that are exaggerated.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a…” Tanner shrugged. “It’s dumb. Don’t worry about it. So tell me a joke you know. I’m curious as to what you Akanians find funny.”

  Tanner wanted to hear a joke. Finally something I could do. I knew lots of jokes and we told them often. “Here is one.” I paused to giggle. “Why did the pig cross the road?”

  “Um… I don’t know. Why?”

  “To get to the other side!”

  Tanner just stared at me.

  “Do you not get the joke?”

  “Oh, I get it. It is the same one as why did the chicken cross the road.”

  “There is a chicken version?” I laughed. “That is even funnier.”

  “Um… yeah. How about another one.”

  “How many Sybaris does it take to ride a horse?”

  Tanner shrugged.

  “None. Sybaris do not ride horses.” I laughed, one of those uncontrollable laughs that escape through our nose.

  Tanner did not laugh.

  “Did you hear that one before or do you not think I’m funny?”

  “Oh, I think you’re freaking hysterically funny.”

  “Thank you,” I answered proudly. “I do not get—” I stopped. I heard something. A noise, or rather noises that I had not heard before. They flowed through the air, blending together. “What is that?”

  “What?”

  “It sounds like tones. Lots of tones.”

  “That?” Tanner pointed back with his thumb. “That’s music. They’re playing guitars.”

  “It is beautiful and soothing. I am amazed at so many things.”

  “Don’t you have music?” Tanner asked.

  “We do. But they are only singing and that is it.” I listened and soon voices were singing along to the music. “What are they singing?”

  Tanner listened. “An old Bon Jovi song, I think.”

  “I love spiritual music. This is really…” I leaned forward and was greeted with yet another thing I had never seen. Two people, a man and a woman, who originally were huddled closely to keep warm now seemed as if they were sharing air.

  “What’s wrong now?” he asked.

  “Why are their mouths locked?”

  Tanner looked and then ran his hand down his face as if he were trying to swipe away a smile. “They’re kissing, Vala. Don’t you know what kissing is?”

  “I know what kissing is. My mother kisses me. She never kissed me like that.”

  “I should hope not.”

  “They keep going.”

  Tanner reached out, touched my chin, and turned my head from staring. His touch set me back and I jumped. “Vala, you need to relax. It’s not a crime or sin to touch. It’s normal. It’s… human. And I promise, after you go through deprogramming, you will feel like you had a fog lifted. You may just want to try a kiss.” He winked.

  “I doubt that. It cannot be sanitary.”

  “That was funny,” Tanner said. “You’ll feel different. I promise.”

  “How do you know?” My eyes shifted back to the couple.

  “Because that’s what others say, and quit staring at them.”

  “I am not understanding it. What is the point of holding lips together?”

  “There’s a whole bunch of stuff behind it. Things you probably know but don’t understand. Deprogramming is going to teach you about human nature. Actions, expressions, speaking.”

  “I do not get this deprogramming. Why do I need it?’

  “If you say things like your mother never kissed you like that, then you need it. It’s a cool thing. It really is. It was designed years ago by someone that arrived in Akana when they were eight years old. Then after you deprogram, you’ll see why and understand how people interact. How we joke and jest, gripe and flirt.”

  “Flirt?”

  “Yeah, it’s a playful thing a man and woman do. They joke around. Innocently touch. Do the flirting nudge?”

  “What is that?”

  “This.”

  Tanner bumped his shoulder into mine. I was not ready for it and flew sideways to the sand.

  “Oh my God, I’m sorry.” Tanner laughed loudly.

  “That is rough play.” Sand had hit my lips and face, and not wanting to taste the grains, I lifted my head and blew out.

  That moment was when everything changed.

  The music stopped abruptly, and as if a war cry, the sound of many screaming Savages carried in the night air. The shadows of the Sybaris poured over the wall. So many of them, they flowed like a black river. Gunshots rang out, arrows sailed, but it was not enough.

  Tanner yanked my arm and pulled me to my feet. “Get to the water, Vala, now!”

  “I ... I cannot, I am afraid!”

  “Now.” He scooped up his weapon and pointed. “Now!” He took off to go battle, firing his weapon with every step he ran.

  People were running to the water as they cried out. Savage Sybaris braved the ocean air, swooping down, grabbing people, and lifting them high.

  It was all too reminiscent of a memory from my childhood.

  Frozen in fear, I did not know what to do. I had no choice but to run for the water. As I turned, I heard a child’s cry.

  Twenty paces from me was a forgotten child; she could not have been more than three. Lost in the confusion of the run, I thought of myself when I was that age, crying, holding my ears, not moving, just like that child in the sand.

  I could not leave her alone, I had to get her. Right when I made that decision, she was spotted by a Savage. It moved quickly to her, like a simian, using its hands as well as its feet to run.

  I did not have a weapon, and the only thing I knew that was deadly was that Poison.

  In my dash, I swiped up the Poison cassette, raced to the little girl, and without stopping, swooped her in my arms.

  Head for the water, I thought, Head for the water.

  She clung tightly to me, her arms around my neck, legs around my waist.

  I turned to run for the water and the Savage Sybaris had leapt over us, landing right before me and the child.

  He twitched his head and opened his mouth, readying in typical attack mode.

  I had to use my only option. Hoping with everything I had it worked, I hurled the cassette at the Savage beast.

  It bounced off of him and landed in the sand.

  The poison did not work. Or did it?

  As he moved forward to lunge for us, I thought hard for it to work and wished with everything I had.

  Please work. Please work.

  An arm’s reach from us, the poison kicked in and the Savage Sybaris exploded. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Every ounce of his body erupted outward, spraying me and the small child with Sybaris blood and guts and only a wiggling arm remained. It twitched on the sand in the midst of the remains.

  Seeing that as my clue to get to the safety of the water, child in my arms, I raced as fast as I could.

  I was terrified. I did not know what the ocean would do, and I was not just responsible anymore for only my wellbeing, I had the child to protect. I moved into the water until it encompassed my lower legs.

  It was hard to stand there, the power of the water kept making me sway, but I turned so I had a view of what was happening on the beach. I wanted to see the battle.

  The fighting ensued, but something caused the Savage Sybaris to change their minds.

  Suddenly they started to flee as if scared. They ran from the beach, leaping to the wall and making an escape.

  The guards and soldiers continued to fire their weapons, trying to take out as many as they could.

  I witnessed it all, all while the little girl cried in my ear. Her mother must have spotted us, because a woman raced through the water to reach us.

  “Thank you. Thank you so much!” she cried as she reached for the child.

  “You are welcome.”

  “You saved her, thank
you. I just turned for a moment…”

  “It is alright.” I released the child, who jumped into her mother’s arms.

  My eyes stayed on the beach. I searched for Tanner, for Davis. Were they alright?

  The commotion died down, and a whistle blew. People began to leave the water. It was then I spotted Davis and he approached the remains of the Savage I had killed.

  “Val!” Tanner rushed over. “Are you alright?’

  Slowly I took my eyes from Davis and turned to Tanner. “I am. Are you?”

  “Yes. You saved that girl. You… you took out that Savage.”

  “I had an advantage,” I said and walked toward Davis.

  “I’d say you did,” Tanner commented.

  Davis crouched down by the remains of the Savage Sybaris. “I saw it, Vala.” He reached down for the cassette. “I saw what happened.”

  “Do not pick that up. Please. You know what that does.”

  “Vala…” Davis grabbed the cassette and stood, “why is this here?”

  “It was the only weapon I had. I threw it at him.”

  I heard a snort and turned my head. Tanner held up his hand, holding back a laugh. “Sorry.” He snorted again.

  “What is funny?” I asked. “Davis, if we can get more, that poison cassette could be a weapon in battle.”

  “Vala, didn’t kill the Sybaris.”

  “I do not understand. I threw it at him. If that did not kill it what did? What weapon made it explode like that?”

  “You,” Davis said. “You’re a Mare. You are the weapon that made it explode.”

  25. Comprehending

  I was the outcast. People were friendly to me before, yet avoided me. And after the Sybaris incident, no one wanted to even look at me.

  “They’re afraid,” Davis explained. “I don’t know how to tell them or what to tell them, except it’s a gift.”

  “It is also a curse, as Iry told me.”

  “Iry? The boyfriend?” Davis asked.