Teokuitlatl Noaxka

Many centuries ago there was a family that roamed the land. This land is now known as New Mexico in the country of the United States of America. But at this time, the land was valued in more than monetary ways, and was called Mother Nature. This family worshipped her and enjoyed her beauty.

The family believed they were borrowed from her and that they would eventually return to her. They prayed to her when they used her air, animals, water and wood. And she was the reason the seasons changed and the sun shined. She also put the stars in their place and made babies cry. Mother Nature was the creator of everything.

The family was not that large. There was a father, a mother and two children. The father, fearless and quick to defend his family, pushed his large frame through the overgrown bush. He had a basic loincloth, nothing special. His dark skin was covered in blood, dirt and scars. Only a few wounds were opened, thanks to walking through this forest. His eyes were a dark brown and his hair was black. He carried a sharp spear in one hand and a long, thick, knife in the other.

The mother was next. Even though she followed her mate through the heavy brush, she emerged from the bush with little to no dirt or wounds on her small frame. She had long flowing black hair, almost weightless it seemed. She had bright brown eyes that continuously searched for danger. She was quite timid, but she would defend her children to her last breath. She, too, was wearing a loincloth, but also something covering her breasts, made out of leaves and vines. She carried a bag, made out of more vines and leaves, in one hand. It contained various berries, fruits and vegetables the family had collected. The other hand carried a large bladder, full of fresh water.

The next to emerge out of the bush was the oldest child, and only son. He had his mothers temperament, but his fathers build and overall look. He was timid, but he would not let anyone, or thing, hurt his family. He was carrying a stick in one hand and a large rock, which he was using to sharpen the stick, in the other. He had not seen the changes of the season 10 times, yet, but this was his tenth summer. He wore a simple loincloth.

The last to slip past the branches was the youngest, a girl. She mirrored her mother in looks, but was a fiercely fearless child. She enjoyed hunting and fishing with her dad and quickly got bored with the things her mother tried to teach her. She loved catching and cleaning the animals, but she did not like cooking them. She had not seen the seasons change eight times, but it was her eighth summer. She wore a large one piece of hide and carried nothing.

The family was nomadic and kept to a strict schedule. At least some of the time. They had just arrived at the spot where they spent most of the warm, and hot, months that were approaching. Now that the ice and snow had melted they migrated a few dozen miles over the past few days. All four of them were happy to finally get here. Plus, there was a large body of water they fished and relaxed in, during the hotter days. The water was surrounded by large trees that, because of winter just ending, were mostly bare. The cave they used as shelter was also enclosed by the trees.

The children ran full speed at the water once it came into view. The parents watched closely as the children ran into the water. They then dove in once they were far enough from the shore. The mother went inside the cave they used as shelter to organize the items they always left, and the things she was carrying. The father went to try and fish for some protein.

The children, now naked, were splashing each other and trying to dunk one another. Because of the girl’s insistence on hunting and other activities with her father and brother, she had strength. She was shorter than her brother, but her determination, usually, overcame his advantage. She dropped into the foggy water and disappeared. Her brother could not find her and soon he felt small hands, with an iron grip, on his legs. She stood up and used her momentum, and strength, to launch her brother into the air.

The boy got some air before belly flopping. He didn’t immediately come up. Instead, he swam around behind his sister and repeated her move. Being much smaller she almost tripled her brother’s air. The boy laughed, villainously, as he watched his sister fly in the air. Her small naked frame was flipping, quite quickly, and her appendages were flailing around her. Instead of a belly flop, she smacked the water with the right side of her face.

She did not try to get her brother again. During her flying lesson she decided she was done swimming. So, she slowly pierced the waters edge, into the cool air, and when her eyes opened, she glared at her brother. She stuck out her tongue and turned towards the spot on the shore where her one piece loincloth was laying. Her brother, however, had other plans.

He grabbed her shoulder and yanked her backwards. She lost her footing and he took his advantage. Her head immediately dunked back under the surface of the water. She could see her brother laughing maniacally through the water that separated her from the fresh air. The girl’s body started to convulse. She took in some water through her nose and was struggling to expel it from her throat.

Her brother let go of her and helped her to her feet. He was just playing and he wasn’t trying to hurt his sister. He just got caught up in the moment. He slapped her, hard, on the back. His dad had done the same when he was choking on water. It did not seem to do anything, so he tried it again. A mark from the first slap was still on her back, but he slapped her anyway.

The little sister glared at the water, as if it was her brother, and quickly turned on her heels. The boy was startled at the quick movement and didn’t see his sister’s fist flying at him. She put everything into her swing and caught her brother square in the mouth. As he started screaming in pain, she turned back towards the shore. She put her one piece back on and ran to the cave. Her brother just stared as she dressed, ran to the cave and slipped into it’s darkness while holding his mouth. He spit out the excess saliva and there was a good amount of blood in it.

The father came back shortly before sunset. The mother had made a large fire that she, and her children, sat around. The three of them were enjoying a hot, tea-like, drink that was red in color. The mother offered the father a drink, but he just raised the several snakes and opossums he was carrying. He walked out of the bright light of the fire and into the light of the setting sun. He approached the makeshift table he used to clean his kills.

While he cleaned their dinner, the rest of the family watched as the fire danced in front of them. All three of them saw different things in the fire. The mother, fighting back tears, saw herself, as a child, with her parents sitting around a similar fire. The boy saw himself, as a man, surrounded by faceless children and wife. The girl, however, saw the fire. She saw the destruction it could bring and the renewal it brought.

Soon the father was done cleaning the dead animals. He made a makeshift grill out of green tree limbs and laid the opossums on them. He then stuck more green limbs into the ground, overhanging the fire, and set the snake bodies on them to smoke. The family loved snake jerky.

After eating, the group settled inside their natural shelter and went to sleep. Everyone, but the girl, had peaceful dreams that their new setting induced. The girl, however, was reliving the event from earlier that day. Each time she was dunked backwards into the water, in her dream, she held her breath, in reality. She struggled in the dream and then she would toss and turn in reality. And after an unknown amount of times reliving the trauma she woke up, covered in a cold sweat.

She struggled against the hide she used as a blanket. Once it was off of her she turned and glared at her sleeping brother. Revenge ran through her mind and she decided to act. She slowly walked to where her brother was sleeping and stomped on his groin. He bolted upright and let out a loud scream. When he saw his sister standing above him he scrambled to his feet.

The sisters’ eyes bulged out of their sockets as she realized what she had done, and the consequences. With a nervous laugh she turned and ran out of the shelter. Her brother was soon right behind her. The parents, having been woken up and unsure of what was happening, did not interfere. They chose, instead, to get up and start the day as usual.

The children made it to the shore and when the sister hesitated the brother tackled her into the lake. Their splashing rippled out into the depths of the foggy water. They were, inadvertently, taking turns holding the other under the surface of the lake. But the sister soon got the advantage and took it. Her brother could see her laughing maniacally through the surface of the water.

The father, now emerging from the shelter, saw his daughter holding his son down in the water and took off. As he neared the water he could only watch as his son’s struggling started to turn to unconscious convulsions. By the time his feet hit water his son was no longer moving and his daughter was just standing there, looking down at her still brother, laughing. Without thinking the father hit his daughter as hard as he could in the temple. She fell into the water and he picked up his son’s lifeless body. He ran through the water to the shore and started trying to get his son to respond. He tried everything, in vain.

He stopped and fell into a sitting position, crying. He covered his face as tears streamed down his face. There was a loud scream from behind him. He turned and witnessed his mate pointing out at the water, running and crying. When he turned back towards the lake he noticed something floating, lifeless, in the water.

The daughter’s body rolled in the water and then abruptly sank. As the mother got to the water an abnormally cold wind blew. The fog that lingered seemed to rush the parents. Once they noticed their daughter was gone they embraced each other. The fog vanished with another cold blast of air. The parents then heard the unmistakable sound of their daughter’s giggle.

THE END!

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