The Shadowing Past

It was a cool summer evening. The transition to autumn was almost complete and the change was, by now, visible. The tall trees of the Kamaru Forest loomed over the valley, bringing shade to the remote village of Shyem as well as painting it with a thousand unique shades of reds and yellows. It was a rather tiny village; a small spec sitting upon the northwestern edge of the vast kingdom of Kali. The inhabitants of the village, primarily fishermen, farmers, and the local tradesmen, who remained the only link to the rest of the kingdom, were all self-content fellows who worked hard and enjoyed their relative lives of solitude. With little external contact, Shyem had managed to exist for over 200 years, creating a strong communal bond between its members, as well as amassing a unique and rich culture of its own.

            Of all this tradition, however, the evening of the annual Shyem ritual remained the most imperative and was also said to be the oldest. It was believed that anyone who went to the temple located in the center of the village during this particular evening and, while fasting, prayed till sunrise, would be ensured a fine and prosperous harvest during the following months. Since the food from the farmers practically fed the entire village, everyone would be seen at the temple during that time. In fact, it is for this particular festival that the village, for the most part, was empty this summer evening. It was the eve of the Shyem ritual and everyone had migrated to the temple for the night.

There was, however, one boy who remained detached from the rest. Every year, one young man ignored the advice of the others and refused to participate in the ritual. Like always, this particular evening the young man was lying down on a small hill located near the outskirts of the Kamaru Forest and gazing at the immense and shady mirage of the Dawn Mountains that could be seen in the distance. Like always, he was deep in thought and noticed little of what went on around him.

He was now seventeen years old. Lying down upon the hills, he appeared much older. Deep reflection, knowledge and confusion, all characteristics that only gain prominence with age, undeniably marked his seemingly expressionless countenance. He was thin yet fine toned, tall yet agile, and scared yet serenely handsome, like the blemished moon filled with craters. His coarse brown hair added a rough edge to his overall appearance and his simple, tarnished clothing gave him the look of a prince among rouges.

His name was Neida. Next to him lay the main reason as to why many of his fellow villagers feared approaching him: a great, massive bear covered with shiny, dark brown fur. The bear’s sharp blue eyes, size, and emblem of a purple leaf etched into its forehead gave away its identity as a Brown Bear, a group of ancient and noble, yet fearful, creatures located in the deep center of the Kamaru forest. As Neida watched the crisp clouds speed by against the backdrop of the slowly setting sun, his stream of thought was interrupted by a leaf that trailed down onto his face from an oak that towered over him. He took the leaf and stared at it for some time before gently setting it aside and sighing with resignation.

“There goes another year Moshu,” Neida whispered. The bear raised its head and gave a soft growl in acknowledgement. “And yet my memory refuses to fail me. I just can’t forget it. IT still seems as if it all just happened last week…”

 

~*~

It is the same village and same day, but ten years ago. The roads have not yet been repaired, the houses with their faded colors not yet repainted. The villagers have just started to prepare for the ceremony set to take place later in the evening. As the sun breaks into the early morning sky, a young boy steps out from a house located in the outskirts of Shyem and near the Kamaru forest. The boy is small and seven years old. His short black hair shines in the sun and he looks around playfully with his sparkling blue eyes. Two adults follow suit: his parents. The tall mother slowly guides the boy to a dirt trail leading down the hill and towards the town. After reaching it, both turn around to wave goodbye to the father. The equally tall man smiles, waves back, and after picking up a small bag and a fishing rod, starts walking in the opposite direction towards the forest. With and innocent little smile shining upon his tiny face, the boy takes his mother’s hand and follows her along the path. A strong wind blows, causing the trees lining the trail to shake. As the mother pulls her child closer to her and walks out of sight, a trail of bright colorful leaves fill up the pathway behind them…

 

 

            The reflection of the bright sun now located in the center of the sky could be seen in the water of the lake. The area surrounding the lake was fairly empty of any movement, except for the occasional shaking of the trees by the wind and rustling of branches caused by the birds and animals. Some bushes rustle nearby as a tall man makes his way into the area. Putting his belongings down on the ground with a small sigh, the man takes a keen view of his surroundings with his deep blue eyes. Content with his observations, the man then picks up his bag once more and proceeds towards the lake.  Once near the edge of the water, the man sets down his bag once more. This time he sits on his knees as well and, opening up the bag, takes out bait to attach to the fishing pole. He then throws the line deep into the water and takes a complete seat near the edge. Looking into the water, the man begins to hum a single, long note. As if listening to his voice, small waves form in the water near his feet. The man smiles and, taking his finger, gently taps the moving water with his finger. For a second the water seems to become still. Then, cautiously, the water starts circling up his finger in little threads, only stopping when it reaches the black metal bracelet located on the man’s wrist. The man smiles once more and then removes his finger from the water smoothly. The drops stay on his hand for a second and then suddenly drop back into the lake. Once again, the lake appears still and the area surrounding the lake seems empty, almost as if, through his silence and connection with the water, the man had blended into his surroundings…

 

 

            The scent of fresh soil dang green plants fills the air in the garden. All kinds of plants, ranging from tomatoes to violets, could be found here lined up in vast even rows. Suddenly there is a screech as the small metal gate opens. A tall woman and small child enter the garden, holding hands. The little boy’s face shines with excitement as he takes in the exotic smells and fresh sights of the garden. Breaking free from his mother’s hand, the boy playfully runs down the row, stopping at each plant for a quick examination. The mother beams at her child and watches him for a while with her observant green eyes. Then, taking her basket, she follows her own unique path through the garden. As she stops to pick up the vegetables of the plants, she touches the leaves with her delicate hands. Whether it is because of the breezy wind or early morning fog, the leaves appear to quiver and sigh at her subtle touch. After finishing her work, she walks to a fountain in the center of the garden and sits on the stone edge, taking in the fresh air and letting the boy play for a while. Eventually, the mother calls the child and, together, they make their way back home, leaving the garden with the click of the closing gate…

 

 

            It is the house again. The setting sun is still visible along the peaks of the Dawn Mountains. As it sets, the sun splashes the sky in shades of purple and black. After each second, another star becomes visible in the emerging night sky. The door to the house opens and the mother steps out. Eagerly, the mother looks around and, seeing no one there, frowns. She moves onto the steps in front of the door and takes a seat, resting her head upon her left hand. The door opens once more, giving way to her son. The little boy, holding a ragged doll, steps out and watches his mother for a while. Sensing that something is wrong, he sits next to her.

            “Is everything okay amma¹?”

            The mother looks at her child next to her and smiles. Showing fake confidence, she seats the child on her lap and puts her arms around him securely. The boy rests his head on her shoulder.

            “Where is papa, ma?” the boy asks quietly. “Why isn’t he home yet? Is he alright?”

            “Don’t worry Neida. Papa is safe. He is just running a little late today. Maybe he went down to see Uncle Mathews for a while before coming home. He was saying he had to go see him sometime soon anyways. You don’t worry, papa will be home soon. Now it is getting late, so you go back to bed, okay?” Saying so, the mother sends off the child back into the house. After hearing the click of the door closing, she looks around once more hoping to see her husband emerge walking from the forest towards the house. Disappointed, she turns around and walks back into the house, shutting the door once more. In the sky, blue and black have almost finished pushing away the orange and red of the sun, preparing the aerial throne for his sister the moon...

 

 

            The sun is once more rising into the morning sky. The silence is broken by the chilling chirps of the birds. Inside the house, the mother is preparing the child to go outside.

            “Okay Neida, I will be going out today to look for papa and make sure everything is okay. So, until I come back, you will have to stay with Uncle Mathew’s place. Promise me you will listen to Uncle Mathew and not trouble him with questions while I’m gone,” she explained as she finished combing the child’s hair. Neida looked at his mother and said,

            “Ok, amma (mother).”

            Soon both mother and child set out to Uncle Mathew’s house, neither sure when they would see the other again.

 

~*~

 

The sun had almost set and the sky was completely dark. Neida lay still on the grassy hill. He blinked once as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Ever since he could remember he had always been able to see particularly well in the dark.

            Ten years. A decade. It had been a decade since his mother had left him with Uncle Mathew and he had never seen her since. To Neida, it seemed like 10 years too long. The suspense was enough. He had to know what had happened to his parents, even if it meant breaking his mother’s orders. With a determined sigh, Neida decided to confront the old man the following day, no matter what happened.

            Sitting up, Neida glanced over his left shoulder at Moshu. The large bear had snuggled up next to him and was sleeping peacefully. A small smile escaped Neida’s lips. Moshu had been a wonderful companion these past ten years. He had become a part of Neida himself and at this point, Neida could not imagine his life without the bear next to him as a loyal friend. Neida gently ruffled the bear’s forehead. Calmly, the bear opened one eye and then the other.

            “Let’s go Moshu,” Neida whispered while getting up onto his feet, “we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” The bear seemed to agree as it got up onto its two back feet and stretched while giving a yawn that sounded like a low growl. Then, on all fours, the bear began to follow Neida back to town. Above them, the millions of stars shined in the black night sky while the moonlight guided them to their destination. 

Reviews

[3rd Chance]

Excellent descriptive writing here. I loved the way you described the appearance of the woods, and the elaboration on Kali's culture and way of life, giving a feeling of believability to your world, though retaining an air of the mystic. To me, the main problem is the flashback's structure. It stands out as a little too bulky and awkward - splat in the middle of the chapter. The transition from the introduction of Neida and Moshu into the flashback is a little jarring, to be honest.

[Krev]

Thanks 3rd Chance! Now that you mention it, I do see how the flashback is awkwardly injected into the story and will try to smooth the transition. I guess I was just aiming for a different style of writing within the flashback and it didn't really work out. Rather than a straight-out flashback, I wanted to show the brief scenes that stand out the most the day Neida's parents disappeared and that would play important parts later on in the novel. Thanks for the great and quick feedback!