Sacrifice by Erik Schutzman S ECOND P LACE In a stone shelter at the base of a cliff gathers Chakka’s tribe. Centuries of wind and water erosion created this oasis hidden from view. There are many massive stone shelters like this one throughout the foothills, but an available one like this is hard to find. Rival tribes, or a large animal usually occupy them, and they can only be taken with a fight. Chakka’s tribe was fortunate to have found this one unoccupied. Best to avoid a fight when you can. Jungle vines hang from the edge of the shelter like a curtain giving them some concealment. Trees sway beyond the vine curtain in the constant gale. The roof angles up hundreds of heights high like a cathedral. Too far to touch, but several adolescents have managed to climb the vines to precarious heights as their parents watched from below. The space is so wide, it would take their fastest runner several minutes to go from one end to the other. It smells of damp freshness and mushrooms. A waterfall trickles water into a pool at the center. That area is reserved for the elders and the chief. Children run and play in a grassy area where sun shines through the hole above created by the waterfall. The young adult males and females camp at the outer edge near the opening to keep watch and protect against attacks. On top of a hill next to the pool, a fire roars. Around it sit large stone form seats where the elders gather and talk. Smoke crawls up the angled ceiling and filters through cracks. A crowd has gathered in front of the fire. Elders watch intently. Chakka and Chee stand before the warmth of the bonfire and face the crowd. Chakka flails his arms. “It was like dream. I flew like a bird.” He moves his hand through the air. “A magical feeling overcame me. A place called to me.” He points up. “The haven of our forefathers in the sky among the clouds. There was a bright, foggy light. I felt at peace. However, this place has new feeling. This place not have feeling of familiarity, but of alien… weird feelings. Cold like snow. Quiet. No scents. I lay on back and three godlike creatures look down at me. Thin like white trees… large heads.” Chakka motions his hands around his head to indicate how big they were. “Large, black eyes studied me… gentle hands explored skin. Motionless mouths spoke strange words that sounded like the singing of the grass plain birds, but more magical.These are not like anything seen before.” Children gasp.Adults look at each other and chatter. Chakka spins around to study the reaction of the council sitting around the fire. They look back with skepticism. He spins back to the crowd, see excitement in their eyes. He walks to a large stone and draws the aliens with white chalk. Silence overcomes the shelter. Water dripping in the pool echoes.
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“White light above.” He draws the light shining down on the aliens. He spins and gestures wildly. “White stone ground. Fruit. Odd forces… like someone else controlled me. I feel touch on shoulder where there is no hand. They poked and pulled at me. They make things appear… disappear. The glowing ball!”
