The Path

The path, so simple yet so familiar. For hundreds of years my tribe has followed it, the same one hundred foot tall trees and the same dirt beneath our feet. Nothing has changed, and nothing will change, that is how we live.

We are not tribal however it may seem, we are aware of the outside world. Or rather, what we think lies beyond. We have few books that tell of modern societies and of places were humans can thrive. Vehicles, wars, monuments, all of which I have read about in the few that tell of this. It is were we are headed, toward this golden age of technology and serenity. Only, we lack most of that. Bow and arrows or spears used for hunting and clothes made out of hide. It was strange to read of such odd traditions and technology. But to never see them made me doubt.

Our tribe has apparently traveled this same path for thousands of years, heads facing forward, step after step. Not a single person looking back or encroaching toward the twenty feet wide tree trunks or the mysterious fog that encircled them. No one questioned what lied above the darkened sky and the very ill sunlight. All but me.

My name is Koda, I was fourteen and the first to bare the name. Most names being recycled ten times before being done away with and a knew one instilled. I was special, the only one out of the entire tribe who did not have a recycled name. It always made me feel out of place also. A singled name and a feeling no other family members could have. Curiosity.

Our leader, Hon the eighth, has forbidden anyone to feel curious of what could aspire past the blinding fog and ominous grey of the tree trunks. It was just a unspoken rule not to question anything, to listen to Hon the eighth and follow him. Three rules we had to follow without question.

One,no one shall enter the forest or move backwards along the path.

Two,the population of the the tribe must stay at one hundred.

Finally Three, always keep moving forward unless to rest or eat.

We walked for hours on end, never stopping but to eat, rest, or use the restroom. Oldest in the front, youngest in the back. It was how we went about the miles we ate up everyday, chatting amongst those closest and making do with what we had.

"Do you think we will reach the Silver cities today?!"

Marco the second said as he jumped up and down excitedly. He was only ten and walked directly behind me. "No, just like yesterday, we are far from it."

Marco rolled his eyes and pointed a tan finger at me, "How do you know eh, you aren't even close to the chieftain?"

I readjusted my water skin, "No but word spreads that the chieftain has said we are no where close."

Marco slouched his shoulders as we walked, "Bummer. hey Koda?"

I turned around to look at the short boy, I grunted as a big grin stretched across his face. "What are you going to do once we reach our destination?"

My mind drifted as he spoke the words, my mind wafting over the pages we were allowed to read. The picture of a huge jagged like rock topped with a white substance called snow. A smaller image of a man in a jacket very different from hide and with a board in his hand. "If we were to reach it in my life time, I would say to go to the mountains and see snow for myself."

Marco rolled his eyes again, "You would want to see snow, booooring. I wanna go see New York."

New York eh? One of the cities we studied from the history books. It must be nice to be stationary, not walking over twenty hours a day. Every day. To go watch a movie in a theatre or go skiing. It was crazy to imagine a world vastly different than mine. Were no huge trees or mysterious fog trapped me to a single dirt path just over sixty feet wide. My eyes instinctively drifted toward a nearby tree, the same grey wood answering my stare.

"That does sound nice..."

"It would sound nice if you two would shut up."

My attention was swayed from the trees and instead to a taller black haired boy who walked in front of me. He had a spear strapped to his back. It was Mo the ninth, a seventeen year old who spoke rarely and preferred silence. He had the job of hunting down the rabbits that randomly scurried across our path. I felt my heart flicker as I eyed his spear, something I longed to wield. It was one of the few crafts one could learn. Math, English, and History were easy to me and granted me no insight. Hunting however, made me very curious.

"Sorry Mo."

Marco bit his lip, "Don't listen to him Koda, he thinks just because he has a spear he can boss you around. I-"

Mo gave Marco a furious glance, quieting him immediately. I let my gaze drop down as my plain shoes patted against the dirt. Mo had wavy dark brown hair that sprawled across his back. He even had broad shoulders and rippling muscles. Everyone one in our tribe was fit and in shape, walking for hours on end did have an effect. All of our legs tone and our endurance tank plenty full. When I was younger, walking so much made my bursa sacs tear and my entire body ache, but as time went on, my body adapted and evolved. Tens of generations helping us carry on.

"How long till we eat, I'm starving."

I glanced at Mo and back at Marco, the scrawny boy yawning and scratching his thigh. "We have an hour before we eat." Mo said, stopping me from answering. Marco narrowed his eyes, "I thought you did not like talking eh?"

Mo shot a look toward the canopy and back at Marco, "Simple and relevant questions are fine, the wonder bullshit you spout is unneeded."

"Unneeded, let the boy at least believe." I said shielding Marco. Mo snickered, "Let him believe what, the stuff that is clearly never going to come true? Are you not the least bit curious at what is taking so long?"

Everyone around him stopped. A few murmurs spread amongst the crowd and soon. Everyone was now facing Mo.

"So Mo the ninth, you are curious?"

A tall slender but built man waded through the mass of people. A path straight to Mo forming. Mo gripped his spear as the Chieftain came closer. Hon had robes cast about his body and a longer and bone tipped spear. He had the same dark blue eyes that everyone in the village had, but the way they dug into your souls made them much different. "My son and a very skilled hunter, so do you not wish to reach the promised land that is rightfully ours?"

Mo stood tall, his eyes darting amongst the tribe. "What?! I know all of you are thinking it, for thousands of years we have walked this path and what do we have to show for it?!"

His eyes widened as a few gazes turned away as the chieftain grew closer. "I'm not the only one, that bullshit we all come to believe is fake, it has to be."

Laughter. Laughter from the chieftain echoed off the trees that's stretched upwards for miles. The looming mist encasing Mo's plead. He swallowed as the Chieftain stood before him. "My boy, it seems you have been plagued by false desire."

A heavy step was taken from Hon, and others soon followed. The Chieftain slowly circling Mo, who was giant compared to me, now seemed like an ant. "Last night Sozia gave birth to a very handsome young boy, and as the rules stand, only one line of one family and only the population of one hundred are permitted."

Mo started to shake, my own mind closing as I knew what was to come. "Mo the ninth, I pray for you to find a new destination..."

A silver metal sickle was drawn and in a flash, the curved blade was deep in Mo's neck. Dark blood spewed from the gash, his body instantly collapsing and his hands desperately clawing at the cut. My heart sunk at the sight of it. Curiosity was forbidden, and failure to follow the rules were punished. I knew there was no way the desire to find something beyond the mist would ever be quenched. It was futile. Convincing anyone would make me next, and for my dream to reach the Human World, I could not allow it to happen. Funny enough I almost thought about speaking up, running in front of Mo and begging for his life.

My brother now lay in the dirt, his fingers slowly losing life just as his eyes did. You were only permitted one family member to stop the chance of inner marriage and now, I lost the only one I could have possessed.

No tears rolled across my cheeks, no lump formed in my throat. I had to remember that more was at stake. I promised my mother I would do everything in my power to reach it. For her.

"And just as if fate would have it, she had the most beautiful twins."

No. Mo's spear was clenched by the Chieftain as he ripped it from the leather straps. He made his way toward me, no emotion but pride on his face. "Koda, this spear is now yours, you will be taught how to use it tomorrow."

I swallowed hard as he pushed the wooden spear to my chest. My eyes following the seven foot man. "Marco the second, come forth."

Oh no, he was to young, why him?!

"Your body is weak, and because of this I must tell you this."

Marco fell on his back as the Chieftain stood above him. "Marco the Seco-"

Splatter.

A hole the size of his torso appeared in the Chieftain. His organs and blood spilled onto the ground. What the hell was happening?!

I quickly backed up away from Hon, his entire body going limp. Then out of thin air, something started to materialize. A grey mass of a body was present behind the Chieftain. It was a humanoid figure that towered above the crowd of people. It had no facial features except for a mouth riddled with sharp and chipped teeth. It was naked and had grey skin that coursed with black veins. A monster.

My mind raced over the many pictures of animals we studied, not a single image matching the lengthy and grotesque figure before me. A long grey arm was still stabbed through the chieftain, the spear on his back split in two.

The creature stood still, his faceless head snapping in all directions. No one moved, and no one dared to speak. It had two black holes on each side of its head. It couldn't see us, it relied on sound alone. It attacked the chieftain because he was the only one speaking.

The silence filled with tension grew as the chieftain was lifted up with ease. His lifeless body separated and placed in the gaping mouth of the creature. I felt the bile build in the back of my throat.

Marco looked on in horror as the leader of our tribe was eaten in front of him. His fearful eyes glanced at me, I slowly placed my index finger on my lips. If the creature only relied on sound, then we should be fine.

All we had to do wa-

The huge creature locked on to a single noise. The cries of two children born not to long ago. Shit, my hands instinctively were drawn to my spear. When I gripped the shaft of wood, my mind went blank. I was shaking. What could I possibly do to save anyone? A measly spear would be nothing compared to the ten foot tall creature. Its lengthy arm once again lashed out, the mother who so desperately held her babies, crashing to the floor. Oh my god, I looked at those around her cry out as the slimy creature advanced toward them.

Stop, why are they making noise?!

I watched as the tribe was thrown into chaos as grey limbs shot out with sharp claw like flingers, cutting down anyone they could.

I fell back onto my rear, blood spilled as more screams filled up my ears. Stop!

Over all the chaos I heard the single whimpering of a familiar voice.

Marco covered his eyes, his body convulsing as the reality he loved was being torn apart in front of him.

My fear somehow subsided and I scooped the scrawny boy in my arm. What now?!

I kept my gaze down as I raced to the edge of the tree line. My eyes scanned the white mist that was almost impossible to see through. I swallowed hard and sprinted into the whiteness. It was the only thing I could think of in the moment. The screams and thuds of bodies hitting the ground to much.

The world I so desperately clang on to was falling behind me as I ran.