CAZADO: BOOK ONE (WATTYS 2023)

Chapter 10 (Part 1)

I woke up in a mangled heap. My sheets and clothes had been thrown all over the room. I looked at one of the old machines we kept in the house and realized it was still early, a little after five in the morning. I slowly rose out of bed and checked a large wooden chest that my great grandfather had made where I kept some hunting clothes. The wood was begining to look old and cracked in places. I was surprised it had not fallen apart. I quickly  found an old jacket and some jeans that were slightly dirty and I  ran out my room and down the stairs. I was trying to catch up to my father, as I had heard him leaving the house. I made my way out the door and in the direction of the barn while throwing on a old jacket.

It was cold outside. I could feel the crisp, cold air bite at my nose and cheeks. I had thought to myself earlier that I  should have gone and put on my scarf. One that I had made from a dark sheep's wool. It was too late for that. It was still a little shadowy outside, however the lights from the house and the barn made it easier to see things clearer where we were.

When I finally stepped into the barn where my father now was, I felt the comforting warmth of the machine that continued to keep the barn and the animals warm. I felt like I could just lay in the hay and fall asleep forever. I looked up and saw my father tending to one of the hens. No, that was not it. He was taking a few eggs. It made sense as he was going to try and start breakfast early like he normally did. If I woke up and he was gone their was always food left where it needed to be.

The hens did not seem to be bothered by my father. They continued to simply sit and make noise. Or maybe they were bothered by it, but knew they did not have much choice in the matter. They could scream and cry, but their children would still be taken away for slaughter. Watching them screech made me feel uncomfortable. I could feel this overwhelming feeling in the pit of my stomach and my chest. It did not feel good. I just wanted to run away. It was a weird feeling. Then the memories came. Of when I lost my other family members. They crept into my vision like a small, furry tarantula coming into focus. I closed my eyes hoping the images and the pain would go away and opened them again only to find myself in a large - green forest.

I had no idea how I got there or why I was there. At first, I thought I was dreaming. This had to be a dream. Their was no way that this could be real. I looked around and noticed the trees and plants were much larger than what I was used to. I looked up at the sky, but the foliage was blocking out what appeared to be the sun. These leaves. They were different from what I was used to. Their dark greenish-blue haze permeated the land around them. I sat upright and took in my surroundings. This was not home.

This was some other place. I wasn't sure where I was. It definitely was not a dream. I noticed a flower near by that seemed to change colour as the wind moved it and inside the flower I found liquid that seemed to churn and spin as the flower moved. I placed my hand inside, filling the cup of my hand with the sweet-smelling liquid and I drank. It tasted like butter and cinnamon with a hint of sweetness and its texture was a syrupy consistency but refreshing like water. The taste was tantalizing in my mouth, the smoothness of its flavor made me want more and I placed my hand into the liquid to take another drink. I was not sure if the liquid was influencing my body's senses but I noticed my neck, back and legs began to feel warm. It was as if the flower beckoned me to take more, to indulge myself, to dive into it and let it consume me. Wake up...

I instinctively rolled to the side and stood up; turning my head quickly to look behind me. No, it was not the breeze from the skies above, but a cougar. It was much larger than any cougar I had seen before and a fire appeared where its spine should be; while flames covered its claws. Some of its fur was a beige color and it did not appear to be on fire as well. It was humongous. This must have been the heat that I was feeling. This must have been what was keeping me warm. Then it dawned on me. There was no place like this around where I lived. This must have been where the Quimeeraa lived. It was then that I realized how much danger I might be in. And I began to feel that same feeling I had felt just a few minutes before. I must have teleported here...