The ground was like a stone mattress, but Luke somehow managed to fall asleep with the sounds of coyotes yipping across the prairie—the sounds of home, a little familiarity and comfort. He even dreamed all night—weird dreams. Now he was dreaming he was hunting dinosaurs—dreams are funny that way. In the dream a herd of duckbills were charging toward him like the scene in Jurassic Park. He had his homemade bow ready, but he doubted his arrows would penetrate their hard skin. As they grew closer, the ground quaked. He staggered like a drunk trying to keep his balance, and it was almost impossible to draw his bow.
“Luke!”
He could hear Moon calling, but he couldn’t find her. All he could see were dinosaurs as they darted around him like speeding …show more content…
He shot at grass stalks, grasshoppers, bison turds, anything just to get use to the new bow. They had found a dead crow, and Luke collected the wing feathers for his arrows. Now living off the land was real, not just a hobby as it had been back home in the Ozarks. He now knew he would have to collect or make everything he needed to survive—or kill what he needed. He was now a real hunter-gatherer.
The large, golden, prairie slowly changed to a savanna. A few miles farther and they were in a forest again, where Luke found a pecan grove. “We better fill our pockets with these,” Luke said. “We shouldn’t pass up food.” He began stuffing his pack with the pecans. He was made for this. He had played this game for years. Back home he collected pecans, hickory nuts, persimmons, and all other manner of nuts and fruits from the wild. But it was only play. He could always go to the store in his truck any time he wanted—not now.
Moon picked up a few; then stopped and looked at Luke. “I have to tell you something.”
Luke stopped picking up the nuts and turned to her. Her beautiful auburn hair floated with the wind. He couldn’t help himself from swallowing hard. “What is …show more content…
We are safe.” She stepped forward and spoke words that sounded like some sort of American Indian language and in a loud voice with exaggerated hand gestures. The people cheered and a man in a buffalo robe, with a strange, skinned hat walked toward them.
“What did you say, Moon?” Luke took her arm. “What do you mean, these are your people?”
The man walked to within ten feet of them. He looked to be around sixty or so; tears were running down his face, too. “Sha-She?” the man said softly.
Luke laid his hand on his tomahawk.
“Sha-She?” the man said again, but a little louder.
Moon nodded. “Da.” She ran to the man, and they embraced for a long spell.
The man turned, raised Moon’s hand high in the air, and yelled, “Sha-She!”
The horns suddenly sounded out in every direction. The people all descended on Moon in high jubilee. They pulled at her clothes and laughed. They jabbered in that strange language. Moon laughed with them. She hugged many of them in turn. Yes, she knew them.
They started toward the center of the village, but Moon stopped as she remembered Luke. She said something to the older man and walked back to Luke. “Luke, you stand right here. Don’t move.”
“Who are these people?”
“I will be back
“Luke!”
He could hear Moon calling, but he couldn’t find her. All he could see were dinosaurs as they darted around him like speeding …show more content…
He shot at grass stalks, grasshoppers, bison turds, anything just to get use to the new bow. They had found a dead crow, and Luke collected the wing feathers for his arrows. Now living off the land was real, not just a hobby as it had been back home in the Ozarks. He now knew he would have to collect or make everything he needed to survive—or kill what he needed. He was now a real hunter-gatherer.
The large, golden, prairie slowly changed to a savanna. A few miles farther and they were in a forest again, where Luke found a pecan grove. “We better fill our pockets with these,” Luke said. “We shouldn’t pass up food.” He began stuffing his pack with the pecans. He was made for this. He had played this game for years. Back home he collected pecans, hickory nuts, persimmons, and all other manner of nuts and fruits from the wild. But it was only play. He could always go to the store in his truck any time he wanted—not now.
Moon picked up a few; then stopped and looked at Luke. “I have to tell you something.”
Luke stopped picking up the nuts and turned to her. Her beautiful auburn hair floated with the wind. He couldn’t help himself from swallowing hard. “What is …show more content…
We are safe.” She stepped forward and spoke words that sounded like some sort of American Indian language and in a loud voice with exaggerated hand gestures. The people cheered and a man in a buffalo robe, with a strange, skinned hat walked toward them.
“What did you say, Moon?” Luke took her arm. “What do you mean, these are your people?”
The man walked to within ten feet of them. He looked to be around sixty or so; tears were running down his face, too. “Sha-She?” the man said softly.
Luke laid his hand on his tomahawk.
“Sha-She?” the man said again, but a little louder.
Moon nodded. “Da.” She ran to the man, and they embraced for a long spell.
The man turned, raised Moon’s hand high in the air, and yelled, “Sha-She!”
The horns suddenly sounded out in every direction. The people all descended on Moon in high jubilee. They pulled at her clothes and laughed. They jabbered in that strange language. Moon laughed with them. She hugged many of them in turn. Yes, she knew them.
They started toward the center of the village, but Moon stopped as she remembered Luke. She said something to the older man and walked back to Luke. “Luke, you stand right here. Don’t move.”
“Who are these people?”
“I will be back