I was roused from mysleep by violent shocks that banged against the reedn several occasions, it even lifted, triggering howls of terror among my companions.
We were thus tossed about for a long time by what must have been giant waves, higher than the rapids of the Great River.
Several times, the lights, too hectic, went out. We had to quickly relight them by blowing on the embers, lest we find ourselves in the dark.
People were terrified by the noise, the darkness, the confinement and the awful shaking that made the reeds roll.
I hold Chosposi in my arms to protect her. Fortunately, the pulp lining the inside of the reed cushions any blows we might take as it rolls back on itself.
Many were vomiting their entrails. Fortunately, it's easy to dig into the pulp to bury this kind of droppings.
Some panicked. They wanted the seal to be broken so they could get out. "I'd rather die in the open than locked up in this floating tomb", they shouted.
Others chanted death prayers, thinking their last moment had come.
The elders tried to restore calm. They said: "If Sotuknang and Sister Spider have brought us here, it is certainly not to make us die, but to save us and bring us to a New World they have prepared for us. So we must honor them with our trust and keep calm."
And so the day wore on.
Most of us didn't eat a thing, because with all this shaking you're almost guaranteed to give everything back. I just chewed a few mouthfuls of bread with a little water.
Then, after evening prayer, I lay down with Chosposi. I held her tightly in my arms. We were naked under our blanket, and the jolts didn't stop me from covering her with kisses or entering her secret little kiva.
And we fell asleep.
YOU ARE READING
The New World
Science FictionIn the future, most people have been implanted in their brains since childhood. The implanted chip allows everybody to connect to the Networks as a simple operation of thought. Long time ago, occurred a terrible catastrophe called the Big Holocaust:...
