The first day

Sorry, Channing. I asked Zomacs for a quick story, but our conversation got a little sidetracked & long. I'm still working on your assignment, but in the meantime, here's how our conversation went tonight:

Zomacs says:

eeeeeuunh!

Someone put me inside this sack of amniotic fluid!

It’s a little tight in here. Would you mind letting me out?

I say:

Yes, yes! We’re super excited for you to come out, but you need to stay in there just a little while longer.

Z:

Why?

Me:  

Well, because your lungs aren’t fully developed yet.

Give it a couple more weeks,

and maybe stop poking so hard

in the vicinity of my ribs,

and then you can come out.

Z:  

What do your ribs have to do with anything?

Me:

…nothing, really. That was just a request.

Z:  

Oh. Whatever.

Me:

Hey, can you tell me a story?

Z:

What kind of story?

Me:

Something about the world you came from, before

you ended up inside me.

Z:

Ooh. It’s a beautiful world that I came from.

Me:

How so?

Z:

Well, it’s… [thinks hard] I don’t remember it very clearly, actually. That’s supposed to happen, I think. But I think in that world, I was a king of some kind.

Me:

Oh, really?

Z:

Yeah, pretty sure.

Me:

How do you know?

Z:

Well, I remember…lots of light. Gold and silver. I was responsible for something very important.  That’s why I came here.

Me:

What was the important thing?

Z:

I don’t know any more.

Me:

Does that worry you?

Z:

Why should it?

Me:

Well, how do you know if you’ll be able to do it? What if you forget to try when it matters?

Z:

If I needed to know what it was ahead of time, then it wouldn’t work, because I’d forget. So it must not matter whether I know, or I wouldn’t have bothered coming.

Me:

That…sort of makes sense. But if you were a king, why didn’t you send one of your knights to take care of things?

Z:

Only kings and queens can cross over. Everyone else stays where they are.

Me:

Does that mean I’m stuck in this world?

Z:

Don’t be silly. You’re a queen too, or you couldn’t have gotten here.

Me:

So…everyone who shows up in this world is royalty?

Z:

Obviously.

Me:

Well, that explains a lot.

Z:

Like what? Oh—that position of your abdomen is not very comfortable for me. You will stretch over to the left now. Thank you. Anyway, what did you mean, that explains a lot?

Me:

Never mind.

I still wish I had a story.

Z:

Well, I can’t remember much about my world now. But I could make something up, if you want.

Me:

Could you please? That would make me very happy.

Z:

Let’s see…

The place I come from is a fabulous country named Rupania. It is full of light, and there are shining ruby jewels of luscious fruit hanging everywhere from the gold and silver trees. My realm is a peaceful one. But ‘way off deep in the dark jungle nearby, danger lurks. Every young boy and girl in Rupania is told not to go into the jungle before they are old enough. But when they’re old enough, they are required to go into it for three days and three nights alone, as a rite of passage before they can be considered adults.

Me:

How old is old enough?

Z:

It’s different for everyone. When it’s time, they know.

Sometimes they are afraid and put it off past their time, and that is not good.

Sometimes their caregivers try to convince them it’s not time

when it really is, and that is also not good.

Me:

Does anyone ever go before it’s time?

Z:

Do you want to know what’s in the jungle, or not?

Me:

Yes, please go on, sorry.

Z:

The light comes down heavy and rich with green filtered through the leaves of the trees

and shadows are everywhere.

There are beasts in the jungle,

great furry ones, and slimy ones,

with big teeth.

and on the first day,

they come to investigate the new young one.

They will sniff her hands and feet and face.

They will watch her as she walks between the trees.

If she is quiet and brave,

accepts their gaze and their sniffing

but stays upright and undeterred

and does not let them sway her from the path,

she has passed the first test.

If she screams and runs,

or tries to hit them or hurt them,

they will snarl and yip

and maybe nip

and chase her back out of the jungle.

Me:

What happens if she gets chased out?

Z:

She will have to try again in another year. They won’t let her back in sooner.

Me:

I see. And what about if she succeeds? Then what?

Z:
Then comes the first night. [yawn]

but I’m sleepy. I’ll tell you about the nighttime

after my nap.

Me:

Okay.

Sweet dreams, my little king.

Z:

[snore]