Fella shouts laughingly at him: “It’s not so bad, Sal. We’ve all been through it. And if Puk can stand the pain, you’ll get through it with a smile on your lips.”
Finally, Salomon manages to take his shirt off and in a second all the noise and cheering turn into a quiet shiver. In the fluttering light of the torches a secret is uncovered about Salomon that no one knew about before. His back is covered with large scars running from his shoulder blades down the spine, crisscrossing his entire back. Salomon is bending over slightly but says nothing. He knows that his secret has been revealed – forevermore exposed, forevermore known to them all.
Dagwood feels a sudden emptiness inside. He doesn’t know what to do or what to say, and the noise of silence surrounding Salomon seems to go on forever. Why haven’t any of them seen or known about this before now? Quick images race through Dagwood’s head, and he can’t remember a single time he’s seen Salomon’s naked upper body. He always bathes alone, sleeps with his shirt on – even in summer, he never changes his clothes while anyone else is around. And now he knows why. His scar above the eye, which everybody is amazed and disturbed by, is only a small part of the full story, a visible memory with hidden roots deeper than anyone could’ve known or guessed. A wave of sorrow and compassion washes over Dagwood. He looks at Salomon, who suddenly looks like the most lost boy in the entire world.
He slowly walks over to Finch and squeezes his shoulder gently.
“Carry on, Finch. Let’s honor Salomon’s handsome body with beauty and respect.”
Finch nods quietly. He gently pushes Salomon to the ground with his two arms crossed over his body, protecting his chest like an armor. His body is stiff and locked, and it’s impossible to draw on his skin. Finch looks at Dagwood and shakes his head in frustration.
Dagwood kneels next to Salomon and carefully grabs his arms. He slowly lifts them away from his stiff body and puts them by his sides. His chest is now completely exposed and around the heart several more scars light up his skin. Everyone around him is holding their breath once again. The scaring is different than the ones on the back. They’re deeper and redder and look like they haven’t completely healed.
The silence is unbearable and feels like an unwelcome guest, forcing its company on them without care or consideration for the other guests. Salomon doesn’t move a muscle as the others look at his body and his secret. But underneath the blindfold a tear is running from the corner of his eye, down across his cheek. No one sees it other than Dagwood, and with sorrow in his heart he thinks that Salomon’s story must indeed be crueler than most.
“Paint Salomon’s body with the markings of eternity!”
Puk finally breaks the silence with a loud yell. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief and once again their thoughts focus on the magical hands of Finch and the artwork he’s creating.
Finch doesn’t finish until deep into the night. They’ve had several breaks but at no time has this been at Salomon’s request. The others have been impressed by how still and unmoving he’s been lying during the entire ritual. Only a few times have they seen the hint of a tense jaw or a couple of clenched fists. They’re all standing up, bending over him and looking at the finished masterpiece of Finch. Behind the blood and the ash, a drawing so impressive emerges that they all stand speechless, not capable of speaking a single word.
On the majority of Salomon’s right chest, the gigantic head of a wild beast is roaring with open jaws and visible teeth. So scary, and so breathtakingly beautiful at the same time! Its giant paws reach across Salomon’s chest and back as if it’s ready to tear his body apart with its needle-sharp claws. Salomon’s scaring gives the drawing a macabre and realistic illusion, as if his body has been in a mortal battle of life and death with the beast who’s forever marked on his body. He’s become one with the impressive and terrifying monster.
Puk can hardly believe his eyes and is finding it hard to control his excitement. He breaks the silence with a loud cry of joy.
“It’s amazing, Sal! Simply amazing. Finch has outdone himself!”
Dagwood looks approvingly and pats Finch on the back.
Hackett walks over to Salomon and removes his blindfold, while saying: “It be fine. Finest draw anyone see. You happy?”
Everyone’s eyes are locked on Salomon’s face, and the last pieces of patience left in any of them are long gone. A long day full of excitement and expectations is coming to its peak. Salomon slowly turns his head towards his chest. For a long time he looks at his markings without speaking a word. Carefully he lifts his right arm and looks back at his back. Finch is waiting in anticipation of Salomon’s verdict and is very surprised when he slowly gets up and walks away without saying a single word.
Unrest and wonder are spreading among the others and they all start speaking at the same time, searching for answers to Salomon’s reaction. Finch looks disappointedly at Dagwood as he rubs his two blackened hands against each other.
“What do you think it means? Is he disappointed?”
Dagwood quietly answers Finch: “No, but I think he needs some time to get used to his new markings. It’s been a long and pretty heavy day for Sal. With the revelation of his scars and everything else … I’m sure he’s happy and proud. You’ve done an amazing piece of work, Finch!”
He looks out of the corner of his eye and sees that Salomon is heading away from the camp and quickly summons the others to him.
“It’s really late now and we all need to sleep. Hurry to bed so we’ll be fresh tomorrow. And thank you for a memorable night.”
All of them start walking towards the sleeping hut, still eagerly discussing what just happened. Dagwood hurries after Salomon and catches up with him by the time he’s almost reached the river.
“Salomon, wait! Where are you going?”
He grabs his arm and turns him around.
“Don’t walk away. Not now, not like this …”
He tries to make eye contact, but Salomon looks at the ground, avoiding his eyes.
“Speak to me. You’re my friend, and I worry about you. Can you say something? Just anything.”
Salomon tears himself away from Dagwood’s grasp and continues to walk away.
Resignedly, Dagwood shouts after him: “Are you just going to run away? Like last time? I know you’re not ready to tell me your story, but running away won’t solve anything. Where are you running to? This is where you belong. We’re your family.”
Salomon stops abruptly and turns around. Quickly he walks over to Dagwood.
“You’re not my family. Family members don’t lie to each other. And this is a lie. The whole thing is a lie.”
He points to his chest and his markings. He’s clearly agitated.
“You should never have told them that I fought that bear. It was never what I wanted. You’ve misled them all, and I’ll have to live with a lie forever.”
Salomon lifts his shoulders in resignation and carries on. His voice is lower and less agitated.
“But I’m no better than you. I’m not worthy of this family … because I too could have told them the truth. But I didn’t. I was a coward. I’ve always been a coward.”
Dagwood feels terrible about the way the night has turned out and bitterly regrets his exaggerated story about Salomon’s heroism.
“Sal, I’m sorry I told them what I did, but once I’d said it out loud, I couldn’t take it back. I didn’t know that it would turn out like this. And when I think of it, you’re the bravest person I know. So it’s really not that untrue.”
He smiles awkwardly and hopes that Salomon understands that his action was done out of love and respect for him, not because he wanted to humiliate or mock him. Salomon doesn’t reciprocate Dagwood’s smile and looks sadder than ever before.
“Dagwood, you don’t understand. I’m not brave.”
He turns around and starts walking
towards the forest, away from Dagwood, away from the camp.
“But then, explain it to me …”
Dagwood’s voice is low and slurred and he knows that Salomon can’t hear him. He remains standing until Salomon reaches the edge of the forest and slowly watches him disappear into the dark forest, lonely and completely alone.
CHAPTER 17
Falkner puts his hand on Brogan’s forehead. It’s burning hot. His condition has gotten worse over the past couple of days, and Falkner is confused and in despair. All the time he’s been hoping he’d get better, but his condition is worse than ever before. The hut is almost finished, and they’ve made a temporary bed where Brogan’s been lying most of the time while the others have worked on finishing the roof and the last of the walls. Falkner’s found it hard to concentrate on the work and has cut and bruised himself several times during the process, something he normally never does.
North calls for him outside the hut, and unwillingly he leaves Brogan.
“We have to do something soon. Before it’s too late.”
North’s voice is serious and he looks a lot more worried than he usually does.
“I know you’ll react strongly to what I’m about to say now, but … I think that we need to cut off his foot. And soon.”
Falkner looks petrified at North and covers his face with his hands. He breathes heavily and quietly shakes his head.
North goes on: “Clearly he isn’t getting any better. On the contrary, I think he’s going to die if we don’t remove the sick foot. It seems as if the sickness is eating him up. And it comes from the wound underneath his foot.”
Falkner lifts his hands from his face and looks seriously at North.
“Isn’t there something else we can do? I mean, if we have to do it we need to be completely certain it’s the right decision!”
He turns around and walks away from North, shouting his frustration into the air.
“Arrghhh, this can’t be right! There must be something else we can do.”
He stops and leans his head backwards, feeling helpless as he clenches his fists so hard that the knuckles turn white. North walks over to him.
“I know how you feel. But it’s better that he lives with one foot than he goes to his grave with two …”
North has told the other boys about their plans and the upcoming procedure, and each of them has been instructed in what they should do when it happens. Konnor has grinded the largest knife they have in the camp, and Egor and Whistler have cut pieces of cloth from the only shirt that could be spared for the purpose.
“There’s gonna be a lot of blood. And it’s going to hurt. Hurt a lot. Brogan will fight with all he’s got to get away, so it’s important you hold him down.”
North’s voice is serious and firm.
Egor looks nervously at him and asks: “Will he survive?”
North doesn’t answer his question but looks over at Falkner. Their eyes meet, and time stands still for a brief moment. None of them dare to speak out loud what they’re thinking. There’s hope in both of them, but it’s not the same thing that they’re hoping for.
“I can remember when I was a small boy and my brother and I pretended to have supernatural powers. My brother imagined he was very strong and that he could lift a huge stone with just one finger. That way he didn’t need to spend so much strength and time down in the mines and could spend more time playing. With my supernatural powers I could command the sun and the moon, and I kept the sun awake day and night so that I didn’t ever have to go to bed.”
Falkner holds Brogan’s hand while he speaks, and Brogan responds with the hint of a small smile. His eyes are closed and his skin doesn’t feel burning hot any longer, just pale and cool. His condition has taken a turn for the worse, and he looks like someone whose soul has left the body.
“It sounds like they were good skills … you and your brother had,” Brogan stutters in a low voice making it hard for Falkner to hear what he says. He leans forward towards Brogan to be able to hear his voice better.
“I look forward to the two of us … sitting … in the sun … together again.”
Falkner is fighting to hold his tears back while he listens, and he tries to sound unfazed when he answers: “Me too. It’s my biggest wish. But right now you need to be strong. You have to go through a long and dark night before you can wake up in the sun again. But I promise you that I’ll be standing in the light waiting for you.”
He can feel that the tears have found their own path on his cheek, and he’s finding it hard to see Brogan’s face clearly.
“You’re my best friend – the best I ever had. Promise not to let me down, Brogan. Don’t get lost in the darkness of the night. That’s the worst thing you can do. Remember, I’m your light, your beacon you need to aim for if you lose your direction. I need someone I can sit with in the sun … without you the sun will disappear and I’ll be trapped alone in the dark.”
Brogan smiles as much as he can while he slowly nods. He opens his mouth, but no words come out. His hand is lying limply in Falkner’s hands, who clenches it so hard that you’d think he never wanted to let go of it again. In the doorway, North stands listening to the conversation between Falkner and Brogan. He’s heard every single word. And at this moment he hopes the sun will never shine again.
On a small mound on the edge of the forest, only a short distance away from the newly built hut, Ecco sits looking down. He’s been sitting there for most of the day and has been observing every movement the boys have made. The group consists of fewer boys than he’d feared, and their attention to dangers from the outside is almost non-existent. Their entire defense is weakened due to a hurt boy, and their focus on the outside world and more important things has gone. Ecco’s happy. It’s a better situation than he could possibly have hoped for. He looks forward to returning to Skye and telling her what he’s found out. He starts preparing for his trip home.
Then he registers an intense, almost panicked mood around the hut and he observes excitedly from his lookout post. Several of the boys are discussing something loudly and he can sense the intensity of their voices even though he can’t hear what they say. Suddenly all the boys walk into the hut, and for a long time nothing happens. Ecco becomes inpatient and feels an urge to sneak closer to the camp. What are they doing in the hut at this time of day? The day still has several more hours to work or hunt in.
A couple of long-ears run close by his hiding place and he loses his concentration for a brief moment. A few seconds later his attention is drawn towards the hut. A deafening scream fills the air, and everything around him stand still. The hairs on his arm rise and his heart beats unnaturally fast. The two long-ears have stopped and are standing on their hind legs. They look in the same direction as Ecco, towards the hut. The silence is broken once again by a scream so heartbreaking that Ecco feels it physically paralyze his body. He’s never heard a scream filled with so much fear and terror. The long-ears run off at a fast pace across the forest floor, away from the sound, and a large flock of black birds follow suit. All of them are trying to escape the terrifying screams.
Ecco quickly picks up his things from the ground and starts running away from the hut and the screaming, home to Skye. Now he knows the enemy is weakened, and the time is right for attacking.
CHAPTER 18
Skye’s practiced her precision shooting even more while Ecco’s been away. When she controls her breathing and her heartbeat she’s almost spot on every time. She’s also been practicing throwing knives and shooting with a slingshot, and her technique is impressive. Skye’s proud of herself, and wishes that she’d started practicing sooner. Not because she wants to kill someone or something, but because it’s fun. And because she’s so good at it.
She feels happy and laughs a bit about the fact that she’s a far better shooter than Ecco will ever be. She looks forward to challenging him
to a duel. But not now when his mood is so volatile. He didn’t exactly seem ready for a shooting competition when his bow broke the other day.
A bird flies close by her head and she hears a branch snap behind her. Quick as lightning she turns towards the sound with a slingshot ready in her hand. Her smile grows when she sees Ecco appearing through the trees.
“We have to prepare right away, Skye. The time is right to fight our enemies. They’re weakened and unfocused. The time’s right.”
Ecco speaks quickly and almost trips over his own words.
“There are a few things I need to take care of before we can go.”
Skye looks at him as he paces back and forth in the camp. He seems manic, and she doesn’t understand why he’s in such a hurry.
“But you’ve only just got back. Shouldn’t we practice our shooting some more before we go? I don’t feel ready at all …”
Ecco looks for something in his rucksack, and Skye can see that he’s found the small figure of The Great Giver. He turns to her with a big smile.
“It’s an incredible place they live in. And soon it’ll be our new home! There’s a large lake with lots of swimmers and a forest full of game. And they’ve already built a hut with proper walls made out of stone and a roof to keep the rain out. It’s amazing, Skye!”
He sounds more determined than ever before and his eyes are shining brightly. She can’t remember the last time she saw Ecco this happy, and she starts laughing. Her beloved brother is happy again, and she doesn’t care why.
Ecco eagerly carries on: “They’re quite a bit bigger and more muscular than we are, but they aren’t that many. Maybe a bit more than a handful. But we can easily take them on, because the best part is that one of them is wounded. And that’s why we need to strike already tomorrow when they least …”
In the middle of the sentence Ecco starts coughing. He coughs so violently that his eyes turn red and start watering. Shocked, Skye runs to get him some water, and the coughing fit stops. His smile is gone, and Skye feels that his newfound happiness has disappeared again as if it was never there, and the thought makes her sad.
The Dawn of Skye (The Someday Children Book 1) Page 11