Once Upon a Time

The Inside Orb

“Hey Bjork, the yellow orb isn’t warming us as much anymore, and you know what that means.”

“Yes. The cold season is coming. I hope we have enough food stored in our cave.”

“Too bad we don’t have a way of capturing the yellow orb.”

“I think we can. Yesterday, I hit our knife rock against another stone. It shot out a small piece of the yellow orb.”

“That means we can bring the orb inside this cold season.”

“Yes, and it will elevate our status because we can control the orb.”

“How do you think we can make many pieces of the orb stay here within the cave?”

“I’m going to try to light the orb’s sparks onto a pile of straw that we have for bedding. The women are forever changing it, so we have plenty. I bet it makes the orb’s sparks stay together.”

“If we do that, then I believe the gods will allow us to be warmed by the inside orb.”

“We will need to appease the gods so that the orb is used correctly.”
“Just think, this could mean a new way of life for us.”

“I wonder if the inside orb could be used to cook the meat we have stored in the frozen tundra. If so, it might be easier to chew, we could try at least”

“I think we may want to experiment with the inside orb outside the cave. The gods don’t give such lavish gifts without a sacrifice. It might be dangerous.”

“Well, let’s gather some of that hay and get started.”

“Okay, I’ll lay out the straw in a mound and you strike the stones together.”

“Owoo, that spark was bright, but it didn’t light the straw. It only singed a couple of strands.”

“Let’s try again, maybe we must do something to it before it takes off.”

“Let’s try blowing on it. Maybe we have to kiss it before it starts”

“Okay, now that it’s burning, what do we do?”

“We pray to the gods and give them thanks. It is warm, though. I hope it’s not too hot for the cave during the cold season.”

“I think it’s time we let the healer and the leader of the clan know about the inside orb. This is important for our survival.”