Morning Sun: Sun Rise Chapter 1

Chapter One
The Cliff

A young boy stood with an old man contemplating a cliff.  It's height was staggering and the boy shuddered as he glanced at the ground hundreds of feet below.  The elder, clad in tanned animal skins, simply placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.  This simple action gave the boy a feeling of security.  A feeling the old man had always given him.

They had just left the cave which had been the boy's home for seven years, since he was born. Now was the time for the boy to take the leap of life or death. 

As he peered over the cliff he thought of his home.  The caves were not cold and damp, but warm and dry.  Filled with elders and babes, they were supplied with plenty of firewood and food. He would miss the old women cooking over open fires, and children playing on colorful blankets. Yet, he knew he must leave.  The caves were only for those who could not work, and he was of age.

"Morning Sun, it is your time now," the white haired man mentioned.

"Father, I will miss you," Morning Sun cried.  "I don't want to go."

"But you must go.  All boys your age, from ages past 'til now, have taken the leap," the elderly man said.

The old man, not really Morning Sun's father, pointed at the land beyond the cliff.  "Out there is a life for you.  Go now!  The Creator will be with you.  He is planning something great.  Follow Him.”

Morning Sun looked over the edge again.  Giant rocks pointed up and waited for a body to catch.

"Shards of Error," the boy remembered. 

Many boys his age had miscalculated and leapt to their death. Morning Sun could make out white and brown items scattered on the rocks waiting below. A drip of sweat rolled down his nose and plummeted down, down, down until it disappeared from view.

He looked back to see the old man, but he had gone back into the caves.  Yet, in his place, before unnoticed, was a small rock arch.  It acted as a window for the sun to smile through.  Morning Sun took it as a good sign, and looked to the leap.

The leap involved two dangerous parts.

First, was the leap itself.  Morning Sun looked at the gap that separated his ledge from the other.  It seemed a great distance to him, and the landing area seemed unsafe.  In fact, it sloped down towards doom.  A simple error in judgment, or simple weakness would be fatal.

Second, was the reason the leap had to be made; the climb down.  From the ledge he now stood on, the climb would be impossible, but from the other, it was possible, though still a life-threatening endeavor.  It was not a smooth rock face.  Instead, it was rough sandstone.  Fearfully brittle, the wall claimed many false hand and foot holds. 

"Creator, save me from death," Morning Sun prayed determined to be undaunted by the danger.

Then he ran and leaped. 

Smack!  He landed just short;  only his upper body was on the ledge.  He frantically grabbed for a hand hold as his body scraped over the edge.  He found none and he began to disappear. His torso burning from the sandstone grinding as he slid down.

Just then, his hand caught something.  The root of an old tree that had lived there long ago saved his life.  How many lives had this withered root saved?  Withered or not, the root was strong and Morning Sun pulled himself up onto the ledge.  He sat against the cliff face and caught his breath.  He winced as he looked at his chest and stomach.  He wasn't bleeding out, but long lines were scrubbed into his skin.  He could not rest long, however.  He knew he had a huge rock face to conquer, and he had to do it before nightfall. 

         Morning Sun dominated the wall that day. Painstakingly planning each move and testing each hold, he made his way down.  Muscles twitching from exhaustion, he reached the bottom; and night fell, immersing him in a delirious sleep.

That night he dreamed that the sun rose and became brighter and brighter, until it filled the earth with brightness.  Then a voice said, "As the Sun has done, so must you do."