SooNaamMee

SooNaamMee

That sound, it woke HoMai early. She lay amongst the group, snuggly warm. Water somewhere back in the recesses making a sound like something from a distant memory.

“AbbaBai! Are you awake?” She whispered to the inert form beside her.

“Argh, you wake me up for what?”

“Do you remember that sound, the sound of water?” HoMai snuggled closer to AbbaBai.

AbbaBai rolled over, tried to focus on HoMai’s face. “You woke me for this? What sound?”

“Listen.”

The two were quiet for a time. Others around them slept uninterrupted.

“That sound is always same. Go back to your nitkaso. It will tell you the meaning.” AbbaBai rolled away from HoMai.

HoMai listened to the water. “I know it differs, it is louder and closer.”

Now AbbaBai sat up. “Closer? How close?”

Both walked to the sound. Water touched their feet. AbbaBai grabbed HoMai’s hand then they both ran back to the sleeping forms on the ground.

“Oneetsi! Now!” Anyone not waking up with the urge to hurry AbbaBai kicked.
She and HoMai rushed to the edge of the cave, to the place of carvings.

“Here are the drawings! We must go up.” AbbaBai grabbed HoMai’s arm and pulled her to the side. “There is a door, you will see it. GO! Oneetsi!”

HoMai ran to the part of the cave she’d never entered but AbbaBai kept yelling.

“Go! Further! I’ll bring others!”

Suddenly HoMai saw the door. It was part of the cave, carved into the wall, with the handle made of bone. It opened and revealed steps also carved into the cave walls. Steps ascending into blackness. But as soon as HoMai’s foot touched the first step, light appeared. Along the wall were carved images of waves, of people running toward the top of the tower. HoMai hurried up the remaining steps.

Emerging at the top, HoMai walked onto the flat surface of the tower’s top. Below, the landscape showed water. Water was slowly creeping up and starting to cover all HoMai could see.

She ran back to the steps, hoping to see AbbaBai.

“AbbaBai! AbbaBai!” Her cries echoed down the steps then those cries returned, but were amplified.

No one came up the steps. HoMai stood alone. Then suddenly a large formation arose from the surface. As it rose, the stone turned from the black of the steps and walls to a bright pulsating blue. The stone obelisk started to hum as below the water continued to rise.

“AbbaBai! Oh AbbaBai!” HoMai called to the sky.

Then through the thickening clouds overhead appeared a small shining spot. HoMai watched and wondered. She’d never seen anything like this before. She’d never known that something could come from the sky except birds and water and cold white flakes or hot blazing rays of light.

The spot grew larger and larger. Suddenly the small shining spot landed on the spit of land near HoMai. A door opened as HoMai stood watching in wonder.

Out stepped AbbaBai. “Sakisisa!” AbbaBai waved to HoMai. “Sakisisa - sakisisa!”

HoMai understood and ran to the open door. She clasped AbbaBai’s hand and was pulled through the open door. The door closed, the shining spot rose into the sky as waters submerged the cave, the tower and all the land.



W/C 541