Chapter One Eagle Lake

CHILDHOOD YEARS

The Naming Ceremony



As the moments ticked by Tuari grew more concerned. Where in my body will this animal live? She shivered then hugged her arms tighter over her chest. Staring into the fire she tried to envision… she giggled. “Will I be different after I am chosen?”



How would this animal change her life? Her family is excited about this day. Her Mom and Dad sent out invitations, called caterers for this big event, “The Naming Day Ceremony.” She was embarrassed to ask the questions that spun in her head. This day frightened Tuari. She didn’t want anyone in her body.  Why does it have to change? She thought. 



Tuari thought about running away, but she was too afraid.  Then she reasoned how bad can it be? After all mom and dad, grandpa and Kalin have animals and they are happy with theirs. She remembered her dad criticizing grandpa about all the folklore of the Indian ways. Saying how they were just made up stories. And she thought this is just another Indian story. I mean seriously no animal can go in your body. She felt better realizing how silly she has been worrying so much. Swinging her legs back and forth Tuari appreciated the fire.



The oak logs crackled in the fire pit. Sparks shot out into the dark, appearing like fireflies on the autumn’s night cool breeze. Sitting in a camping chair Tuari became mesmerizing by the dancing flames. She watched them grow taller than her seven-year-old body’s height.  The campfires had calmed her for a while, but her anxieties over this afternoon soon returned. She glanced around her backyard and smiled as Grandpa and her Uncle recreated the reservation they lived on many moons ago. 



From her peripheral vision she perceived a shadow standing underneath the spotlight that hung from the house eaves. The shadow looked to be her height. By this point she crept toward the shadow. To stay hidden she kept close to the house. When the shadow turned around she recognized the face of the Phillips boy who lived at the next ranch. “Dennis,” she whispered. He had something in his hands. “A cat. He’s holding a cat. His hands are around the cat’s neck.” She muttered. Then he bent the neck like a twig. Tuari bolted towards the boy. “What did you do?” He dropped the cat like a sack of flour. Tears busted out of her eyes. “Why?” She saw the cat lying by his sneakers. Stooping over the animal, she saw the beautiful black and white fur. Its small eyes closed for the last time. Anger grew from her toes reaching her head in seconds. She glared at the boy. Her hands tightened into ball shaped fists. Wanting to bend his neck like a twig flooded her mind. Most importantly she wanted to do it slowly, very slowly. She wanted to see his life leave his soulless eyes. Where are these thoughts coming from? Tuari wondered knowing these are not normal thoughts. She shook her head to erase these bad, bad thoughts.



He stood before her laughing. “It’s a stupid cat that’s all.” Those were the lasts words from his mouth before he felt the sting from her fists into his stomach and her knee into his peter. From her Tae Kwon Do lessons, Tuari learned how to hurt the sensitive areas on a man’s body. He toppled to the ground and began crying. He then wailed. “She hit me and killed Lacey.”



Tuari wondered why he was saying this. At this point Tuari ignored anything from the boys mouth she just wanted him dead. She grabs the boy by his shirt lifting him from the ground and raised her fist, when she felt someone grab her arm preventing her from carrying through with that punch. Then a deep voice said, “That is enough. What has happened here?”