*First person perspective sentences or phrases are in italics in my original version, so there is no need to point out that issue* Since Jasminebells had trouble wondering what was happening in the story, the narrator is Eitan, the mother is Ochria, the father is Namir, Eitan's older brother is Zev, his little sister is Jonina. The animals have all broken out of zoos after the earthquake of the centuries swept over Israel during the time when Russia and a bunch of Middle Easter countries unleashed all their air forces on the tiny country of Israel. Also, since this is a Fantasy story the animals don't act like normal ones*
Strangers In The Wilderness
Eitan and his family had been driving through the vast expanse of destruction for over an hour and the scenery still hadn't changed. Burning smoking piles of mangled metal littered the landscape. Even with the windows rolled up, the smell of burning jet fuel stung his lungs. Or is it just me that is smelling it? Is it a punishment because of my evil way of thinking?
"Where are we going Daddy?" Jonina asked. Nobody said anything.
"Look at this Ochria," Namir said pointing to the lit dashboard. "It's amazing. We've been driving for over two hours and the gas gauge hasn't moved at all."
"We don't need fuel from the Earth to get to wherever it is we are supposed to," Ochria said.
"Where are we going to anyways dad?" Zeev asked.
"Hope you like traveling, Zeev, because we're going to go see your Uncle Dov in Jerusalem."
"Yay! Uncle Dov's funny," Jonina said, clapping her hands together. Jonina was sitting in the seat behind Namir against the window which was covered up with a dark red curtain. Eitan's parents did not want Jonina to have to see the devastation of the attack throughout the car ride.
"Dad?" Eitan said.
"Yes son?"
"How bad is it if someone were to hate the Palestinian people because of all the things they have done to our people?"
Namir was quiet for a moment. "Quite bad son, quite bad. For how can any humanity ever be established if both sides equally hate each other? That's fighting fire with fire. The flames will never be put out if you feed the fire. That is why water is needed. In the case of what you're saying the water is love and sympathy for our enemies." Eitan nodded.
"I couldn't have said it better myself Namir. Thank you," Ochria said.
"Don't give me too much credit Ochria. Remember that I have killed people in my life time. But war in my book did little to justify what I had to do. I understand that you know a little about this to Ochria," Namir said.
"Yes, I'm afraid I do Namir." That was a way that Israel differed from Western culture. Unlike in the American Military, women served in the Israeli Military much like the men. Eitan could not imagine his mother ever being in such a setting. War, a never ending fight the human race has been waging against each other ever since the first misunderstanding was made. But with what had happened here how could there possibly be more war? Nothing in all of history could have come close to what had happened here.
"Eitan, why did you ask?" Namir asked.
"Dad, remember when my friend, Habil, died?"
"Yes, and I am sorry for your loss. He was a good kid. I miss having him over for dinner."
"Such a sweet boy," Ochria said. Eitan closed his eyes. If Habil had survived and I had been the one to die he wouldn't have lived the rest of his days with hatred in his heart. The best way I can remember him is by letting go of my grudge that has no reason to even exist. But why is it so hard?
"I wish I could have told him that I was sorry for drawing a face on his soccer ball," Zeev said. Eitan looked at his brother. He remembered the day that he drew a smiley face on the ball with a green permanent marker. Habil had never tried removing the face. He thought it was funny. The soccer ball still had the smiley face on the day that the suicide bomber killed Habil and five other people. The soccer ball was vaporized beyond recognition in the blast.
"Sorry Eitan, I should have just kept my mouth closed," Zeev said.
"No Zeev don't talk about yourself that way. I... I have something to tell everybody," Eitan said in a whisper, his heart and pulse seeming to stop beating.
"Eitan are you feeling alright? Is it the smoke?!" Ochria said. Eitan didn't say anything.
"Is big brother sick?" Jonina said, peeking around Zeev. Zeev looked at him like he were reliving the attack over Israel.
"No Jonina, I'm not sick. But I wish I was," Eitan said pressing his face against the window.
"Son, what is it? Do you need me to pull over?"
"No dad, I just have something to tell you but it's so hard," Eitan said grinding his teeth together. No one said a word. Eitan took a deep breath, gagging on the smoke seeping through the closed windows and vents of the car. "Ever since Habil died I've been harboring a hatred for the Palestinian people."
For the space of one minute, the only sounds were that of the car and the burning war machines outside. Then Ochria said, "Eitan, why didn't you tell us sooner? That is nothing to be hiding from your family. Such feelings have destroyed even the strongest of men. I... I still can't believe my own son has been a victim of such corrupting feelings for so long."
Eitan removed his head from the glass and sighed. "I'm sorry mother, and to everybody[,].[/,] I'm so sorry for having lived in your midst all these months and never told you. I was so scared on what you'd think of me." Jonina looked around Zeev at Eitan with confused eyes.
"Eitan, I cannot say that I am not disappointed in you for not telling us as soon as these feelings entered your mind."
"I'm sorry father," Eitan said burying his face in the headrest of the seat in front of him.
"I'm sorry to Eitan, for not asking what was wrong when I first noticed that you had started to change. I could understand the emotional trauma you must have suffered through on the following days after Habil's death, but weeks and then months past and I could tell that something in you had changed. You were always such a big fan of soccer and would watch every game on television, but whenever a Palestinian team were to play you would almost never watch or you'd watch with this strange look on your face. At first I thought nothing of it other than you getting a little too absorbed in the game. You never did keep a favorite team for longer than ten days after all.
"But over time, it became more and more apparent that you almost recoiled from the mere mention of anything that had any affliction to the Palestinian people. Really, at times you had me thinking that these feelings were only my own. I was never good in psychology you know, I could never quite figure out if Ochria thought my humorlessness as being intelligence and the sign of a wise man, or the sign of a depressed man."
Eitan half smiled, but he quickly reverted to frowning again. "Dad, don't just think that I am just trying to defuse the situation, but I'm actually starting to feel a change of heart right now." It was true he felt emotionally cleaner than he had felt in months. But the memory of Habil's brutal demise still lingered in his mind like a permanently burned after image.
"Daddy, what's wrong with Eitan?" Jonina asked, reaching around the seat in front of her and tugged on her dad's shirt sleeve. Eitan felt like telling her in the simplest way he could. But how can I to such a young girl? I don't want her to think of me as a bad person. And yet I'm being worse than bad by hiding it from her.
"Your brother has just told us something that he has been keeping secret from the family for a long time. Do not worry Jonina, your brother will no longer need to hold any secrets against us. We will work everything out as a family," Namir said. Jonina let go of his shirt and sat back in her seat looking as if she still didn't know what was going on.
"I can't say I never wondered about you either, little brother," Zeev said.
"I'm sorry you had to know at such a hard time," Eitan said.
"Forget it Eitan. I'd rather hear it now then- look!" Zeev said pointing out straight ahead. Eitan did and saw headlights pierce the black smoke floating over the terrain as it was blown by the wind. The closer they got to the brightening beams of light increased in numbers. When the closest of the vehicles came into view Eitan saw that it was a military Humvee.
"Mommy!" Jonina said. His poor sister sounded like she was going to cry from fright.
"It's okay. They're in the military, just like your father and I used to be," Ochria said. Jonina calmed down but still appeared uneasy. The first of the Humvees zoomed past, kicking up dirt. Their beams cut right through the red curtain that hung on the window next to Jonina making it an eerie bright fiery orange color.
As the rest of the vehicles approached, Eitan noted that not all appeared to be military some appeared to be rescue workers, and a couple were even civilian vehicles. And what was with the large cargo trucks? Were they here collect the bodies? None of the drivers gave their car any notice and continued to drive ahead at full speed.
"They sure are in a hurry," Namir said. Eitan saw shadowy movements among the vehicles. Suddenly many of the vehicles that were driving through the wreckage grounded to a stop, some power sliding and kicking up dirt. "What was that!"
"Namir, watch out!" Ochria cried. And then the car swerved quickly to the right as Namir turned the wheel. Eitan's body swung with the sudden movement. Jonina screamed.
"Dad! What was that for?" Eitan exclaimed.
"There was a big dog running toward the car!" Namir exclaimed, out of breath.
"No, it wasn't a dog; it was a hyena," Ochria said. "There's more! Look, there's so many!"
Everyone picked themselves up off their seats and peered out the windshield. "What is everyone looking at?" Jonina asked. When no one responded she pulled the curtain off her window and looked out through there. Eitan heard her gasp. Eitan could only stare open mouthed at the multitude of predatory animals running in-between the stalled vehicles.
"That's a lioness!" Namir said as the maneless big cat ran within the beams of the vehicles headlights. It's fur glowed white and then brown after it was out of the lights range. What was a lion doing out in the middle of nowhere and in Israel of all places? Did the earthquake level the walls of every zoo? No, not just lions. He saw cheetahs, wolves, common dogs, a big striped cat that was either a leopard or jaguar, and countless others.
"Look Mommy, a kitty," Jonina said. Ochria turned to her daughter and put a hand to her mouth. Eitan and Zeev turned to face out the drivers side back window as well. A cougar was peering at Jonina from the window. Whitish gray exhaust fumes from the cars muffler swirled around it. Eitan stared at the animal, entranced by how fierce, and yet harmless it looked.
"Jonina, scoot over closer to your brother please," Namir said arching his back as he stared back at the big cat.
"But I like the kitty," Jonina said. Namir grunted and pressed the cars horn. The cougars ears perked up and it pulled its head away from the window. "No kitty don't go," Jonina said. Incredibly the cat seemed to understand and once again approached her side of the car.
Namir began to unbuckle his seat belt. "Namir, don't. The animal isn't going to hurt us," Ochria said as Namir opened his door. "Oh Namir," she said as he got out of the car shouting at the cat.
"Go away!" Namir said, waving a hand menacingly at the cougar. The cougar peered at him curiously. "Go on, I said go back to your other friends!" The cat gave him one last look before running off into the darkness. Namir got back into the car with a smile on his face. "He won't be bothering us anymore."
Zeev chuckled, and Eitan couldn't help but laugh to. Jonina crossed her arms and said, "Daddy why did you scare the kitty away?"
"Don't worry about your father Jonina he just doesn't understand that the animals are supposed to be here," Ochria said. "But if you want to see more cats and dogs, just look out the windows, Jonina. There are animals everywhere."
Jonina said, "Ok," and pressed her face against the window putting her hands around her eyes like a pair of binoculars. Yes, the wild animals were to compete with the people over the corpses of the dead. So we all are really completely safe right now. Unable to contain his excitement and curiosity any longer, Eitan unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car.
"Eitan, get back inside!" Namir said.
"Let him be Namir. He isn't going to get hurt," he heard Ochria say. Eitan felt his lips form a smile as he took in the incredible sight that made the smoky air seem irrelevant. Hundreds of predatory animals were making their way through the darkness and every so often running through the lights of the idling vehicles. I haven't seen such a gathering of animals since my dream. It's beautiful, but at the same time disturbing because I know why they are here. Wow, what is that man doing?
Eitan watched in amazement as a soldier stepped out of a Humvee and approached a cheetah that was standing a few yards away seemingly waiting patiently for the flames from a crashed jet to burn away. The cheetah turned its head and looked at the soldier. The cat appeared neither aggressive nor frightened and allowed the man to pet its head. Another soldier got out of the same Humvee and walked toward the first man who was now stroking the cheetah like a common cat. The cat didn't react to the man's touch, but remained still, watching the flames licking at the jet burn.
Eitan heard Jonina's door open and then he heard her's and Zeev's excited chatter. His mother's door opened next and she stepped out into the night time smoke filled air. He then heard his father's sigh as he got out of the car to. "It's quite a sight isn't it, son?" Ochria said.
"It sure is. It's like a dream."
"It's actually the dream of a dream son. Remember how the wild animals and birds ate the remains of the bear and its followers?"
"How could I forget?" I know I forgot some of what I dreamed though. Something dreadful that woke me up with a cold sweat and raging heart beat. What it is, I have no clue, but I feel that there was definitely more. A pack of stray dogs ran past him and his mother. He knew they were stray because of their thin undernourished stomachs.
Namir, Zeev, and Jonina joined them on the left side of the car. "Come here Jonina," Ochria said. Jonina happily ran to her mother's side. So now that the people and animals are getting here, where are the birds?
"Mom, shouldn't there be birds coming this way to?" Eitan said.
"Yes, I expect them to be flying over us at any moment." They stood side by side next to the still running car and watched the multitude of animals run through the wilderness. Dozens of drivers were now driving slowly among the ever increasing number of animals that were charging toward separate crash sites. The cheetahs were easily the fastest cutting past both their animal companions and machines in a blur of motion.
"How fast are those kitties running daddy?" Jonina said.
"The cheetahs? I'd say between sixty and seventy miles per hour," Namir said.
"Is that faster than we were going?"
"It's around the same."
"Wow! But daddy won't they get tired running?"
"In any other circumstance, yes Joinina, they would."
Losing interest in the conversation Jonina hugged her mother. And then everybody looked to the skies as it was filled the chirps of thousands of birds. They came in from the North, East, South, and Western sky. Eitans jaw dropped and he felt saliva drip down his chin.
Flying above him and his family were pigeons, hawks, falcons, eagles, doves, owls, cranes, pheasants and countless other feathered creatures. They landed in masses next to still burning planes. When a familiar black and blue bird landed among sparrows at a plane illuminated by a civilian cars headlights Eitan backed up into his family's car and cried. The Palestinian Sunbird spread its wings and flew toward him.
His family turned to face him. "What's wrong Eitan?" Zeev asked. Eitan pointed to the Sunbird which was now on the ground and walking toward Eitan and his family.
"That's a Palestinian Sunbird," Namir said. "Isn't it a curious looking bird?"
"It has a long mouth. But I like it's blue," Jonina said.
"Nice bird," Eitan said still crying. He crouched down on the floor and whispered, "I'm sorry that I've though ill of the people you represent. I won't think that way ever again." The bird stopped where it was and chirped before flying back to join the group of sparrows that it had left. Eitan's family gathered around him as he collapsed back against the cars side.
"I love you all, so much," Eitan said wiping his tears away with his shirt.
"We love you too," they all said at the same time.
Thank you, for giving me such a loving family.
