BY CASSADER GARDUNA

None of the Driftwood People had ever seen Ung, but their belief in his existence was as strong and as innate as their belief in their own. They passed under the bridge into a city of rubble like none had ever seen. Trees and vines grew in and around once massive stone buildings. The leafy canopy blocked out all but scattered rays of the sunlight, and tall grasses grew through and from once wide roads and sidewalks. Devoid of people the silence was palatable. The canoes flew noiselessly a foot above the ground, and none of the Driftwood People spoke. They were in a new land unlike their home on the little island Athlandrun, and all looked silent and amazed. Perfectly in the moment, the Driftwood People once again felt alive, the new experience made them new as well. Their hearts and minds had changed in seconds and their old selves were left back on the island. Sigla jumped down from the canoe and started leading the party on foot with her lantern held out in front of her.

“Where are we?” asked Migka.

“We are where Ung is,” replied Sigla. “The City of Rubble.”

Suddenly the songs of birds could be heard, small scarlet birds arrived and started to move along with them. The birds watched as they moved through the city that nature took back.

“Beautiful,” said little Tegla as one landed on the edge of the canoe.

“I think they are Scarlet Tanagers,” said Tsula, who knew quite a lot of facts.

“Can I play with them?” asked Agalisa.

“Leave them alone,” Migka said and laughed.

As they ventured further into the city more scarlet tanagers arrived until the trees and bushes around the three canoes were full of them and their songs filled the air.

“Did you feel that?” Sigla said suddenly. “The ground shook.”

“I thought I heard a low rumble,” said Migka.

“There it was again,” said Sigla.

“I definitely heard it that time,” said Migka.

The pulsing rhythmic noise they heard seemed to be getting closer like thunder in an oncoming storm, and the closer the noise came the more the ground shook. Tsula and Migka jumped down from the canoes and joined Sigla.

“Ready your weapons. Snalla, Heyaka, down by me,” commanded Migka.

As Prince Snalla and Heyaka joined Migka, Snalla blew a wooden whistle he wore around his neck, and all the warriors readied their weapons and stood at attention. The ground shook again as the low roar boomed. Heyaka growled and bared his teeth with dagger in hand. Snalla drew back an arrow. Suddenly the Scarlet Tanagers grew still and quiet.

“HELP!” screamed Tsula.

In an instant a long sticky tongue had shot out from under the ground and wrapped itself around Tsula’s leg.

Again Tsula screamed, “It’s pulling me in! It won’t let go!”

“What is it!?” shouted Snalla

Heyaka, always brave, ran forward and slashed at the huge tongue with his dagger.

“It won’t cut!” cried Heyaka.

“Grab him!” exclaimed Migka as he ran forward grabbing Tsula’s hand.

Heyaka dropped his dagger and grabbed Tsula’s other hand and Snalla grabbed him by the waist and Sigla seized Snalla creating a small chain.

“Pull!” Said Migka

“What terror! What hell!” cried Tsula as his leg was pulled deeper into the earth.

Snalla took his whistle with his teeth and blew again and the warriors let out a barrage of arrows into the ground which had seemingly no effect. Abruptly the loud low boom rang out again, the ground shook violently causing all to lose their hold on Tsula and in seconds he disappeared underground.

“You bastard! Come out and fight me!” screamed Migka.

The ground quaked and multiple tongues sprung from underneath, taking hold of the canoes and the Driftwood People and dragging them down into the earth until none but Migka was left.

“Come out and face me, demon!” yelled Migka in an angry fit.

And with this the attacker surfaced. It was a small purple frog with large golden eyes. It croaked and the ground shuddered. Its tongue seemingly too long and large for its body shot out and grabbed Migka’s ankle and pulled him to the ground where he began sliding towards the frog’s wide open mouth.

“No, you won’t take me!” Said Migka as he looked around for something to grab onto and saw Heyaka’s dropped dagger.

He quickly grabbed the dagger and plunged into the earth.

“No, no, no, not like this!” He moaned.

The Scarlet Tanagers started to sing again and flew into the air. As Migka watched they moved as one body and formed a red whirlwind. Quicker and quicker they flew around until the fallen leaves and small rocks on the ground lifted into the air. The small scarlet birds began to dissolve into one another until there stood Ung. Beautiful, but frightening Ung was the unknown, he was language, he was the wild unseen places. He wore all yellow and his face was a mirror which Migka now saw himself struggle in.

“Don’t be afraid, child. Just let go,” said Ung.

“No!” Migka shouted “I’m not ready to die!”

“It’s okay child, just let go.” Ung said softly.

A calm washed over Migka and he thought, “it will only be a moment.” He then let go of the dagger and was swallowed by the purple frog.