The Light in Aquala

The sound came again and Lena looked at Mara. "We have to go."

Mara looked at Tavi, who stood in front of them still, his eyes wide and questioning. "Tavi. You said the lights came out and then went back. Do you remember how long they stayed at the edge of the jungle before they left?"

He thought about it. "Just a little while."

"And after they left, the clicking started?"

He nodded.

Mara turned to Lena. "They withdrew and then started signaling. That is not how a threat behaves. A threat advances. This one waited, then left, then began repeating a pattern. It is trying to communicate or find something, not attack."

She looked back at Tavi. "We have to go and figure this out. Tavi, can you please help us? The village needs someone who saw what happened from the very beginning and you are the only one who has. If the lights come back again after we leave, then you have to help everyone leave the village as quickly as they can."

Tavi looked grown-up all of a sudden, his countenance changing to one of determination. He looked at both of the sisters, one at a time, and the set of his jaw meant he was going to start arguing. Mara could see his eyes clouding over with disappointment and she knew right away that he had set his hopes on coming with them.

Then a half-smile started forming on his face as he realized how important his job was and that the village really did need his help. He stood taller and his face started to light up as he realized that his assignment was Lena and Mara’s way of including him and showing that they trusted him.

He nodded resolutely in agreement.

The lights appeared again at the far edge of the jungle, glowing brighter than before, staying right at the edge of the trees. They simply hovered there in a line above the canopy, dozens of them, their glowing Neon colors seeming to be looking, searching for something.

The clicking sounds could be heard again in the same pattern, but this time much louder. Three clicks and a long pause, and now these sounds could be heard by all of the villagers, who had paused for a moment before quickly resuming their preparations with renewed energy.

Lena and Mara’s Mother had run up to them as soon as she saw them come out of the jungle, her eyes wide and her face showing relief that her daughters were back safely. Now she looked at both of her daughters with eyes full of worry, and was holding back tears while pulling her shawl tight around her shoulders, even though the morning was warm.

She knew her daughters had already decided to solve this mystery and follow the lights, but her heart ached with fear that something awful might happen to them and she would never see them again.

She had raised them to ask questions and then actively find the answers, trained them not to just accept anything blindly but to find out the truth for themselves. Here was one of the biggest mysteries anyone in their village had ever encountered and she knew that if she were younger, she would be joining them regardless of the risk involved.

She smiled thinking how much Lena was like her, ready to run into the unknown regardless of the possible consequences. She stood there trying to memorize everything about this moment, watching them unpack their backpacks, throwing stuff haphazardly onto the ground and repacking only the essentials. They all kept up a steady stream of talking, which Tavi joined in on occasionally.

Lena looked up as she stuffed the last item into her backpack and asked Tavi to quickly go and bring back the lead hunters and the organizers of the fishing families. He turned and ran, his feet kicking up sand behind him, and his small figure weaving between the huts and the morning cooking fires while shouting to the different groups.

In no time at all, the leaders of the groups arrived and the village's predetermined plan for escape was reviewed and agreed upon. The hunters and fishermen hurried back to their respective groups and the village sprang into a more organized flurry of activity.

Families darted to and from their homes gathering the last of their supplies.

The sounds of talking, dogs barking, doors slamming shut, and shutters closing filled the air. The morning fires were being put out quickly and bags of food, along with canisters of water, were loaded onto the backs of the larger animals.

The older ones were being helped down to the boats, after a few of their things had been gathered for them, and each of them carried something small: a wrapped bundle or a carved box or a folded blanket that had been in the family for years.

The teenage children started rounding up the animals and putting leads on them for their trek along the coastline, up to the agreed upon meeting spot. The goats were protesting and the dogs were all hyper, barking with enthusiasm knowing that a walk was about to start. The village’s chickens were being carried in woven crates that swayed with every step, resulting in many clucks of protest.

Tavi now hugged the sisters goodbye, Lena first and then Mara, quick and fierce, and then he ran back to the groups.

Mara and Lena looked one last time at the villagers, who were starting to form into lines for the trek up the coast, and then at the older ones being helped into the boats. The boats rocked gently in the shallows and the oars were being fitted into their locks while someone was counting heads out loud and someone else was answering.

They didn’t know when, or if, they would meet up with them again.

After a few more encouraging words and many tears, their mother embraced them one last time and hurried to join the lines. Mara and Lena were far too tired to be scared, only their adrenaline was keeping them awake.

The sisters looked at each other, exhaustion etched into their faces, before turning away from the village and entering the jungle, where the trees closed around them once again.

The canopy shut out the sun in a single step, and the air instantly became more humid, with fewer breezes finding their way through the trees. The ocean, their mother and the villagers grew smaller with every step they took. Finally, the last gap in the leaves closed and there was nothing left of home but the distant sound of the ocean and the call of seagulls, sounds that slowly faded away as they continued walking deeper into the jungle.