An Echo Across The Atlantic

An Echo Across the Atlantic

“Tyson! I found one!” The rabbit lay calmly, oblivious to the terror that was about to ensue. Tyson rushed to my side. “I would have said that it was already dead, except for the fact that it keeps sneezing,” I exclaimed, short of breath. The moon cast ghostly shadows on the rabbit's den, making it’s snow-white fur glow against the rigid stone where it lay.

“Well?” asked Tyson. “Should we strike?”

“No, not yet,” I said. “Something isn’t right.” Just then the rabbit began to tremble and a semi pink figure exploded from the carcass. We both sprang back, only to trip over a rotting log. We heard a soft chuckle.

“You guys are imbeciles”. The figure said in between laughs.

We still lay on the snowy ground with throbbing, cold heads. My body pulsed with anger once I realized who it was.
“Jerry you are an absolute moron!” I yelled. Jerry was just one of the twelve other brothers that Tyson and I had.

Living in a family of fourteen is difficult for most younglings, although with the amount of hardships we all had been through, we all shared a vast love.
“You shoulda seen your legs,” said Jerry. “So much for ‘the most agile spices in the world.’ I was scared for you on that one!” he continued to laugh.

Although Jerry was just kidding when said that last remark, it had been a constant worry of mine for a while now. Being the oldest sibling, I had taken it upon myself to take care of my fourteen brothers. Especially after what happened just two years ago.

By now the moon hung low on the horizon. As we trotted home, empty-handed, I noticed the vastness of the plateau unlike ever before. The full moon, with some help from the near dawn, lit our way back to our ramshackle of a home. Even though tonight’s hunt would have been helpful, we had enough leftover caribou to comfortably last us at least to the end of September. When we got back, we were greeted by un-pleased faces.

“I take it you weren’t doing your job?” Momma said angrily.

“No! Momma we were just trying to h...,” she didn’t let me finish my explanation.

“Dre, you know that we are running low on food and word from the North is that an ice storm is coming our way.”

I understood her worries, but we’ve been landlocked for thousands of years for no apparent reason. It was known that in the past, our species could not only run on water but could travel long distances as well.

The next morning, I planned to run across the largest lake in Greenland. Lake Vostok is known as the proving ground for juveniles like myself. I am the fastest of my colony and maybe the fastest in Greenland. The morning seemed to be perfect that day. Haindo flys went about their business unhindered by the news of the predicted storm. The sun intermittently hid between distant, fluffy clouds in the early morning breeze. I began my departure, trying not to wake any of my brothers in the process.

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The lake was nearly fifty-thousand strides away, but it felt refreshing to frolic once again. It had shrunk in volume over the summer, although it did not take away from its monstrous size. At that moment, my ego decided to take control and send me hurtling nearly one-hundred strides per minute straight for the water. I only made it to the halfway mark when I made the first mistake. Pumped up on adrenaline and sheer horror, I decided to leap in victory. It started with a smack and a skid, then a bone thrashing skip, until I slowed down enough to breach the water's surface. I came to the top with blurred vision and a chest full of brisk water. I floated there, unable to move, to think. Our bodies were made to run, not to fall. I left that lake with nothing left in my soul but disappointment and fear. If I couldn’t run across a simple lake then how was I supposed to be the fastest in the colony.

That night I went to sleep feeling shameful and worried about the days to come. Although most nights I felt both these emotions, something tonight triggered a worry deep, deep down.

The next morning I woke to a howl of what sounded like the Barn owls father and I used to capture in the abandoned polar bear den. I shivered at the thought. Just like it came, the howling had subsided, leaving only a bitter cold that pinched at my barren legs. I stepped outside of my empty dwelling to see what was going on.

The light hurt my solemn, bulbous eyes when I looked out onto the plain. It took a moment, but after a long enough stare to make my eyes tear, I realized what had just happened. Snow covered my ankles and the pale sky was filled with crystals of ice. Footsteps led west in the direction of the central colony. Since all my brothers were gone, I suspected that was where they would be. I ran as fast as I could, hoping to warm up. In a matter of seconds, a large group huddled closely came into view. The fog and continuous snowfall made it difficult to see, but I managed not to blink while continuing to sprint.

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“Dre!” A scattered harmony of voices called out. I saw my youngest brother, Bob jumping up and down, trying to capture my attention. "Sorry we didn’t wake you, we all just left in such a hurry,” he said shyly. As I joined them, I noticed that my mom was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Momma?” I asked indirectly. I only received a group of sorrow faces in return.“Where is she?” I asked in a more severe tone. No response. “MOMMA!” I yelled in a voice I had never heard before.

“Don’t make a scene” Tyson said in a monotone voice.

“Where is she then?!” I demanded.

“I think she’s going to be okay,” Mike, the oldest, said. “We found her covered in snow just outside our home.” “We thought she was gone,” he said more sadly.

“Well is she?” I hesitantly asked.

“No, not right now. The doctor says she is just really sick,” he carefully said.
I started to gain feeling in my legs once again, realizing that I had lost complete sensation throughout my entity. I learned that the reason the group had gathered was that many others had fallen sick due to last night's inconceivable temperature transformation. Some other adults explained how it had killed all of the vegetation. Some of the hunters presented a frozen rabbit and buffalo horn, indicating that many species of animals did not make it through the night. When news of the same outcomes in the North spread, an outburst of dreadful cries polluted the crowd.

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“Dre!” A scattered harmony of voices called out. I saw my youngest brother, Bob jumping up and down, trying to capture my attention. "Sorry we didn’t wake you, we all just left in such a hurry,” he said shyly. As I joined them, I noticed that my mom was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Momma?” I asked indirectly. I only received a group of sorrow faces in return.“Where is she?” I asked in a more severe tone. No response. “MOMMA!” I yelled in a voice I had never heard before.

“Don’t make a scene” Tyson said in a monotone voice.

“Where is she then?!” I demanded.

“I think she’s going to be okay,” Mike, the oldest, said. “We found her covered in snow just outside our home.” “We thought she was gone,” he said more sadly.

“Well is she?” I hesitantly asked.

“No, not right now. The doctor says she is just really sick,” he carefully said.
I started to gain feeling in my legs once again, realizing that I had lost complete sensation throughout my entity. I learned that the reason the group had gathered was that many others had fallen sick due to last night's inconceivable temperature transformation. Some other adults explained how it had killed all of the vegetation. Some of the hunters presented a frozen rabbit and buffalo horn, indicating that many species of animals did not make it through the night. When news of the same outcomes in the North spread, an outburst of dreadful cries polluted the crowd.

All the sick or injured were required to stay in a makeshift dwelling that was made from debris swept into the valley. I didn’t bother to visit mother, too scared to accept the reality. I lay in my nest that night, unable to shut my lids. I stepped outside, not thinking that I woke anybody on my way out. I ran into the cold air as fast as I could. I felt useless. All I have ever done, everyone I had ever met, it was all useless. All who knew me thought that I was selfish and egotistical, but it was all just a coverup for the death of my father, the one who cared for me even after I lost my wings to the polar bear. I let out a sob.

“That stupid creature,” I yelled as I continued my run. My father sacrificed his own thriving life to save a juvenile who only just learned how to speak. I angrily reflected on when I sold my life to the mafia and my brothers risked their lives to bail me out. I felt only to be a burden on everyone’s shoulders. I kept running, continuing south to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. After I arrived, rage still blinded my eyes. I could barely take in air into my frostbitten lungs. The snowy plateau faded into a rocky beach, bald of the white scenery.

“HEY!” Said a voice, gasping for air.

I jumped, startled at such a sudden noise. Behind me stood none other than Tyson himself. “What are you doing,” I said.

“What are you doing!” He said even louder.

“It doesn’t matter to you.”

“Yes, it does! I followed you because, because...” he caught his breath. “I guess I’m just worried about you. You didn’t take Momma being sick very well.”

“I know,” I said, “but I can make things better.”

“How?” Tyson asked.

“I’m going to run east and try to find new land.”

“But all of Greenland has been hit by the storm.”

“No,” I said, “I’m going to travel that way.” I pointed out to the black horizon.

“You can’t d...” I stopped him mid-sentence.

“I need to,” I stated. Even if I didn’t make it, it was our only chance of survival, I said to myself. No matter how hard Tyson tried, he could not stop me.

With a tremendous running start, I leapt into the frigid, uneven water. I ran faster than I ever had before, making sure that every stride was well-paced and lite. When the sun had come up, I was only a quarter of the way there. My legs had yet to get tired, keeping my steady pace. The ocean had warmed and the sunrise was now visible. The deep purple of the sky seemed to illuminate the ocean underfoot.

By the time I was halfway there, I had seen nearly four, of what I thought to be whales, and a few flying animals which I knew as seagulls. My legs were getting tired now and my breath was running short. By sunset, I began to see an outline of some rolling hills. I chuckled to myself. Could it be possible? Could I actually make it? The shoreline came into view just moments after. Just like I had left, I took a large stride onto the cobblestone beach ahead. The stop was difficult. The pain of last week's fall still chilled my bones. Lucky for me, I had chosen an open area to beach.

It was increasingly hard to breathe. As I took a brief sniff, I gaged and nearly went unconscious. It smelt of dead things and when lightning struck the old tree outside our home. The air was also heavy with moisture. When the heat set in, I couldn’t get up. The thick air trapped incredibly hot fumes that sliced through my dense skin. It took a while, but after laying motionless, I started to adapt to the extreme changes in climate.

Eventually, after I gained enough energy, I headed over to a stone dwelling. I kicked the door. “Hello?” I said as I put one ear to the wall. The sound of heavy footsteps came closer and closer. The door was opened dramatically and in its place stood a monstrous creature.

“Hello?” It said startled, still looking straight ahead.

“Yes, hello,” I said once again.

He let out a quick yelp and retreated inside. “How could such a big creature be afraid of me?” I thought.

The door opened once again but this time the creature grasped a long stick. “What are you and what could possibly you want!” He said.

“I just want to know where I am,” I said, trying to match how the creature spoke.

“Your not where you should be, now go!”

“No, please tell me, and I need food for my colony,” I pleaded.

“Are you going to eat me?” he asked.

“No, I just need some food.”

“I don't have any food,” he exclaimed. “I need to feed my children and now the Noblemen want to lower my pay even more.” The man had concern in his voice now. “You're in Scotland,” he finally said with a sigh. His brown tattered coat only covered his upper torso and the two extremities that extended from his body.

“My colony is dying,” I slowly let out.

He laughed. “At the rate these factories are being made, our whole world may die soon.”
The creature spoke with care in his voice. He sounded gentle and fragile like some of the elderly in my colony. “They don’t understand,” he said quietly.
His fear seemed to disappear and he invited me through the towering doorway. We conversed about where I came from and how I got here. The soft glow of day snuck through the holes in the cobblestone building. He was surprised at what I told him, but he always seemed to believe me. “I've been meaning to ask you,” I said hesitantly. “What is the name of your species?” I had never seen anything like it. The two long legs, the two slim arms, and the pale, furless skin that covered his entire body.

“A human,” he said.

I had heard myths about these creatures. About their extreme power, their ever-growing population, and most of all, their earth-slaying machines. I had always imagined something... well, more powerful. Although I had no reason to do so, I could easily end this creature's life in just a simple chomp. I looked outside. I noticed the area of land where I had come ashore was covered in tall, golden grass. “What is that growing out there?” I asked as the human prepared some sort of liquid.

“Barley, it can grow just about anywhere,” he exclaimed.

I thought about the freezing temperatures of my home. Unless I could grow it in a controlled environment, the crop had no chance of survival. “What else do you farm?” I asked.

“Only potatoes, the rest will only last a couple of months up here,” he added.

Just then I heard a sound like no other. A roar shook the small dwelling as the biggest creature I had ever seen swept by the open window. As the roar faded into a soft rumble, I sat, speechless. “Wha... what was that?” I finally said, the rumble still ringing in my ears.

“One of them bloody steam trains, quite noisy they are. Powered by one of those steam engines,” he said in a vulgar tone.

Suddenly I realized that this is what the legends had told us. The huge machines that shook the earth to its core. The ones that could obliterate anything in their path.
The man began to speak again, “those engines are responsible for all the rubbish you smell in the air. I think that they're also the ones who make our summers so darn hot.” He spoke with a red face now. Clearly, the trains had not treated him well. “Like I said, they're killing the Earth. All my lads think I’m going crazy, but ever since they started making the engines back in the 1670s, the sky and greenery have faded from their vibrant colours.” It was clear he could care less of my company. It seemed to be an excuse to yell about his frustrations.

Dusk came faster than I thought, and spending the day with this man had ended up to be incredibly useful. He told me everything I need to know about farming and even sent me off with a small sack full of different seeds. That night, as I lay underneath the pale moon, I developed a plan. A plan to save my home.

The morning light appeared in the blink of an eye. The barley field where I lay had provided good safety from the creatures of this mysterious land. By the time I had gathered yesterday's thoughts, I was already on the move. My first stop was the train. I must have waited for quite a while because, by the time the first train had come, the clear countryside sky had transformed into an ugly grey. The familiar rumble of the steam train slowly drifted into my ears. The plan had begun. I ran towards the gigantic machine, nearly tripling the speed at which it approached. In a spilt second, I had leaped from the sturdy ground to the shaking roof of the train. I landed with a thud. The rumbling rattled my bones and blurred my vision. I immediately felt sick. After gagging on last night's potatoes, my dizziness began to ease. I could outrun the train easily, but that was not the point of my boarding. I found a way into the control room. “Excuse me,” I said, still trying to speak in the farmer's tone.

“Your not supp...,” he suddenly paused mid sentence.

“I was told you would know about steam engines?” I asked, knowing there would be no response. I continued, “I would like to know what fuels it and the parts I would need to make one.” The man wiped his eyes in disbelief.