Night Marchers
By: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels
© 2011 by: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels
Cover Photo: © Konradbak / Fotolia
Cover Work: Marya Heiman
Editing: Mandy Buchanan
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Table of Contents:
PROLOGUE (A WARRIOR’S FINAL MISSION.)
CHAPTER 1 (KAYLEE AND EMMA, BFI’S)
CHAPTER 2 (28 DAYS EARLIER, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.)
CHAPTER 3 (BON VOYAGE)
CHAPTER 4 (FIRST CLASS.)
CHAPTER 5 (WELCOME HOME)
CHAPTER 6 (NEW FRIENDS)
CHAPTER 7 (SURF'S UP)
CHAPTER 8 (ITTY BITTY BIKINI)
CHAPTER 9 (SURPRISES!)
CHAPTER 10 (A SHORT SWIM)
CHAPTER 11 (TAKE A HIKE)
CHAPTER 12 (STRANGERS)
CHAPTER 13 (WARRIORS)
CHAPTER 14 (A WHOLE NEW WORLD.)
CHAPTER 15 (ANSWERS)
CHAPTER 16 (TRAINING)
CHAPTER 17 (MORE SURPRISES)
CHAPTER 18 (TIME)
CHAPTER 19 (SHOW DOWN)
CHAPTER 20 (PAIN)
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SPECIAL FEATURES
PROLOGUE (A WARRIOR’S FINAL MISSION.)
1654 A.D.
For a warrior, nineteen doesn’t seem too young to die; after all he has been through, it comes like a welcomed relief. Crouching down in the bitter darkness, he surveys the distant shadows that play tricks on his mind. They dance along the cliff walls that dwindle down to the swelling surf. Taunting him, knowing what is to come. He walks slowly through the dense forest not questioning his reasons for going. The gods have called his name for this, one of the most important jobs in his tribe. Kneeling down he carefully unwraps the basket. The bones of Keli’ilani lay sacredly in his hands. He is the one chosen to determine their final resting place. He is his people’s warrior. Yet, after this, he must also die; plummet down the towering cliffs below. The bones have to be kept secret…sacred. No one can know where they lay, for they bestow mana, a mighty vigorous supernatural power. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, much harm could befall mankind. His people trust no one with this power, not even him.
He takes a Kopala from his satchel and begins digging in the rich, moist earth. After digging deep enough he carefully buries the bones…one at a time, gently, carefully. Bowing his head out of respect when he has finished honoring the great Keli’ilani; to his people and himself their great chief will surely be missed. Feeling like he was burying his own father, this man looked after him and raised him after his birth parents passed away. He will never be able to repay in gratitude, all that he bestowed upon him. A single tear drips down his cheek as he covers the precious bones. He mourns for his chief’s life and his own this night.
Taking several moments to prepare himself, he decides to eat from the land one last time. For in a few moments he will no longer inhabit his earthly body that requires sustenance. He picks a single berry from the tree where he buried his chiefs’ bones beneath the roots. It is the only fruit this tree seems to have produced; yet he doesn’t mind, as he does not need much nutrition to carry him into the next life.
Standing upright he says his final goodbyes. Turning towards the towering cliffs he looks over the rocky edge. He watches a rock briefly as it makes it’s decent, failing to hear it meet the earth below. This is it, he thinks. This is where it all ends. It’s a surreal and beautiful moment for him, full of clarity and certainty. He is at peace with himself; he has done what he had come to do. His life flashes before his eyes as his foot dangles over the cliff. A vision of his beloved is painted in his mind; it is as if she is here with him in this moment. He can envision her dark hair, flowing behind her in the wind. Her beauty gives the peace he needs as he hopes that they will subsequently be reunited in the afterlife. “I am ready,” he says to her, and to himself, as he plummets to his impending death.