Following are the prologue and first two chapters of the book (still untitled). This is an un-edited (that is, not copy-edited) version. Feedback is welcome. Plans are to revise at least once more, and get it properly copy edited.
So, feedback welcome. Title suggestions welcome.
Thanks
Dave
Prologue
“Still looking for rabbits?”
The old man sitting on the folding chair looked up. He took a moment to register who had spoken and then looked back away.
“Uhm, well, thanks for the Knife Paw Paw. It’s cool. Looks old…”
Pawpaw had lived with him and his Mom for as long as Riley could remember. He was old, Riley was never sure how old, if it was 93 or 94, but to Riley, who was only 17, it seemed like he was ancient. He had worked for the railroad in Monroe, but that was decades ago. Now all that was left of the family was Riley and his Mom, Pawpaw’s granddaughter. Riley’s Dad had left when he was born, and his grandfather had died in Vietnam. Everyone else was dead, or lost. He had heard may be he had relatives out west, but he had never met them.
Pawpaw didn’t do much. He sat on the porch during the days, unless it got too cold, and stared out into the distance. Riley had always felt self-conscious around him. He knew that the old man thought of him as just a kid, and probably a failure at that. Riley didn’t play sports, and had few friends. About the only thing the old man had ever commented on was Riley’s archery. He had agreed to buy Riley a bow when Riley was just 8, now ten years later Riley was a good shot. But otherwise the old man had few words to say to Riley.
Rileys 17th birthday was ending. Not that he would miss it much. It had just been his Mom and Pawpaw, mostly just him and the older man, his Mom spent the early morning working down the highway at the restaurant, the afternoon napping.. Riley spent the day reading mostly, although he’d shot some arrows in the mid-day heat. Then, at dinner, a new pair of tennis shoes from Mom, and the knife from Pawpaw. The knife was nice, it looked old, hand made even. The handle was a dark wood with lots of leaves and branches carved in it. A silver crescent moon shown in the trees, a piece of metal bolted through the handle to hold the blade. The blade had a brass inlay showing a vine with leaves. Pawpaw had said nothing when he handed him the box with the knife in it. It was not like any knife Riley had ever seen, down at the hardware store in town or at Sears even.
And now, that was over, Pawpaw back to sitting back on the porch, watching.
Riley found himself staring at the floor often around the old man. Finally Riley looked back up, the old man still sitting there, looking out.
“Mom told me to come out and thank you-“
“You’re welcome.”
“No, I mean, Mom told me to come out and thank you Pawpaw, but you know, I wanted to let you know… it’s a pretty nice knife really. I mean, it’s old, right? Was it yours?”
“Yes.”
The quiet came back. The evening was leaving the sky, the air still and the chorus of cicadas steady in the background. Little blinks of lighting bugs emerging from the bushes..
“Pawpaw...” the old man just sat there. Riley saw he wasn’t asleep, but he didn’t respond.
“The rabbits?” Still no movement.
“Pawpaw, every time after dinner… what I mean is… you never talk about it…”
“You like the knife Riley?”
Riley stopped short. The old man hardly ever called him by his name. Riley was afraid he’d said something wrong.
“Yeah, it’s cool. It looks old-“
“It is. Probably older than I am. It was a gift... given to me by someone...special. But now I am giving it to you, for safekeeping.”
“Is it connected with the-“
“I used it when I hunted you know. It’s a solid knife.”
“I didn’t think you hunted…”
“Sure did. After my parents passed I had to eat right? Some deer in these woods, and back then lots of rabbits, squirrels, even possum if done up right isn’t bad…”
“The rabbits? But I thought you know, we’re supposed to leave them alone. Momma told me if I ever hit one with my bow you’d disown me.”
“This was before…yeah, that’s right. Never touched a rabbit with that knife for sure. I couldn’t...” Again silence settled over the porch. The older man returned to staring out into the edge of the woods.
“Before what Pawpaw?”
“Never mind, nothing. Late. ”
“I’m getting good at the bow Pawpaw. I hit the bull’s-eye today from 100 feet walking by, just like you suggested. I bet I could hit even a rabbit now. All I’d have to do is-“
“Stop!” The old man swung his arm up from the blanket, his long finger pointing at Riley. “Stop!”
“Why? Every time I ask-“
“Just stop!”
“Tell me why? Why can’t I go hunting like you did? I could help out, no shame in deer or rabbit for dinner.”
“Don’t ever!”
“Why not? Why not!” Riley couldn’t help himself. His mother would have beat him soundly for yelling at the old man like that, but Riley was confused and annoyed. Even though the family was poor and other mountain families hunted the deer and rabbits in the forest, he’d never been allowed to do so. Most nights they ate vegetables from the garden or hotdogs from the stores, but never game. “Why not!”
The old man looked at Riley, his hand still pointing. His mouth open. But suddenly he closed him mouth and lowered his hand. He turned back to look out off the porch. “Just don’t….”
“I’m not a little kid anymore. I can do whatever I want you know. I could hit a rabbit, I could. I just might to show you I can. Tell me why I can’t! Tell me!” But the old man just sat and stared. “Fine then.” Riley turned and opened the screen door.
“I’m waiting for something…” The old man said it so softly Riley wasn’t sure if he heard it.
“What are you waiting for Pawpaw?” Riley turned back around, letting the screen door close. The old man slowly turned around and looked back into the house. The sound of Riley’s Mom cleaning up came from inside the kitchen. He motioned Riley to come back over and sit on the chair next to his wheelchair.
“I’m waiting for a rabbit to come back”
“Back? From where? Does it have to do with the knife?” For the first time he could remember Riley saw a twinkle in the old man’s eyes, his face had come alive.
“Well Riley, that’s the story isn’t it?”
Chapter One – Into the China thicket
“Pull up a chair and sit down Riley. You can’t tell your mother none of this. She would have a fit if they heard me talking about this.”
Riley nodded his head, afraid to say anything least the spell be broken. He had never seen his Pawpaw so animated. His eyes had a light in them Riley had never seen before.
“I go the knife when I was 16 from my Dad. I used it to do a lot of things, mostly when I went hunting with the bow. Back then 60 was a long ways away. Nobody had cars, just horses. Just to get into town was a half days ride, never mind any cities. The railroad was a good days ride too at that time. But there was plenty of game in the woods, and we could plant enough to eat. My mother used to put up preserves too. It was 1906 when my parent died. Drowned trying to cross back one night when it stormed real bad, down by the stream that runs by the China thicket. I was 19 then, my older brother had gone out to Memphis, all the rest were long gone. You see I was what they call nowadays a “mistake.” Pawpaw gave a small chuckle.
“ I had some Aunts and Uncles who lived down the mountain, but it was just me in this house. You know my Daddy built this house right after the war, the civil war. Came up here and bought land on this mountain. I guess he saw orchards here or something, though he never did put much in. So this house was about all I had. Not much work back then up here. But I figured I could grow some stuff, hunt the rest and make it ok, despite folks worrying about me.
When my parents died in the fall of 1906 there were a few folks worried about me. The folks over at the church tried to get me hitched up, I was 19 after all, almost past my prime in those days. But wasn’t ready yet. I was at loose ends. Thought about going out west to see my brothers, or even up north to the shipyards in Baltimore- heard you could get a good job there. But I wasn’t ready to leave this mountain just yet. No shame in saying I was kind of a lost soul Riley. I turned out alright mind you, but I had finished high school and there was nothing here to do. I had never been further than Richmond, and there only once for a wedding. Heck, I’d only been to Lynchburg a handful of times. I guess you could say I was a little sheltered but I hardly knew it. I felt like the mountain was kind of a big universe. What did I know?
One day I was out hunting. It was midsummer, hotter n hell as they say. The deer had thinned out a lot by then, but the rabbits. The rabbits were thick as thieves in the woods. In those days we didn’t have much, if you wanted to eat you had to go out and get whatever you could. I had one fairly big rabbit in my sights. I can still see it in my mind. But something spooked it right before I let go of that arrow… and it took off. I followed it for a bit until I got to that grove of China thicket down by the creek at the bottom of the mountain. Do you know the one around when the road connects to the highway? Down in the hollow there. There’s huge stand of the stuff, bamboo they call it now I guess. Dense as midnight in there.
I followed the rabbit in. Not sure even now why I did. But like I said, it was midsummer, hot. I hadn’t had meat in a week and that rabbit sounded tasty to me. I figured if I chased the rabbit through the china ticket I’d push it up on the road and into the field across from it. Be easier to get a good shot in then.
But funny thing, the more I kept pushing into the stand, the further I went, let further away from the outside I felt I was getting. The grove got taller, the china closer together, it got dark and smelled like mildew. I could not see more than a few feet in front of me. The forest closed in on me. That damn bamboo grew so thick it blocked out the light on the floor. I get lost not ten feet into that thicket.
I had completely lost track of that damn rabbit when suddenly, I fell. The ground gave way and I tumbled into the stream. I was pretty mad at getting wet and figured I might as well just go back home. I wasn't too sure where the road was by then. I should have crossed it. So I scrambled up the other side of the stream. I could see sunlight and that open field on the other side. I figured I would follow the stream back to the road.
But when I got out of the ticket into the open field I could not figure out where I’d come out of. There was no sign of the road. In front of me there was just a big clearing, a field and beyond that woods. The sun was still beating down, blinding me after the dark of the China. So I figured I’d just come out further down. I saw that at the edge of the field was a series of rocks, like going up the mountain. I thought maybe I had really gotten turned around in there, come out the way I went in. But I didn't recognize the rocks either.
Still, I figured if I could climb up the rocks a little I could get my bearing. By this point I figured I was suffering from some sort of sunstroke or something. Made me forget where I was. So I went across the field up to the rocks. I was about half way up when I heard voices. Back then weren’t too many people about these parts and it didn’t do you any good to just blunder on. Might have been revenuers or something for all I knew.”
“What are revenuers?” Riley didn’t mean to interrupt the old man, but he thought this might be important.
“Moonshiners. Ill mannered types. So anyway I crept around the rock until I could see down in front of me. To my surprise there was the road. Although it wasn’t a part of the road I could remember. It was more a dirt path in the woods. There in front of me were about 3 or 4 men, most sitting, but one standing. Then off to the side was the strangest thing I’d ever seen- it was a bear wearing a jacket and a wide field worker’s hat. But it wasn't no bear I had ever seen; it had light grey fur and long ears. In fact the more I looked at it, the more I thought it was some sort of rabbit...
But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be; it was as tall as the man standing. It had to be a bear. The four men did not seem to see this huge animal behind them, so I figured it was best to be cautious. I carefully got my bow off my shoulder and pulled out an arrow. I figured I’d come down from the rocks slowly; ready to shoot the bear if I had too. As I pulled the arrow tight I heard a loud voice from behind me.
“Best put that away stranger.”
I froze, turning around a little to see who had said that. Standing behind me, with a drawn bow was a jet black rabbit as big as a man.
Two
When the voice behind me spoke all of the party below the rock turned up my way. I slowly put the bow down, keeping my hands up above my waist. I turned around too and I pretty much turned five shades of white I guess.”
“Wait, Rabbits? Like, bunnies?”
“Yes! Gigantic rabbits, they weren’t much like bunnies I can tell you. The one in front of me was easily six feet tall, standing on his hind legs. He wore a white shirt and had a large bow pulled back, with his paw on an arrow threaded on the string. I looked behind the rabbit to see if I could see who had spoken, but then I got the second shock of the day. It was the rabbit who had spoken!
“Why don’t you climb down that rock mister? I got a bead on you so don’t try nothing funny, understand.” What can I tell you? I nodded, still in shock. As best I could I climbed down the rock until I was on the floor of the wooded area and the road. By that time the other four men and the other rabbit had come over. I think I must have looked pretty scared because one of the men chuckled a little and held out his hand.
“I’m Erisiuos Smit, you can call me Smit. The bully behind you is Walter” he said nodding to the giant rabbit who had followed me down the rock. Walter still had his bow pointed at me and a mean look on his silver grey face.
“I’m not being a bully Smit. This man had his bow about to shoot you all.”
“All of us with one arrow? Well, I must say you must be a first class shot.”
“That’s not what I meant Smit.” Walter put his bow down and sat back, putting his front paws on the ground, looking to me for the first time like a real rabbit. “Fine” he said in a bored voice” you deal with him. I get your belt if he kills you.”
“He ain’t gonna kill us Walter. Looks like he might the one to drop over any second. You got a name stranger?”
“E-e-e-eric.”
“Well Eric, it is good to meet you. This here is Rake, and Jet.” He pointed to the two other men next to him.” And the other Lepus here is Andrew.” The other rabbit stepped forward and offered a paw.
“Andrew Morgan, surveyor, chief of this crew.” He cast a look at Smit, “ Terribly sorry for the over reaction, but the roads are full of travelers these days, not sure if they are all on the up and up you know. You’re… costume is… where are you from?”
“um, up on the mountain.”
“Mountain, which mountain? Where?”
“Tobacco Row. The one right… “ It was at this point that I looked around. I could see fields through the woods, and couldn’t see behind the outcropping of rock I had just come down, but I could not see any of the hills I spent the past 19 years roaming no matter which direction I turned.
“Tobacco Row Mountain? Never heard of it.” The Rabbit, Andrew, stepped back. His tilted his head. And then rabbit’s eyes narrowed. He stepped forward and leaned into my face. “Never heard of it. I’ve been up and down this country more than a few times. No mountains around here. What exactly are you playing at Mr. Eric?” I stumbled back a step, now convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was suffering from sunstroke or possibly had just plain up and died.
“I—the mountain—look, I’m not sure. I was just chasing a ra--- going through the woods there when I came out across that field.”
“What field?”
I turned around, relieved actually to see the field behind the outcropping of rocks.
“That field. I came across that stream.”
“Through the bamboo?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” At this I noticed all of them looking at each other. Walter hopped up and shoved Andrew out of the way.
“That’s impossible! Men can’t get through there! No one has ever come out of there! I think he’s from up north.”
“Ain’t no Yankee. I-I did just come out of there, across the stream….”
“Now Walter, I have heard of certain men being able to traverse the woods. Interesting.”
“Mr. Andrew, really?” Smit had quietly stepped up and put his hand on Walter’s shoulder. “It would explain the clothes.”
“I-i-if I’m not on Tobacco Row then where am I?” I knew now that I was not where I should have been, but things felt so familiar. I guess I should have run, or tried to, but I guess I was both calmed by the surrounding, but also more than curious about the people and rabbits in front of me.
“The high path to the Castle at Five Forks. We are on our way to the fair, as it were. Where are you headed?”
“I, uh, well, I’m not sure really. Like I said I sort of stumbled here, well really did stumble. I uh, guess I should head back.”
The rabbit Andrew snorted, pushed up a pair of glasses on his nose. “Not likely fella. Those woods are tricky, can’t just come and go. Doubt seriously if you could get back… now… anyway… If you are not going anywhere, You are welcome to come with us.” With this Walter grunted.
“Andrew! Not happening. He is welcome to go somewhere else. By himself.”
“Walter, Walter, do not hold against Mr. Eric here him being from out there. Why I bet you mean us no harm right? Why I bet you’ve never even shot rabbits with your bow when you were over beyond the woods. Right?”
I was not sure what to say, so I just kept quiet. Andrew’s eyes went wide. Walter grunted again. It was Smit who broke the tension.
“I don’t know as much about over there as Mr. Andrew do, but I do know it’s different. I’m sure you were only looking for food Mr. Eric.”
“Well, s-s-s-ure, what else?”
Andrew looked as though he was going to be sick, the rabbit Walter just glared. When Andrew had recovered enough, he took off his glasses and polished them with a small white handkerchief.
“He’s not like the people here Andrew. I say we leave him here and if he follows us we kill him.” Walter put one of his large paws on a knife sheathed on his belt.
“Well, yes, of course. Things are… different in different places. Still Walter, we have to be open minded. I, for one, have never had the chance to talk to someone from another country such as Mr. Eric’s. I say we allow him to travel with us as long as he behaves himself. What do you say Mr. Eric? Will you join us as a friend” Andrew placed the glasses back on his nose and smiled.
I didn’t think all that much about it to be honest. I had no one waiting for me back at home and I was just as curious about this world as Andrew was about ours.
“Thank you Andrew. I would be happy to.”
“Alright then, its settled. Come now ,all of us, let’s continue to Five Forks. We do not want to be late to the festivities,no after being out here so long!”
Walter hopped by, giving Eric a deathly stare in the process. He muttered something about pigs under his breath.
I started to follow them but then stopped as a thought popped into my head.
“Am I dead?” Again the party stopped and looked back at Eric. Andrew laughed.
“Of course not good sir! Well, that is to say not unless we all are! So, I hope that no, you are not dead. Here, walk with me Mr. Eric and I shall try to fill you in as I am able.”
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