The young one’s encampment now being mine, I rifle through all his belongings. Another big back skin filled with more treasures. A great big, long metal! Perhaps too big. It’s almost as tall as I am, and it’s quite heavy. Maybe leaving it behind along with the old, weak skins he wears is best. I can’t get too greedy after all, since I only have so many hands. Even with all the wonderful new ones on my waist and back!

  Another new object grabs my attention. The young one is wearing a long, soft skin covering his body and head similar to the dream. This seems very, very valuable. Carefully freeing the clasp around his neck, I pull it off and throw it over my own shoulders. It’s too long for me, but I fix it by roughly cutting along its base with a metal so that it floats just above my heels.

  It’s perfect! Spinning in a circle, it flairs out before slowly returning back to hug me closely. The soft skin is so dark, even darker than my skin! It’ll help me to hide so much better. The funny crook at the top even fits over my head as well. A portable shadow for my face! Why would they let such a young, inexperienced one as him carry something this priceless?

  Enough, I must leave before anyone else happens upon this place. Wary of the fire, I kick dirt onto it until it too dies. No reason to allow a second, unintentional disaster. I take off the skin string on his waist along with all that dangles on it and throw it into his big back skin. Then I hang it on my shoulders but facing my front so that I can carry both his and mine back to my provisional home.

  On a whim, I also grab the big bubble-like metal he had over the fire. The contraption had fallen over on its own during the scuffle and spilled its contents, leaving it cool to the touch now. Not knowing where to put it, I simply mount it on the top of my head as I’ve seen some of the big ones do when they wear their metals. The soft skin’s crook can’t cover me while I wear the metal, but it’s no matter. I’ll head straight home from here, no distractions.

  The trip is short and sweet, and before I know it, I’m welcomed home by the mud. Its soft scent serenades me, reminding me once again how welcoming this place is to my kind. Safely placing all my treasures upon the same big rock, I sink back down into the center to contemplate.

  Is his light really mine now? What did that do? I recall the gesture that I practiced to no avail behind the tree before stealing the light. Excitedly, I try to recreate it again. Raising my hand, I flick my wrist in a snap. Nothing.

  What’s different between him and I that this doesn’t work? Am I too small? Too stupid? Too dirty? I don’t wish to change any of these things, therefore there must be something else at fault. I try adding variety to the gesture. One finger, two fingers, three. A fist. A punch. An hour passes in the mud as I frantically pantomime whatever comes to mind. The frustration builds, and the impulse to express it to the world breaks out despite my previous misgivings.

  “Gew ood!” I yell in annoyance, flicking my now sore wrist with finality.

  An intense force slams my head, and that terrible pain from behind the tree returns. The mind mud scrambles and dances in fright as though rapidly cooked by the other mind beneath. The other mind pulses through the opened mud, and a brief flash of light blinds me. Rubbing my eyes until they calm, I re-open them to see nothing. Whatever I thought I saw, it’s gone.

  What happened? Did it work? It didn’t seem that way. Should I do it again? But it hurt. I don’t want to hurt.

  Memories suddenly stream through my mind of racing after my brothers despite a shattered shoulder, forcing myself to climb that tree for my amazing ambush, and even cleverly discovering that fire song. Pain is life, and through pain lies so many good things. Treasures. Songs. Beautiful, wonderful things. I can’t be afraid of simple, silly pain.

  Gritting my teeth, I try to repeat the pattern again.

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  “Gew ood,” I calmly state, flicking my hand up with two fingers.

  Pain again, and the same cycle is reproduced. Anticipating the flash of light this time, I’m already squinting as much as possible. Still, nothing after the flash remains. Is it broken?

  “Gew ood. Gew ood. Gew ood!” I repeat with a flick, flick, flick.

  Pain, flash. Pain, flash. Pain, flash. All still producing nothing. Why? Perhaps I really do need to practice this song for it to work? Maybe the young one started this way too, and I lack the teacher that he had.

  I repeat my chant and gesture countless times, sneering defiantly at the pain. It actually does lessen with time. The mind mud settles down, rumbling less and less. Unexpectedly, with a particularly rigorous practice, I feel a pop and this time the light stays. The bright rectangle now hovers before my face, exactly as it had for the young one back in the woods.

  However, that’s it. There’s no pictures? What am I supposed to do with this? These lines, shapes, and scratchings make no sense. Maybe if I look closer and harder.

  Leaning forward into the light while carefully keeping my now masterful, discerning squint, I hope to absorb some kind of esoteric song or wisdom hidden in the light. Anything at all. Is it really not treasure?

  My mind shifts and pops hard. Thankfully I’m already sitting in the mud as it soothes me with immediate relief, fighting the agonizing pain from whatever keeps happening. My eyes open wide from the squint, various realizations striking me all at once.

  These aren’t simple scratches and shapes. Neither were those on the plant skins in the bags! What a revelation. How have I never noticed before? They’re letters. And words! And sentences. It all makes sense now.

  My newly empowered eyes eagerly dart across the now legible pane of light in front of my face.

  That’s me! But why? Scanning further down, my excitement falls.

  What is this? I think I’m reading this correctly, but it still makes no sense. Is my head broken? My eyes? What’s wrong? Hoping for clarity at the bottom, I continue reading.

  A smile returns to my face. This list. It must be good!