"Tell Me of Your Yesterdays" - 13/13
Disclaimer: "The Wizard of Oz" is owned by the estate of L. Frank Baum. "Tin Man" is owned by its various production companies. The following is for entertainment only. No money is being made and no infringement is meant.
Song used is “Just a Dream” by Carrie Underwood.
Missed something? Go back to Chapter Twelve or visit the Story Index.
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AG 499 / AD 2006
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The second sun was casting the last of its light across the valley of the clan. Raw watched as Kalm and two other boys stood in the center of the village waiting for it to set, waited for the first torch to be lit so they could leave for their walk-out. Raw let the memories of his own walk out play through his mind before turning to look at his sister's son.
The sun set and a howl went up from the edge of the village; the walk-out had begun.
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Jeb Cain walked out of the cabin with a heavy heart.
A resistance group had past by two nights ago looking for shelter and his mother had been happy to feed them and let them sleep in the barn.
That night Jeb had stayed up listening to the stories the fighters told, the supply convoys that they had raided, the Longcoat units that they had taken prisoner, the Witch's store houses that they had blow up.
By the morning Jeb was sure that it was his duty to help out with some thing more then just food and a place to sleep.
His mother just didn't understand his desperate need to join the resistance group. But Jeb was sure that this was the right thing, after all he was the same age as his father had been when he applied to be a Tin Man - someone who's life was dedicated to protecting others.
He turned back to look at the cabin one last time and he was sure there was a flutter of the front room curtains.
Jeb raised a hand and waved good-bye to his mother and turned to catch up with the resistance fighters and his duty.
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Some thing was wrong. No walk out had ever taken more then five days, but this group of boys had been going for over a week and no trace of them could be found.
“Longcoats.” the Elders whispered to one another and the whole pride knew that it was true. For years the Longcoats had been taking Viewers - Raw's father Lylo among the first - but they had always taken adults, never children.
Raw had been listening to the talk for days and just couldn't stand it any more. Gathering a few supplies, Raw slipped out of the pride lands and headed towards the Witch's tower.
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It was DG's day off and she was enjoying it in high style; after a morning of sleeping in, she was getting ready to take a hot bath.
“DG!” Her mother called to her from downstairs.
Letting out a sigh DG looked at the tub, then at the door. Maybe she could pretend to not have heard the call.
As if hearing her thoughts and disliking them, a sharp rap came on the door, “DG?”
DG opened the door to see what her Mom needed, “Yes?”
Her mother's face was pale, “You need to... There is a man here.”
As her mother stumbled over her worlds DG felt her blood run cold. She quickly stepped around her mom, ran down the stairs and into the living room.
“Mrs. Nicholas Cooper?” An officer in dress uniform stood in the middle of the room.
“No.” DG whispered. “No, no, no.”
“Ma'am, I'm so sorry to inform you that your husband has died in the line of duty.”
DG slumped in to her mother's arms, crying out Nick's name, as the world turned black.
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Raw crouched by the small fire he had built by the edge of the papay fields. He had failed Kalm, he had failed his family, he had failed his pride.
For three days he had waited in the woods by the Witch's Tower before the convoy came in. There were trucks full of men, food, supplies, and prisoners.
Kalm and the other boys had looked so scared, but Raw knew he couldn't just go charging in. So he watched, waiting for a chance, but that chance never came.
The four Longcoats became seven, the seven Longcoats became ten, and then the prisoners were unloaded and marched in to the tower.
Raw curled closer to the fire. It was his fault, he was a coward.
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AG 500 / AD 2007
--------------------------------------------------
It was his fault. If only he hadn't gone off and left her all alone. He should have been there to catch the warnings.
Jeb crumpled the note that had come into camp for him this morning. The note telling him of his mothers sickness.
“Zek! Find me a horse,” he called to the young man who had been placed under his command. “I need to go to the south-lands.”
“But sir... After the last attack...” Zek stuttered, “You're in command.”
Jeb wheeled to face him, “Well then, I command you to find me a horse. My mother is dying and I damn well am going to be there!”
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She couldn't take it any more. The stares, the whispers, the over bearing sympathy that threatened to smoother her.
It was two weeks after the day she turned 18
all dressed in white, going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat,
six pence in her shoe
something borrowed, something blue
and when the church doors opened up wide she put her veil down trying to hide the tears oh
she just couldn’t believe it
she heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hands
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I cant even breathe
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt
then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard
then they handed her a folded up flag and
she held on to all she had left of him oh and what could’ve been
and then guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
Oh,Oh Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Ohh i'll never know
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
Oh this is just a dream
After the funeral DG had poured out her sadness into a song and that had left her empty. Empty of tears, empty of emotion, empty of life.
Maybe if she could get out, get away from here and all the memories this place held of Nick. Maybe she could start over and feel some thing again.
--------------------------------------------------
The door to his cell rolled up and Lylo turned to see the Sorceress and Raynz standing there, wanting him.
For years he had answered their orders to feel out the intentions of this person or read the thoughts of that person. For years he had watched as other Viewers had been captured and brought to the tower, as they died trying to please the Sorceress demand for knowledge. Lylo didn't even know how long it had been, so long since he last felt the suns on his face or smelled the grass as it grew.
He had seen a group of cubs being brought some time ago. Word had reached him that one of the cubs was from his pride-lands. That he was the son of Sabra. But could that be true? Could he really have been in this dark place for that long?
Lylo shuddered as he was hooked to the water viewer. “Show me the future.” The Sorceress whispered in his ear. Lylo was the only one who could do this, three others had died trying before the Sorceress believed that.
Lylo turned his thoughts in, then out along the dusky paths of the maybe. He saw Longcoats riding over the land, he saw the emerald - so large in the witch's dreams, but so tiny in size - held in the sorceress hand. Then suddenly there was something Lylo had never felt before.
It was a light, just a pin prick. It was calling to him. Softly, faintly, but it was there. Where is there, Lylo wondered and the sight of a small house came to him along with the feeling that called itself... other side.
“General Lonot, awaken a travel storm, take a company of men and slip through to the other side.” Lylo suddenly came to himself too late. He should have tried to keep the light a secret. “Find this light...” the Sorceress said, “and extinguish it.”
--------------------------------------------------
Song used is “Just a Dream” by Carrie Underwood.
Missed something? Go back to Chapter Twelve or visit the Story Index.
--------------------------------------------------
AG 499 / AD 2006
--------------------------------------------------
The second sun was casting the last of its light across the valley of the clan. Raw watched as Kalm and two other boys stood in the center of the village waiting for it to set, waited for the first torch to be lit so they could leave for their walk-out. Raw let the memories of his own walk out play through his mind before turning to look at his sister's son.
The sun set and a howl went up from the edge of the village; the walk-out had begun.
--------------------------------------------------
Jeb Cain walked out of the cabin with a heavy heart.
A resistance group had past by two nights ago looking for shelter and his mother had been happy to feed them and let them sleep in the barn.
That night Jeb had stayed up listening to the stories the fighters told, the supply convoys that they had raided, the Longcoat units that they had taken prisoner, the Witch's store houses that they had blow up.
By the morning Jeb was sure that it was his duty to help out with some thing more then just food and a place to sleep.
His mother just didn't understand his desperate need to join the resistance group. But Jeb was sure that this was the right thing, after all he was the same age as his father had been when he applied to be a Tin Man - someone who's life was dedicated to protecting others.
He turned back to look at the cabin one last time and he was sure there was a flutter of the front room curtains.
Jeb raised a hand and waved good-bye to his mother and turned to catch up with the resistance fighters and his duty.
--------------------------------------------------
Some thing was wrong. No walk out had ever taken more then five days, but this group of boys had been going for over a week and no trace of them could be found.
“Longcoats.” the Elders whispered to one another and the whole pride knew that it was true. For years the Longcoats had been taking Viewers - Raw's father Lylo among the first - but they had always taken adults, never children.
Raw had been listening to the talk for days and just couldn't stand it any more. Gathering a few supplies, Raw slipped out of the pride lands and headed towards the Witch's tower.
--------------------------------------------------
It was DG's day off and she was enjoying it in high style; after a morning of sleeping in, she was getting ready to take a hot bath.
“DG!” Her mother called to her from downstairs.
Letting out a sigh DG looked at the tub, then at the door. Maybe she could pretend to not have heard the call.
As if hearing her thoughts and disliking them, a sharp rap came on the door, “DG?”
DG opened the door to see what her Mom needed, “Yes?”
Her mother's face was pale, “You need to... There is a man here.”
As her mother stumbled over her worlds DG felt her blood run cold. She quickly stepped around her mom, ran down the stairs and into the living room.
“Mrs. Nicholas Cooper?” An officer in dress uniform stood in the middle of the room.
“No.” DG whispered. “No, no, no.”
“Ma'am, I'm so sorry to inform you that your husband has died in the line of duty.”
DG slumped in to her mother's arms, crying out Nick's name, as the world turned black.
--------------------------------------------------
Raw crouched by the small fire he had built by the edge of the papay fields. He had failed Kalm, he had failed his family, he had failed his pride.
For three days he had waited in the woods by the Witch's Tower before the convoy came in. There were trucks full of men, food, supplies, and prisoners.
Kalm and the other boys had looked so scared, but Raw knew he couldn't just go charging in. So he watched, waiting for a chance, but that chance never came.
The four Longcoats became seven, the seven Longcoats became ten, and then the prisoners were unloaded and marched in to the tower.
Raw curled closer to the fire. It was his fault, he was a coward.
--------------------------------------------------
AG 500 / AD 2007
--------------------------------------------------
It was his fault. If only he hadn't gone off and left her all alone. He should have been there to catch the warnings.
Jeb crumpled the note that had come into camp for him this morning. The note telling him of his mothers sickness.
“Zek! Find me a horse,” he called to the young man who had been placed under his command. “I need to go to the south-lands.”
“But sir... After the last attack...” Zek stuttered, “You're in command.”
Jeb wheeled to face him, “Well then, I command you to find me a horse. My mother is dying and I damn well am going to be there!”
--------------------------------------------------
She couldn't take it any more. The stares, the whispers, the over bearing sympathy that threatened to smoother her.
It was two weeks after the day she turned 18
all dressed in white, going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat,
six pence in her shoe
something borrowed, something blue
and when the church doors opened up wide she put her veil down trying to hide the tears oh
she just couldn’t believe it
she heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hands
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I cant even breathe
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt
then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard
then they handed her a folded up flag and
she held on to all she had left of him oh and what could’ve been
and then guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
Oh,Oh Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Ohh i'll never know
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
Oh this is just a dream
After the funeral DG had poured out her sadness into a song and that had left her empty. Empty of tears, empty of emotion, empty of life.
Maybe if she could get out, get away from here and all the memories this place held of Nick. Maybe she could start over and feel some thing again.
--------------------------------------------------
The door to his cell rolled up and Lylo turned to see the Sorceress and Raynz standing there, wanting him.
For years he had answered their orders to feel out the intentions of this person or read the thoughts of that person. For years he had watched as other Viewers had been captured and brought to the tower, as they died trying to please the Sorceress demand for knowledge. Lylo didn't even know how long it had been, so long since he last felt the suns on his face or smelled the grass as it grew.
He had seen a group of cubs being brought some time ago. Word had reached him that one of the cubs was from his pride-lands. That he was the son of Sabra. But could that be true? Could he really have been in this dark place for that long?
Lylo shuddered as he was hooked to the water viewer. “Show me the future.” The Sorceress whispered in his ear. Lylo was the only one who could do this, three others had died trying before the Sorceress believed that.
Lylo turned his thoughts in, then out along the dusky paths of the maybe. He saw Longcoats riding over the land, he saw the emerald - so large in the witch's dreams, but so tiny in size - held in the sorceress hand. Then suddenly there was something Lylo had never felt before.
It was a light, just a pin prick. It was calling to him. Softly, faintly, but it was there. Where is there, Lylo wondered and the sight of a small house came to him along with the feeling that called itself... other side.
“General Lonot, awaken a travel storm, take a company of men and slip through to the other side.” Lylo suddenly came to himself too late. He should have tried to keep the light a secret. “Find this light...” the Sorceress said, “and extinguish it.”
--------------------------------------------------