A 23rd Century Girl in the 20th Century -- Chapter 6

 

A 23rd Century Girl in the 20th Century

Chapter 6

By Starla Anne Lowry

 

 

The group was separated in two bamboo cages located on each side of a huge cave entrance – the men in one and the women in the other.

“I am scared,” confessed Linda.

”Kid, you are not the only one,” replied Ruth.

“That's right, I am scared, too. It is nothing to be ashamed of,” stated Lizzie Jane.

“But you two are bold women who have faced death and stood your ground,” said Linda.

“Well, did you not rescue other children?” asked Lizzie Jane.

“But, it is not the same. You killed a T-rex, Momma Elizabeth and you faced a gunslinger and Indians coming at you with arrows, Granny Ruth.” This was the first time that Linda had called Lizzie Jane, ‘Momma’. Lizzie Jane noticed that and smiled.

“I assure you that God was in the killing of the T-rex. Do you really believe that a ten-year-old girl could kill a terrifying dinosaur?” answered Lizzie Jane. “I just happened to thrust a spear in the right places at the right time. When I rescued Jake, I used my head and worked my way through the tops of trees.”

“And when I killed the gunslinger, I had my eyes closed while falling to the ground. As far as the Indians are concerned, we were going to die anyway, so why not face them?” replied Ruth. “Too, when I jumped on the Indian that was going to kill Josh, I jumped on his back and when he fell, trying to knock me off, I kicked him in a particular place that caused a lot of pain. Then I jumped a-straddle of him and held a knife to his throat and threaten to kill him, but I did not know what to do. I have never killed anyone on purpose. Another Indian that had seen me shoot the gunslinger kept me from doing that.”

“So you see, you are as much of a heroine as we are,” said Lizzie Jane. “Right now, we need to get our heads together to get out of this mess. After all, we are the ‘heroines’ aren’t we?” grinned Lizzie Jane, the last statement being tongue-in-cheek.

“Well, we still have our hunting knives,” mentioned Linda. “Our captors overlooked them.”

“I noticed that guards are stationed at every high point around here – the cliffs and the trees,” mentioned Lizzie Jane. “So, escape is not going to be easy.”

“Wonder why are there so many guards? It is as if they are expecting some kind of trouble,” stated Ruth.

“Just what I was thinking,” replied Lizzie Jane. “So, they must have enemies that they have to defend against. That could work to our advantage – that is, if we are lucky enough for them to be attacked before they do something with us.”

“How would that help?” asked Linda. “Would not we be in the line of fire?”

“Although they have built grass huts, everything is built in a semi-circle around the entrance to the cave next to us. That must mean that they have an avenue of escape,” said Lizzie Jane.

“You mean an exit to the cave in the back?” asked Linda.

“Correct. However, we cannot depend on that. They may kill us before anyone attacks,” answered Lizzie Jane. “I saw human bones scattered around and some in a pile as we were brought in. I believe they are cannibals as I think their ancestors were.”

“You think that these people are descended from the savages?” asked Linda.

“Yes, but over periods of time, they seem to have gradually got smaller – just like most of the animals we saw this time. There weren’t any small animals in this part when we were here, supposedly 1,000 years ago when we came through the time warp,” answered Lizzie Jane.

“Yes, I understand that. There must have been a freak of nature back then because dinosaurs lived millions of years ago – not thousands,” agreed Linda.

“Y’all are talking over my head,” said Ruth, “talking about millions and thousands of years ago.”

“Cannibals?” squeaked Linda. “Wonder who they will get first?”

“They seem to be eyeing Jake very closely,” replied Lizzie Jane. “That is why you and I need to put everything we know into practice.”

“Everything you two know? What do you know that I don’t?” asked Ruth.

“Linda is good at a new way of fighting and has shown me some of it. We both can move among the tree limbs without touching the ground, but those are things the four of you probably cannot do. If we have to run, Linda and I will do most of the hand-to-hand fighting while the rest of you use your weapons while running,” said Lizzie Jane.

“You seem to have this all figured out,” replied Ruth.

“Well, not quite. It may not work. But like you said when facing the Indians, we will be killed anyway, so why not meet them head-on?” asked Lizzie Jane, “First thing we do is cut away these grass ropes holding the cage together. We will cut the ones in back so they will not be noticed quickly. Oh, and one more thing – let’s pray. God can cause things to happen that would not ordinarily.”

Lizzie Jane led in the prayer as the other two ladies knelt. It seemed to Lizzie Jane that her mother was looking down from Heaven, smiling, and saying, “Yes, that is the thing to do.”

While Ruth watched, Lizzie Jane and Linda began sawing away at the grass ropes. “Be careful and don’t cut anything to make this side fall. Just cut enough so we can squeeze out,” suggested Lizzie Jane.

“Now what?” asked Linda.

“Okay now. Remember where they put the weapons. We will have to fight our way to them and bring them back to everyone else,” answered Lizzie Jane.

“Good, I saw where they were stashed – and I saw other weapons there, too – one is a whip and I know how to use a whip. That was part of my training, remember?” said Linda.

“Good girl. And there are other guns, too. I will try to get as many of those I can and still fight,” answered Lizzie Jane.

“I am still scared,” said Linda.

“I am, too – scared to death,” answered Lizzie Jane. “But I am thankful that I had a daughter to teach me some things about defending myself that I did not know.”

Linda smiled.

“Now to wait and see what happens,” stated Lizzie Jane.

“Wonder what the men are thinking about?” wonder Ruth aloud.

“I bet they don’t have a clue what do to,” grinned Lizzie Jane.

The females watched as their captors gathered wood for a fire and seemed to go about getting ready for something. As the day progressed toward nightfall, certain individuals seemed to be getting ready for a jungle dance – putting on the most outlandish makeup, which would have been scary enough for Halloween. The women sat, still not very brave in mind, wondering if they were good enough to pull off an escape.

As twilight arrived, fires were lit and preparations were being completed for what appeared to be a feast. There did not seem to be any question as to what or who was going to be roasted over the open fire. From all indications, it appeared to be Jake. He seemed to be the youngest and most athletic of the males, so maybe this was to be a special occasion. Lizzie Jane got the attention of her husband and made an okay sign with her thumb and forefinger. Jake seemed to get the message and appeared to be somewhat relieved, although one could see the worry in his facial features.

As some strong male natives began to untie the grass ropes to open the men’s cage, Lizzie Jane said, “Well, this is it! We either win or lose.”

All the attention being on what was going on, Lizzie Jane and Linda quietly squeezed through a small opening by pushing on the back wall that had been loosed by cutting the ropes holding that part of the cage.

What Lizzie Jane had not expected was the attention caused by retrieving Jake from the cage. She discovered that she could easily slip over to the area containing the weapons, so she grabbed as many as she could carry – including the whip – while Linda kept a careful watch in case Lizzie Jane was seen.

The attention continued to be focused on Jake as the captors drug him to the center of the area of activity. All the natives were viewing what was going on and not watching the female captives. That gave Lizzie Jane the opportunity to slip across the cave opening to the men’s cage and supply them with the weapons. She quickly cut the grass ropes to loose the front side so that the men could easily slide out.

Now to rescue Jake. She slipped Linda’s bow with the quiver of arrows and the spear to her plus the whip. She had no idea the reason for the whip. As both females slid down the embankment, the natives turned and saw what was happening. Linda proved that she was well trained by kicking with her feet and expertly using her hands and arms knocking the natives away as they tried to grab her.

Lizzie Jane was not as efficient, but she got through to Jake, cut his bonds, pushed him away while she began to fight her way through the crowd.

The men on the ledge began to selectively fire their weapons, being sure not to hit Jake or the girls.

Lizzie Jane was caught by a group of the natives, which caused Jake to see an opening and he ran toward the men. As the natives grabbed at Linda, she used her whip to wrap around a limb which she used to swing free similar to the way she would swing through the trees on vines. As she came down next to Lizzie Jane, she knocked the natives down with her feet, causing them turn loose of Lizzie Jane as they fell.

The girls quickly turned around and scampered up a tree and began to swing from limb to limb. The girls' escape was not due to how well they could defend themselves, but being able to swing through the trees.

Lizzie Jane, realizing how guarded the area was, screamed to the men, “Run into the cave and look for an exit!” Ruth heard her cry and also entered the cave, receiving her six-shooter from Josh while both were fleeing.

The two girls swung their way as close to the cave as possible through the trees and quickly leaped to the ledge. Four guards rushed them –- two from each side. The two girls knocked them off the edge without much effort, using the martial arts Linda had learned and taught Lizzie Jane. Lizzie Jane knew that she was not an expert (and neither was Linda, although she knew more), but the fact that such fighting was new to the natives allowed their limited knowledge to be sufficient.

They quickly ran into the cave. The men and Ruth stopped momentarily while the two heroines caught up.

“Now, there has got to be an exit – there just has to be!” exclaimed Lizzie Jane. As they ran to the back, they soon discovered the cave split into two tunnels. “Well, I always want to do the right thing, so let’s go right.”

Hearing the natives running behind them yelling, the group ran as fast as they could through the darkness, hoping not to fall into a crevice or run into a blank wall. Suddenly, the cave seem to lighten up just ahead, so hope began emerge, informing their minds that it was daylight. Suddenly Lizzie Jane, with a breathless voice, said, “It is still dark outside. This can’t be!”

They came to a huge open area in which the walls seem to have some kind of self-illumination. “Must be bioluminescent material, maybe algae,” stated Doctor Ledbetter.

“What is in the world is biolum… watcha may call it?” asked Lizzie Jane.

“It is common in the sea, sometimes in fresh water, but very seldom,” answered Linda. “It is cold light emitted by certain chemical mechanisms.”

“Cold light? Now, I have heard everything,” remarked Ruth.

“You and your education,” smiled Lizzie Jane, “makes the rest of us look stupid.”

“We will have to go around the pit on a ledge. There is one on each side. Which one do you all think look safer?” asked Doctor Ledbetter.

Josh spoke first. “T’aint none of them look safe to me. They are too narrow.”

“Got to take one,” stated Doctor Ledbetter. “I can hear our captors coming behind us.”

“The right,” suggested Lizzie Jane. “Always go and do what is right.”

Trying not to look down to what appeared to be a bottomless pit, the group eased along the ledge. “My knees are shaking,” said Josh. “Don’t know if I can go much further.”

“You have to,” replied Ruth. “I did not marry a wimp! We have been through danger before.”

“Y—y-yeah, but we were younger,” Josh answered with a shaky voice.

“Don’t worry, Josh. I have been scared through this whole ordeal. If I wasn’t sure that my mother was not looking over me from Heaven, I don’t know what I would do,” said Lizzie Jane.

The natives arrived at the pit and suddenly stopped. Evidentially, they were afraid to go any further, either by extreme fear or superstition. That part pleased Lizzie Jane, but she also knew that they had just passed the point of no return.

--To Be Continued

All persons are fictitious and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, except historical figures is coincidental.

Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry

 

 

A Very Exciting Chapter Starla

Now, I wonder who the other Natives are that was speculated about.

May Your Light Forever Shine

A Very Exciting Chapter, Starla

The natives mentioned in this story is just another name for the captors. I did not use native very much because the idea of a jungle native is a black person. (At certain parts of the story, I had to call them something besides the captors.)

However, native does not mean black -- just that the residents live in a part of the world where a certain people and their ancestors orginated -- like the Indians are sometimes called "Native Americans", because they were here before the paleface.

In my mind, these "natives" are not necessarily black -- maybe brown skinned or could be Indians (native Americans).

Love,
Starla

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