The noise was deafening. Roars and wooshes of inexplicable sounds.
Chakik didn’t know which way to turn. All around them the people transports were stopping and starting. People filing out to go into the main flat tree, and then returning almost immediately. What could they possibly be doing in there so quickly? He was afraid of the activity but was very curious as well. There must be something very important inside for all the people that stopped to go in and see it.
Maybe it was the oracle? He could not understand it but something inside him made his ears and tail perk up.
“Its nowhere we want to be” grumbled FastPile. Slinking away from the light, the turtle made his way next to a large tree in the surrounding area.
“We don’t know that…” Chakik postulated. “There must be something important there.”
“Use your nose” retorted FastPile.
“I don’t like how it smells. It’s like the place we found before” replied the squirrel.
“Exactly”
More people came in and out while the animals watched on from their spot in the dark next to the trees. Chakik bounded a bit closer, trying to see what they were going into. It was bright and tall. It felt like a safe place, but FastPile was right, the smell of it was not at all pleasant. It was very much like the place they had found shelter in before, but much much busier. There must be something important inside, why else would the people keep going in. Chakik had to find out for himself.
“It might be important. You wait here, I can get in from the top” Chakik looked at FastPile who just stared at him. He knew by now the turtle was wiser than he when it came to dealing with humans, but this place, with its bright lights and many people fascinated him.
“I’ll be here.”
Chakik cautiously left the safetly of the shade of the tree and scampered to the darkest side of the place.
He found a metal spout to climb up and made his way quickly to the roof. Keeping himself low, he clambered over to the bright edge of the place, where the people were coming and going. When the flow of people stopped he lept to the ground below and made his way inside.
It was bright, and wet. The floor was wet and slippery as were the walls. If he needed to climb to escape, he knew he could not.
He quickly darted further in and went under one of the walls that was floating a few inches from the floor. There was a giant white shrine above him which smelled of water and people. He sniffed at its base, and immediately regretted it. The bad smell seemed to emanate from there. Recoiling back, he decided to see what was in this shrine, and lept to its edge.
His claws and toes slid across the thin rim and he faced a small pool of water inside. Instinctively his tail flew out behind him, balancing him on the slippery rim of this strange thing. Regaining his composure he surveyed his surroundings. There were dark walls on all sides of the shrine he was perched on. There was a pool of discolored water in the center of the oval. Chakik was confused. Why would the people want to visit a place with dirty water?
Just as he was about to taste the water, one of the walls crashed in on him, with a surprised human right behind it. The man yelled as Chakik lept under the floating wall and rushed for the exit. His claws slipped as he scrambled toward the darkness of outside. He forgot about his curiosity for the place and just wanted to be gone from it. The man’s voice trailed off as Chakik jetted outside, finding traction on the rougher surface in the dark. He flew to the closest tree and ran up its trunk. Out of breath he finally stopped on its tallest branch, swaying with that familiar feeling. When his breath finally slowed and matched the rhythm of the wind blowing the tree, he was able to look around. From far away on the ground he heard the unmistakable guttural laugh of his turtle friend.
Chakik sat, perched high in the tree above the rest area for a long time. The people and their shiny loud machines kept coming and going. All the while he was too aware of FastPile’s quiet laugh, which now was just a giggle, if turtles can giggle. The squirrel ran down the tree, keeping himself on the far side, and then leapt across the damp grass to the shadows where FastPile was still waiting.
“I told you it was not a place for us.” There was nothing in the turtles voice but sympathy. Chakik knew FastPile was right again, as always, but he also knew he had to see it for himself.
“You were right.” he quickly answered, hoping to placate the wise turtle.
“I only share what I know. This place is not for us. No place with this many people is.”
Thinking quickly Chakik offered “There is water inside.” But the turtle knew.
“We cannot drink this water. Come little one, we must continue.” FastPile turned away from the light of the building and began his slow but purposeful walk into the darkness. Chakik lingered a bit, watching as another noisy and bright group of people arrived. He briefly thought about following them inside, “Maybe if I go in with them they won’t be so surprised and will show us something.”
He glanced away from the noise and lights and saw the sturdy shell of his friend disappear into the darkness. With one last wistful glance, he bounded away towards the turtle.
“How do you know so much” Chakik asked as he easily caught up with FastPile. The turtle angled his head slightly and simply grumbled, “Too many of them, its never good for us.”
In his heart, Chakik still wanted to be friends with the humans, but their continued experiences showed the wisdom of FastPile’s words. They walked on, away from the noise, in silence for some time. While he wanted to go faster as always, Chakik slowed his pace to match. Walking. It was not the way a squirrel is supposed to travel, but he knew he could not make it without the turtle.
Soon the loud roars and bright lights were behind them. They pushed through tall grass and weeds until they found a deer trail. FastPile always knew where to find trails. Chakik was still impressed by this, for the squirrel, the trees above were the fastest and best route, and as they slowly plodded along, he couldn’t help but map out the routes he would be taking in the trees. Sometimes he would run ahead, and climb, just to feel his claws dig into the bark of the trees. FastPile kept his pace and would catch up, or turn off the route Chakik had predicted, but a few branch scrambles and leaps between trees would put the squirrel back on track.
“How can you be so sure where we are going.” Chakik asked too many times.
Always the turtle would reply, “We are going where we are going, right now we are here, and soon we will be there. It is always where we are supposed to be.”
Chakik enjoyed asking, because the reply made no sense to him, and yet FastPile always answered the same, so there must be some knowledge in his words. The little squirrel could not yet see the wisdom, but he sensed it presence.