Totemic Haven 2: WildChild

Totemic Haven

2 –WildChild

By K.R.Columbus

Copyright 2011 K.R.Columbus

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

-This is a young adult/children book that contains homosexual characters, but it can be enjoyed by everyone without care about sexual orientation. It doesn't contain sexual content or language. Only that some of the characters will be male and like each other, or have a sentimental relationship and so portraying it in a good light.-

Take your first steps towards a world without any prejudice and thank you for your time.

K.R.Columbus

Antiquarian Age Books

By K.R.Columbus

(Release dates and titles can change at any time…)

………….

(G) - Contains Gay Characters

(S) - Contains Strong Sexual Content

(M) - Contains Medium Sexual Content

(L) - Contains Light Sexual Content

(D) - Contains Disturbing Situations

(Ω) - Contains Speculative Religious Themes

-We Shall be as Gods Series- (L) - (D) - (G) - (Ω)

1st Testament - Vestigial Dream

2nd Testament - The Weaver and the Herder

3rd Testament - Shadows of Me

4th Testament - Children of Exile

5th Testament - Beyond Destiny (2012)

-Sodom’s X Duology- (M) - (D) - (Ω) - (G)

A Song for the End

The World Ends for You

Complete Duology Set (Also Available)

-Hyper Speed Inertia Series- (D) - (G)

-Yamato Trilogy-

Battle-Submarine Yamato

The Fires of Kawaita (2013)

-MAGNA MAQUINA Series- (G)

The Mall

The Greatest Machine of All

Simulation Earth (2013)

-YAKUZA RONDO Series- (M) - (D) - (G)

KUMA/GORO

-NOVELS- (Not part of a Series)

-Hall of the Mountain King- (S) - (G)

-StrayLand- (M) (2013)

-Atollon- (D) (2013)

-The Last Southern Mountain- (G) (2013)

-Young Adult Fiction-

-The Columns of the Universe Trilogy-

The Crown of Orion (2013)

-The Treasures of Shamarkand Series- (G)

Wanderers to Shamarkand

Daughter of the Gods

Carnival of Shadows

The Mechanical Labyrinth

The Mirror Tower (2012)

-Totemic Haven Series- (G)

Totemic Haven

WildChild

Father Sun, Mother Moon (2013)

-Young Adult Fiction- (Not part of a Series)

-Dirty Paws- (Winter 2012)

By K.R.Columbus

-This novel is based on mythological tales from many native American tribes, no disrespect is meant to any of the native Americans tribes or their lore…this book is intended as a love letter to native American mythology and culture.-

K.R.Columbus

-Hearts thumping wild like drums and the wings of humming birds, endless, run, run into the gleam of days. Past forest and into dark caverns that hide paths into deep places, hidden places where life can be sung with the sound of flutes and wooden instruments closer to the sounds of nature than those of the song of birds. Hear me echo, endless shriek of the spider in the cave, ode to dark and chase of hunting drums alive in unison scheme. Look for me beyond the shadow of my steps, ever ahead of the hands of time, trying to find truth where things had been forgotten and never seen. Covered, cover of stone and earth, echo, echo of paws in the dark. Echo, echo the sound of dreams. Yet the horse keeps galloping and the spider weaving its net of time and destiny. Life goes on and we’ve to face reality for what it is, even if we remember in pure sweet abandon shadows of what once had been.-

Chapter 1

-Dreams and Reality-

The temperature dropped almost suddenly as night fell over the forest and those endless hills. No matter how much he looked at that landscape it was like he had never seen it before in his life, it was a wild land, it was the feeling of being lost and with no way of going back home. In the distance he heard a wolf. He was sure that he had heard that wolf before and that its call, its howl was herald to the fact that it was following him. Still, he wasn’t worried about the wolf. All he cared about was the cold and the fact that he couldn’t feel it. At once he knew that was wrong, the feeling was wrong.

Where am I? He looked around, he was completely surrounded by tall trees and beyond those trees he could see white peaked mountains.

The path he was walking was almost muddy, still, fallen foliage kept it from being so, yet his steps could feel slippery against the damp soil. It was almost as if it had rained that day. It had been a hot humid day, he was aware of that at least. Because the sudden change in atmosphere and temperature almost shocked him with its suddenness.

Thomas! He heard a voice echo in the distance coming from the horizon.

Is that my name? He wondered as he held a single hand to his head as sharp pain danced within him.

In that moment he heard laughter in the distance. He tried to find the proper direction from where that laughter was coming from but he couldn’t, it was like it was coming from everywhere and everywhere was even inside of him like a lingering echo. Scared of the night Thomas ran deep into the forest, he ran into its depths keeping his eyes glued to the distant mountains. Under the trees the world felt carpeted with fallen leaves and lingering cold, to the point that it felt unreal, like a play set, like some sort of artificial playground that was meant for him alone and no one else. But that there was wrong and he knew it, there was something wrong with that place.

I’ve been here before. Thomas thought remembering where he had seen that place before.

It all came suddenly as he reached a tunnel of trees, under his naked feet the soil felt moist and cold, but somehow it wasn’t uncomfortable. He looked at himself and noticed that he was naked, he had been the whole. He knew then that he had been in that forest before, in that wild place. He had spent many days with his uncle in his log cabin.

Before going to Camp Haven for the first time his parents had allowed him to go with his uncle each summer. Most of what he knows about the wild he learned then, because his uncle was and still is one of the wisest persons he knows concerning survival. He still remembers his mother telling him that her brother was almost a full native. Thomas’ great grandmother had been Native American and she passed most of her knowledge to her grandchildren, well, mostly to Tadeous.

Uncle Tade loves hunting, swimming, hiking, gathering, in truth as I remember it he has natural alternatives for almost everything and that was good.

Uncle Tade!!! Thomas called, his voice turning into a scream.

No one answered. There was no one in that place. It was just him, the whispers, the laughter and the wild. How could that be?

Why? Why? Did we stop visiting uncle? Thomas touched his head trying to remember and all he could see was the sad, hairy plump face of his uncle.

Thomas! Come to play, Thomas hurry up! There it was again, that voice.

Who are you? Thomas called scared of the answer.

Thomas, come swim with me! Thomas I'm waiting! The voice called back.

The first thing that came to his mind was that the voice was that of a child, a very young child and that it somehow sounded like him, only that very young. Then he wondered if that had been him when he was younger, maybe calling his uncle to swim in the pond. It happened many times.

No, can't be… As he realized who the voice belonged to he began to run like mad towards the direction of the voice.

Thomas’ heart skipped whole beats as he felt a bitter sweet touch of nostalgia in his heart and the sudden wish to cry. How could he’ve forgotten something so important? How?

Don’t go! Please wait for me! Thomas yelled as he jumped over logs and stones nearing the place where he knew, the pond was waiting.

No matter how much he tried it was like walking on mud, or being stuck somehow, because no matter what he did, or how long and hard he ran he kept returning to the same spot in the woods. A deep pain was beginning to be held in his chest, such deep nostalgia and longing that it was hurt solidified into feeling. Tears began to corner his eyes as desperation set in, ever lingering and eating at him like some wild beast. Standing still he looked around the dark forest, he could barely see his feet, or the floor. The trees around him were like shadows held in mist and dark. Suddenly all around him from within the trees he saw burning ambers, almost red, sets of eyes that like fire suddenly opened to look at him, to acknowledge his presence in that place. They looked at him and he knew their power, it was intense and full of knowledge, they knew exactly what he was hiding in his heart, they knew very well what had happened and he had no way of hiding it.

He ran full of terror, scared of what those burning eyes knew about him. They were so many and he was only one. He ran and ran until his breath felt like fire, but he knew there was no way out. The trees kept turning on themselves, they kept making him trip. Then he realized that he was in a dream. That was a dream and he knew it all along.

He stopped in the middle of a hollow in the forest; he began to hit his head trying to wake. Up above the stars looked like gigantic flares of burning light

I'm only dreaming! Wake up! Wake up! Wake!!!

Dark furry shadows could be seen playing in the dark beyond, he could see glimpses of them, he could see them surrounding him with low growling sounds. He was very scared and there was nowhere to go. That’s the problem with dreams. In dreams you’re running away from yourself and since you’re inside yourself it’s very hard to run away.

Thomas! He heard that voice again.

No! You can't be here! Thomas screamed back.

Thomas! Hurry up! He heard the voice again as everything began to shake and tremble, even the trees.

No! You’re not real! You’re gone! Thomas shouted and screamed as he fell to the ground.

It was terrible, it was like a gigantic earthquake was making the whole land tremble under its power and there was nothing he could do about it. In that moment he began to scream, but the trembling did no stop. Instead one of the furry shadows came over him; it looked like a gigantic bear creature with burning red eyes.

He screamed as the creature shook him violently.

Thomas? Thomas wake up! We’re going to be late! Alex was next to his bed shaking him awake.

As Thomas opened his eyes he saw Alex over him and he screamed. Alex hushed him with both hands and smiled.

God Thomas I wasn’t trying to kill you. Alex said looking at Thomas look at him a bit confused.

Feeling the calming touch of his friend Thomas calmed down and looked at Alex for a long lingering moment. He remembered that Alex had slept over last night and that they were supposed to go pick Mike, Doug and Josh in a few hours. Yes, today was the day they’d been waiting for most of the year.

I'm sorry, is just that we’re running a little late and your mom called us to eat breakfast almost an hour ago. Imagine, my Dingoo A380 ran out of batteries about five minutes ago. Alex said placing his still charging handheld game on Thomas’ belly.

You could’ve used mine… Thomas said pointing at his Gemei.

Naw, it sucks. Alex giggled as he used the bed for support and stood.

Thomas felt sorry for his friend every time he saw the chub stand or do something that was difficult for him. Alex had him sentenced, telling him that he didn’t want any pity. Alex had been handicapped since he was very young and he has no memory of anything other than being like this. Even in his dreams he’s broken, but he doesn’t let that bother him. Since he moved to New York his life has changed, all thanks to his book career. Totemic Haven was the main