{"id":10701,"date":"2022-06-30T04:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/?page_id=10701"},"modified":"2023-06-25T05:58:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T11:58:34","slug":"sas-excerpt-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;text-align: center;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/dot.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Email\",\"Print\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"big\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_twitter_via=\"bxwretlind\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Another%20Excerpt%20from%20Sunshine%20and%20Shadow%3A%20Exodus%2C%20or%20The%20Second%20Transit\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The following excerpt is from <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46gwDA1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit<\/a><em>, which was released on July 12, 2022. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-chapter-two\">CHAPTER TWO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen Lucas, Trisha\u2019s older brother, ran. Behind him were his father Daniel and Ryan\u2019s father Elisha. They crossed the lakebed to the ship\u2014a distance of nearly two miles\u2014in less than twenty minutes, then bounded around the backside a few minutes later. The hole Candice had told them about was another hundred yards from the edge of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But something was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Muddy water, red and frothy, bubbled up from where the hole should have been. It flowed out and covered the surrounding lakebed, then quickly sank back into the soil. It hadn\u2019t rained in over three months, so the idea that any water might be present was unexpected. While Candice had mentioned the water in the bottom of the pit into which the other children fell, her frantic explanation was entirely devoid of specifics and inclined toward exaggeration. Water in a lakebed that hasn\u2019t seen water in years? Monsters with tentacles that looked like tree branches? It was too fantastical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is that?\u201d Daniel asked when he caught up to Owen, his chest heaving with the effort of the run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDid you bring the rope?\u201d Owen asked his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cElisha has it. You\u2019re not going to go in there, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf that\u2019s where they are, then yes. I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elisha came to a stop next to them, the rope in hand. He wasted no time. \u201cI\u2019ll tie off to Daniel,\u201d he said. \u201cOwen, take the other end and wrap it around you. Make sure it\u2019s tight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen did as instructed, and in less than a minute from arriving at the destination, Daniel and Elisha were anchored to the lakebed while Owen approached the hole and the bubbling water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBe careful, son,\u201d Daniel said. \u201cIf you have trouble, pull on the rope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen nodded and stepped to the edge of the water. It was cold against his ankles and feet. The animal-hide moccasins he wore soaked up the water and made a mockery of protection. He quickly took them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen watched the water as it bubbled up, then splashed on the lakebed floor. The dirt around the hole soaked the water up like a sponge, however, impossibly remaining dry. The history of the settlement included stories of the rain the elders had witnessed during their first year after Transit, but since then, rain came only in spurts, once or twice a month, maybe. Water was plentiful from wells and lakes near the settlement, but to this date, forty years since the settlers arrived, there had been no mention of any in or under the lakebed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was something new and horrific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a deep breath, Owen jumped into the hole, feet first. He knew this hole from his adventures years ago when he was Ryan\u2019s age. Most of the kids knew it, despite parental warnings to never go in the holes. It was a rite of passage, something a kid had to do to prove they could face any trial or tribulation in the future. Of course, that was just an excuse the older kids told the younger ones to get them into the holes with the devious intention of scaring them. Never had anyone who ventured deep down found anything remotely like whatever Candice blathered on about. They were just empty caves, full of rocks and dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now one of them was filled with cold, muddy water and Owen\u2019s sister Trish, brother Killian and Ryan Page were deep in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen couldn\u2019t see anything when he opened his eyes underwater. Whatever silt or mud that was in the water stung, and he reflexively closed them again. Even though he knew this particular hole and approximately where Candice was when the others fell in the pit, he was in no position to find it. With a frustrated grunt, he pulled on the rope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In seconds, Owen was out of the water. As he rolled over on the lakebed and took a deep breath of air, his father and Elisha rushed up to drag him from the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCan\u2019t see anything down there,\u201d Owen said. He let out a frustrated grunt and brushed his long black hair back from his face with a muddy hand. \u201cIt\u2019s all mud. Need a mask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey\u2019re rotted. You think a dive light will work?\u201d Daniel asked. \u201cThere are some still left on the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elisha shook his head. \u201cWhatever lights were left on the ship are rotted, too. The batteries were leaking the last time anyone took inventory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen looked at the hole. The bubbling water seemed more forceful than it was before. Shadows from clouds overhead darkened as the sun set. Candice broke the news over an hour ago. There was no way anyone was still alive down there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel said as much. \u201cThey\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen stood, brushed the mud and water from his pants, and picked up his moccasins. The weight of losing both his sister Trisha and brother Killian as well as Ryan pressed down on him. He fell to his knees, his eyes locked on the hole and the newest grave. The settlement had its share of tragic deaths over the years, and each one was painful to the community. But this was different. This really hit home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel knelt beside Owen and put his arm around his son. They both stared at the hole as Owen tied his moccasins back on. Elisha walked to the edge and screamed his angst. Owen knew Candice was not the cause of this tragedy, and yet as the only one who survived, she would take all the punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elisha rolled up the rope and threw it to the side. Owen followed the man\u2019s gaze toward the rest of the lakebed, its dryness in contrast to the water bubbling in the hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bundled rope splashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen looked down. The water was no longer being absorbed into the lakebed. It pooled around both his and his father\u2019s knees and under Elisha\u2019s feet. From the hole, the sound of rushing water increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDad?\u201d Owen said, stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel squeezed Owen\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, Dad. Look down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel looked at the ground, then stood quickly. What had been a dry lakebed for all of Owen\u2019s life\u2014and, as far as he knew, since the elders first arrived\u2014now showed signs of retaining water. It never did that even when it rained; all water had been mysteriously absorbed the second it hit the soil. It was why the elders called this dry lake the Barren Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As they all stared at the ground, more pools appeared. Owen stood with his father and looked around. Everywhere there were signs of water, not like the mirages they saw on hot days. If the clouds were not so ominously dark, the lakebed might reflect the sky and look like a real lake, not a hardpan plain of cracked dirt dotted with holes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The holes. Owen looked around. There were hundreds of holes on the lakebed, although most were too small for anyone to enter. All of them, it appeared, seemed to have water bubbling forth from them like muddy fountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have to go,\u201d Elisha said. He ran over to where he threw the rope and picked it up. \u201cNo telling what\u2019s under our feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As if in answer, Elisha\u2019s foot sank into the ground up to his knee. He screamed. Daniel and Owen both rushed to help pull him out. They splashed through the cold puddles and grabbed Elisha\u2019s shoulders. With a grunt and a low sucking sound, they pulled him free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHurt?\u201d Daniel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elisha nodded. \u201cKnee is killing me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRun, Owen,\u201d Daniel said. He pushed his son toward the lakeshore and the settlement beyond. \u201cTell the Council. We\u2019ll be right behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen ran, his wet moccasins less a hindrance than he thought they would be. The animal skin tightened around his feet and made his steps sure. He bounded between puddles as much as he could and then found true dry ground as he approached the side of the ship, its enormous hull casting a much darker shadow than the clouds did. It looked as if the ground was still dry the closer he got to the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He glanced behind him. His father supported Elisha as they splashed through puddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From above, the sky opened up and rain fell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\">\u2014<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen was met at the eastern gate to the City of Nod by his mother, Elizabeth, and about ten other adults. Elizabeth\u2019s face was a mask of dread. \u201cThey\u2019re gone, aren\u2019t they?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen rested his hands on his knees and nodded as Elizabeth wailed. He wanted to comfort her, to explain there was nothing he could do, but he would leave that to the surrounding women who swarmed in with their embraces. His father would be back soon, as well. For now, he had a warning to impart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He looked up at the men standing in the crowd. \u201cWhere\u2019s Brother Leo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the Council Chambers,\u201d someone said. \u201cTalking to Candice\u2019s parents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Council Chambers were in the middle of the settlement, its door equidistant from all four gates built in the wooden and metal wall that protected the settlement from whatever lay outside. Not that there were many threats, but as the elders claimed they were unsure of what else occupied this new world, they spent the first year constructing as much of a barrier as they could. According to legend, the ship had been uninhabitable and as they all feared the possibility of the unknown, they quickly constructed a wall around their encampment to house the original 241 colonists. Thirty-nine years after they had erected the last of it, it was apparent there was no need. Still the wall remained, if not a physical protection then a psychological one. There were now over seven hundred people living within the walls, and another hundred who had built small houses next to farm fields outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wall and the first building completed was a mix of metal scavenged from the ship and wood cut from trees in Brewer\u2019s Forest to the west. It was massive, originally built to protect most of the weaker colonists from the elements. Over time, as the elements became less of a threat, the elders had moved out and built their own homes. That original structure had now become a Council Chamber, a central meeting place and the residence of both the aldermen and the leader of the City of Nod, Brother Leo Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen banged on the door to the Council Chamber and waited for someone to open it. His frantic run from the lakebed to the gate to the chamber while wearing muddy clothes had brought attention. Adults and children alike lined the streets outside their homes, watching a fifteen-year-old boy seem to lose control. In the time after the First Transit, hundreds of tragedies had occurred, but the enormity of loss had never lessened. Everyone hurt, perhaps not as much as the immediate family\u2014the parents of a child who had died from whatever lung disease infiltrated the settlement one year, the husband who had lost his wife when she went on a hunt, or the fianc\u00e9es who had lost their would-be spouses to unknown animals on a scouting trips. Tragedy was the glue that held the community together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The door opened. Brother Leo, the leader since Elder Jackson Liao died in Year 32, wiped his face with a massive hand and stepped aside to let Owen in. He was imposing, his olive skin like a shadow in the dim light inside. Owen knew Leo he was only thirty-seven but he looked so much older up close, especially with the deep lines around his brown eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDid you find them?\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first room by the door, Richard and Elenore Victor held each other, their faces wet with tears. Their daughter, Candice, was the only survivor, but they grieved for everyone else. Candice was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen shook his head. \u201cNo, and there\u2019s another problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s water bubbling up from all the holes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWater?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMuddy water. Candice was right when she said the pit filled. It was more than the pit, though. It was the whole lakebed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat about Ryan? Or Trisha or Killian?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen swallowed. \u201cNo sign of them, but the water made it impossible to go into the hole. There\u2019s more, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo held up his hand to silence Owen, then motioned him to follow. He stopped in front of Richard and Elenore, said something to them that Owen didn\u2019t hear, and continued down a hallway. As Candice\u2019s parents left the Council Chamber, Owen followed Brother Leo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the hall, past ten different rooms, Leo stopped and knocked once on a closed door before opening it. Owen was directed inside to a large table surrounded by five other men and women, the aldermen of the City of Nod. Evidently, this was where Richard and Elenore were questioned about Candice, or more likely, questioned about why they let Candice go into the holes. Owen had never been in this room, as his labor status in the community was still unknown, but he had heard plenty of rumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The five aldermen looked at Owen with accusatory eyes. He wasn\u2019t at fault in any of this, but perhaps their old age or the stress of leadership had formed lines on their faces in such a way that they always looked angry. The oldest alderman, Elder Gordon Bryant, sat at the head of the table. He was the only member of the Council who had been a part of the Transit. Pushing eighty, the man\u2019s face was etched with years of tribulation and tragedy. Next to him sat Brother Moses Proby, slightly older than Leo, and considered the brains of Nod. He was busy scribbling feverishly in what looked like a journal. The three other aldermen were all Leo\u2019s age, but known only to Owen by name: Brother Henry Morris, and Sisters Alexis Miller-Beck and Esther Gadfrey. It was not surprising that Owen didn\u2019t know anyone on the Council that well. When a person was selected as an alderman, they were sequestered inside the chambers for most of their lives, forbidden from having any more contact than needed to perform their duties. Only one in the room had offspring, and that was Brother Leo, himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were only two seats open, and Leo directed Owen to the one in the middle, the one set slightly back from the rest of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTell them what you told me,\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen flushed in the brightness of the darkened stares from everyone around the table. \u201cUm, there was water coming out of the hole my brother and sister went in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWater?\u201d Gordon scoffed. \u201cThere\u2019s never been water in the Barren Sea since the day we got here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, sir. I know that. But that\u2019s what was bubbling out of the holes and why I\u2019m wet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esther looked up. \u201cFirst off, we are deeply sorry for your loss.\u201d Esther looked at Gordon. \u201cSome of us are not refined enough to have manners. Second, you said water was bubbling out of the <em>holes<\/em>? I thought they went into only one hole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, ma\u2019am. Holes. By the time I left to come back here, all the holes on the lakebed had water coming out. At least the ones I could see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHenry?\u201d Leo looked at the man next to him. \u201cYou said something about the water level last week. Is there a connection?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Henry folded his hands in front of him. Thin, with only a wisp of gray hair left on his head, the man looked much older than he was. Born in the second year after Transit, his father and mother were both engineers who taught him everything they knew about setting up windmills and water systems. He was the reason the City of Nod had fresh water daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe water level in the wells has been rising over the past year,\u201d Henry said. \u201cThe windmills don\u2019t need to work as hard to bring it to the surface. We think the increase might have to do with the theoretical shift in seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s a crock of shit.\u201d Gordon spat. \u201cThe science behind that has never been proven, and whatever insight Eldress Donna could have given us went with her to the grave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou never liked her, did you?\u201d Alexis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy like or dislike has nothing to do with an unproven climatological farce perpetrated to sow fear into the original colonists so we would move further away from the shore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re two miles away, Gordon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esther seemed to stifle a smirk. \u201cSo the Shift is political.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is what it is,\u201d Gordon waved his hand dismissively. \u201cThe readings Eldress Donna took when we first arrived were suspect. How could they not be suspect when the instruments we brought along were outdated and required solar power to operate? If you recall your history, Sister Alexis, we saw little of the sun for almost two years, and when it came out, the batteries didn\u2019t have time to charge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI recall. I also recall that when the sun <em>stayed<\/em> out, the instruments worked flawlessly over the next twenty years and provided enough signs that when combined with stratified changes in the rock found along Helen\u2019s Esker proved there was a potential decadal shift in the weather patterns that might bring rain instead of dust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat you found in that hill <em>proved<\/em> nothing. Have you seen this shift?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not here yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd it <em>will<\/em> never be here. Donna claimed it would be decadal, but after forty years, there hasn\u2019t been so much as a hint of change. It\u2019s as dry as it has been and will continue to be. We get what? Eight to ten inches of rain a year?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat has been decreasing, too,\u201d Henry said. \u201cBut the water level in the wells has been rising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGreat. More water for us. It\u2019ll feed the farms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not that simple,\u201d Esther said. \u201cIf the water levels are rising, and if this boy is correct, then we could be witnessing the very beginning of the Shift. It\u2019s been cloudy on and off for a full cycle of the Short Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd very little rain!\u201d Gordon sat back in his chair and folded his arms. His bushy eyebrows covered intense green eyes that gleamed with contempt for the others. \u201cYou can call that a month, you know. You don\u2019t have to keep using \u2018cycle of the Short Moon.\u2019 We may be old, but we\u2019re not slow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sister Esther ignored the comment and turned to Owen. \u201cWhat did the water look like?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMuddy, ma\u2019am,\u201d Owen said. \u201cAnd cold. At first when it hit the soil it was absorbed, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLike the rain?\u201d Alexis asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, ma\u2019am. Like the rain. But that didn\u2019t last long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt puddled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPuddled?\u201d Esther\u2019s eyebrows rose. \u201cIt\u2019s never puddled before, even during massive downpours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, ma\u2019am. I\u2019ve never seen it act this way before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The room was silent for a moment. Brother Moses wrote more in his notepad, something of which Owen was envious. Paper was in limited supply and made by only by a few. It was reserved for the powerful, the teachers, and the scribes. No one else seemed to have any, and as a result, very few children ever learned to write beyond that which was required for school unless they were moved into a special class. While children could read, the amount of material was limited to some encyclopedias, whatever else the elders brought with them, and the few documents the scribes had produced over the years. Most of those were boring genealogies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow old are you, kid?\u201d Gordon asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFifteen, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTishbe or Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTishbe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat would make you&#8230;nineteen on Earth. Right? Do you know what a nineteen-year-old on Earth should be doing with his life right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCollege. Maybe having sex with another nineteen-year-old. Working at a fast-food restaurant and playing video games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFast food, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gordon waved his hand. \u201cSchool teachers tell you nothing. All revisionist history, if you ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo, who had remained silent, cleared his throat. \u201cIs there anything else you can tell us about what you saw?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen shook his head. \u201cNo, sir. Only water from the holes and puddles on the lakebed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNothing like what Candice said she saw?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, sir. I was only in the water for a few seconds. I couldn\u2019t see anything because it was muddy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leo nodded. \u201cThank you. You can go now. You\u2019ve been a great help. Now, go see to your mother and father. They need you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, sir.\u201d Owen stood to leave, then stopped. \u201cAldermen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIs the Barren Sea going to fill?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Henry looked around at the others, then said, \u201cWe don\u2019t know. The theory of the Shift is that after a rainy period, there is a dry one. The elders believed they may have arrived at the beginning of this time. It stopped raining so much after the first year. During the dry period, the water is diverted away from the lakebed to some unknown part of the planet. Donna, the original meteorologist on board the Circle of Light ship during the Transit, thought there might be a cyclical pattern between the two periods, lasting a decade or more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhich,\u201d Gordon interrupted, \u201cas you can see, was a lie. This dry period is eternal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s raining now, sir,\u201d Owen said, not so much in argument than in observation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Henry bowed his head and intertwined his fingers on the table. \u201cWe don\u2019t know what we don\u2019t know, son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/short-stories-excerpts-and-other-things\/\">Read more Short Stories, Excerpts and Poems<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All text copyright 2022, Benjamin X. Wretlind<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46gwDA1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20674\" width=\"400\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg 800w, https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad-768x595.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;text-align: center;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/dot.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Email\",\"Print\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"big\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_twitter_via=\"bxwretlind\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Another%20Excerpt%20from%20Sunshine%20and%20Shadow%3A%20Exodus%2C%20or%20The%20Second%20Transit\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following excerpt is from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit, which was released on July 12, 2022. CHAPTER TWO Owen Lucas, Trisha\u2019s older brother, ran. Behind him were his father Daniel and Ryan\u2019s father Elisha. They crossed the lakebed to the ship\u2014a distance of nearly two miles\u2014in less than twenty minutes, then&hellip; <br \/> <a class=\"button small blue\" href=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-with-right-sidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10701","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6.1 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit - Benjamin X. Wretlind<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following excerpt is from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit, which was released on July 12, 2022. CHAPTER TWO Owen Lucas, Trisha\u2019s older brother, ran. Behind him were his father Daniel and Ryan\u2019s father Elisha. They crossed the lakebed to the ship\u2014a distance of nearly two miles\u2014in less than twenty minutes, then&hellip; Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Benjamin X. Wretlind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-25T11:58:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit - Benjamin X. Wretlind\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/SAS_ad.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-30T10:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-25T11:58:34+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/SAS_ad.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/SAS_ad.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":620},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/sas-excerpt-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Benjamin X. Wretlind\",\"description\":\"Creator of Things\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/00b22fcb0d2170803400ba3ea89fb516\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/00b22fcb0d2170803400ba3ea89fb516\",\"name\":\"Benjamin X. Wretlind\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png\",\"width\":402,\"height\":409,\"caption\":\"Benjamin X. Wretlind\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bxwretlind.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png\"},\"description\":\"Benjamin ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes. Follow him at https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bxwretlind.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.bxwretlind.com\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit - Benjamin X. Wretlind","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit","og_description":"The following excerpt is from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit, which was released on July 12, 2022. CHAPTER TWO Owen Lucas, Trisha\u2019s older brother, ran. Behind him were his father Daniel and Ryan\u2019s father Elisha. They crossed the lakebed to the ship\u2014a distance of nearly two miles\u2014in less than twenty minutes, then&hellip; Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/","og_site_name":"Benjamin X. Wretlind","article_modified_time":"2023-06-25T11:58:34+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"17 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/","url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/","name":"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit - Benjamin X. Wretlind","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg","datePublished":"2022-06-30T10:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-25T11:58:34+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SAS_ad.jpg","width":800,"height":620},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/sas-excerpt-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Another Excerpt from Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/","name":"Benjamin X. Wretlind","description":"Creator of Things","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/00b22fcb0d2170803400ba3ea89fb516"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/00b22fcb0d2170803400ba3ea89fb516","name":"Benjamin X. Wretlind","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png","url":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png","width":402,"height":409,"caption":"Benjamin X. Wretlind"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cropped-cropped-bx_logo2_trans-1.png"},"description":"Benjamin ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes. Follow him at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bxwretlind.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.bxwretlind.com\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10701"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24759,"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10701\/revisions\/24759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bxwretlind.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}