Spirits of the Coastals: Hope Is the Only Folly to Despair

By Evelyn Moores

Spirits of the Coastals is a dystopia novel that takes place in a time when there are few resources, countless diseases, poisonous waters, a deadly, infiltrating sun and a massive upheaval in climate. The story is told through the life experience of a woman who is a member of the Mountain People, one of a few diminutive tribes that gather in a small semi-inhabitable region. It presents binding and oppressive traditions and delicate interactions between Peoples and a harsh environment. The world, as they know it, is amidst the most cataclysmic storm season they can recall. The Mountain People for the most part, have been spared the natural disasters that have befallen their neighbours. However, the storms have served to challenge both the landscape as well as the traditions of the People.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491786048

Evelyn Moores

Evelyn Moores lives in rural Northern Ontario. She has her B.A. B.Ed. and Masters. She has written many short stories, short films and plays, as well as poems and songs. This is Moores’ second novel that adds another chapter to the “Parasites of the Universe” novel.

Book preview

1

"A s children in our learning circles, we had heard that in the time when the Ancients ruled, the earth was unstable. It was a time that was plagued by unpredictable weather, upheavals that caused major calamities and disasters over the entire planet. We were told that Mother Earth was cleaning herself with this activity, because despite how often humans defiled and abused her, she refused to be a dirty whore.

We were told that the earth could only clean herself for so long and eventually, she lost her patience with these Ancients. As a means to stop the abuse she convulsed on the inside and widespread seismic activity reinvented her surface."

Do you think this is why we are having this storm Nokum? Little Mesha inquired still clearly frightened by the deafening howl of the wind and the rain beating down on the dwelling, intermittent with the deafening crashes of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. Do you think the earth is mad at us?

I think she is mad, but I don’t know if she is angry at us, I answered. I’m sure she is not angry with you my angel. Try to sleep.

Mesha was right to be frightened. The Mountain People had never experienced such a storm. We had never had an outburst of such magnitude and length. There had always been a season of storms. We counted on it to replenish the earth and calculate our years. However, the worst storm we had ever witnessed in our village, prior to this, was a few hours of heavy rain combined with excessive winds and some frightening thunder and lightning.

We were accustomed to hearing severe thunder and lightning to the west and north of us. However, that was in the land of the Ancients. A land still affected by the evil behaviours of the People of the past. We treaded in that land rarely and cautiously, under strict regulations. We only entered that volatile territory to salvage supplies from the material wealth that the Ancients had left in abundance. We never stayed there long and we were usually chased back from the salvage expeditions by the black clouds that would form in the sky of that foreign land and frighten us away from their territory. These regions sometimes had mudslides and the weather and climate conditions were far more volatile than in our village.

However, now it seemed we were experiencing a storm like this in the village. It had been over a day and it didn’t seem to be letting up. The wind had blown down some of the dwellings and people were gathered in large numbers in the more secure huts. No one had been able to venture far from the village to assess the damage to the orchard or even to see if there had been any mudslides in our region.

Nanco and I had been left with Iodine, Mesha and Douglas; while Rhondo and Mika were out facing the storm head on, as they and some of the other strong healthy villagers tried to secure the food storage huts and rescue any people whose homes had been demolished. Nanco, Iodine and Douglas were sleeping, but Mesha’s restlessness had awakened me and I tried to comfort her and put her back to sleep. I covered her with another piece of damp salvage cloth to try and warm her. The storm had drenched everything and left us shivering. We huddled together for body heat. I pondered on whether or not I should try to light a reactor metal to warm us, but Mesha had managed to fall back to sleep in my arms, so I decided to drift off myself.

I was an excellent sleeper. I was always thankful for that. I did not sleep perfectly, but I did sleep very regularly and I was generally able to drift off fairly easily in the most inconvenient of circumstances. I felt sorry for those who had difficulty sleeping. Lack of sleep was almost always an attribute of someone’s illness. I wondered if it was contributing to Rhondo’s madness. He had been a good sleeper, when he was younger, but now it seemed he was becoming more dependent on Denu’s elixir.

I’m not suggesting or boasting that I had no bouts of sleep interruption. Sometimes worry would interrupt my sleep as it does with most of us, if not all of us. I had read on one of my word papers that when you wake up early in the morning, before it is really time to get up and you are burdened with worry, self-doubt and regret, that is the time God has come to visit you. I didn’t really understand what that meant, but I did find some solace in the words because I realized I was not the only one that experienced this visit. It was strange because when I woke up too early and felt very anxious and depressed, if I was able to drift back asleep and wake later in the morning, I no longer felt depressed. It was as if that little bit of extra sleep was enough to cleanse me of the worry.

I remember another paper I had read that said:

Sleep that knitteth the ravelled sleeve of care.

I thought of sleep in this way-as a medicine of sorts, except, of course, when I had the dreaded nightmares of Alexandra and the ghouls. However, these nightmares were rare now. Now, most of my dreams of Alexandra were of her and Douglas together on the Mesa in the northwest region of the Mountains. And that is exactly the dream I had as I drifted back to sleep holding little Mesha in the most horrifically frightening storm I had ever experienced.

In the dream, black clouds were moving quickly over the horizon as the gusting wind howled and urged them along. I was standing on the summit, grasping tightly to my clothing and trying to keep my footing as the force of the gale tried to topple me over. In front of me Alexandra and Douglas were standing facing a mountain top with their backs to me. The mountain started to sprout from its base and grow in size. Then it began to morph into an animate conglomerate. It sprouted tentacles that reached down toward us. It formed a large cavity in its centre that started to transmit blood curdling noise-bellowing and howling. As the earth shaking noise escalated I covered my ears from the pain.

As I looked up, I saw Alexandra take Douglas’ hand. He was a boy in a man’s body and she was a woman in a child’s body. Each of them had one of Douglas’ sticks in their free hand. The monstrous beast was angered by this and its raging noises escalated and made the ground tremble. Its tentacles spread out and snapped at the ground, shaking it and leaving behind large craters and indentations.

A radiant glow spread around Alexandra’s golden hair, it covered her entire body and then engulfed Douglas as well. Holding the sticks firmly, they stretched out their arms. Feathers grew from their backs and they sprouted wings. I fell to the ground from the force of the tremors and curled up into a ball. Douglas and Alexandra proceeded to fly around the beast which angered it even more. The sound became so deafening that it shattered everything into tiny little pieces.

I was awakened from my nightmare to find that the noises in this reality were even louder than in the dream. The earth was shaking violently and the unbearable sound seemed to be the mountains grinding and moving from their bases. The dwelling was trembling profusely, but still remained intact. We huddled together closely and prayed, simply because there did not seem to be anything else to do. No talking or action could describe or change what was going on.

Suddenly we heard the men at the door.

Come quickly we are moving to higher ground. screamed Mika barely audible above the ear-splitting sounds of the storm. Rhondo grabbed Iodine and Mika took Mesha. I held on to Douglas and Nanco as we exited the dwelling. The gale was over powering, the rains spit violently in our faces. I could barely see Rhondo or Mika in front of us. Both Nanco and I held tight to Douglas as he seemed to be more sure-footed. Douglas was unusually calm as he walked forward and we were grateful to use him as our anchor. It seems as though my boy in a man’s body had transcended the frightening anarchy that was crashing all about us and was in a place much calmer in his mind.

Rocks, mud and debris seemed to be plowing past us on the west side and the ground behind sounded as though it was cracking and opening up. The direction we were heading didn’t sound any better. The sounds bellowed so loudly, it left our ears blocked. The ground shook so severely that we could barely keep our stride. That, combined with the gusting wind made it almost impossible to move forward.

We kept trudging forward though, albeit very slowly. We climbed a small cliff and entered into the large cavern that had become our latest horticultural centre. We entered the cave where most of the village had already gathered. We huddled together. As the last of the people made their way in the cavern, we clustered collectively and surrendered to prayer.

Eventually, although eventually seemed to take forever, the storm seemed to quiet. It was not so much that it was slowing down or desisting, it just seemed to be moving on. We could still hear it raging but it seemed to be a fair distant from us. It had now downgraded to severe weather. We stayed in the cavern and waited for day to break.

2

On my journey back across the Poison Sea to my Mountain homeland, I was very fortunate I did not get ill from the fumes. Perhaps it was that the toxins were less potent as we move toward the Mountains. Perhaps the gods of the sea were sleeping on our voyage home. Perhaps it was the pre boarding smudge that I performed with the herbs that Zeela had given me that awarded me some extra protection. Perhaps it was a combination of all of these things. Whatever it was I was very grateful. On the trip to the land of the Stalites and the Moraines, the toxins had performed an all-out assault on my body that had almost killed me. I still could recall the pain and lack of control. I felt very fortunate that this was not occurring on the voyage home. I was not taking my good fortune for granted. I was thankful and I couldn’t wait to see my family to share my blessing with them.

The water was very calm and we had to use the oars in the hull to gently move us along. When we reached the shore, Brad, Donny and Rhondo were waiting. There were no elders or Council members. The Mountain People knew the mission had been successful before we reached the shore, so the Council did not need to meet us. They stayed in the village, away from the toxins in the Poison Sea. There was no need for them to come to the shore and risk their own health to talk to the Moraines. Because I was alive and well, I could relay all of the information when I made my way up to the village.

They knew the mission had been successful because the Moraines had put a small piece of bright maroon salvage cloth on the mast. Had the cloth been black, then someone from the Council would have had to come down to discuss what to do next. When I thought about the success of the mission, I was certainly overwhelmed. So many things could have caused the Moraines to put up the black flag. I could have died on the initial journey across. The toxins certainly ravaged my body on that voyage, I was very fortunate to heal. In the land of the Moraines I could have easily met my fate. The Moraines had what we considered, unpredictable tempers. They didn’t converse well and they were much stronger than the Mountain People and the Stalites. Anything I said or did to them could have easily been misinterpreted and I could have suffered the wrath of this misinterpretation. In fact, there had been misinterpretations that had escalated into conflicts. Fortunately, none of these conflicts ended fatally. Last of all, the Stalites might not have considered me suitable and they might have refused to meet with me at all. Fortunately, none of these things occurred. I did not die from the toxins in the Poison Sea, I got along fairly decently with the Moraines and I was able to meet with the Stalites and resolve the conflict.

Now we were landing on the shore of my homeland where Brad, Donny and Rhondo were waiting. As I exited the vessel, Rhondo looked right at me and smiled. It was rare for him to do so. It was just a fleeting state however, and his gaze was quickly off into the distance. I brought him back by inquiring about Mesha and Nanco. He did not answer but shook his head yes and smiled.

You should take your pack load and head up the hill right away Letsi, Donny instructed me as he gave me a hug of greetings. The Council is concerned that you limit your time down at the shore, close to the toxins, as you have been exposed to for so long.

I had to laugh to myself when he said this. If it had just been me and Donny I would have responded, Now the Council is concerned about the lethal doses of toxins I have been exposed too? They weren’t very concerned when they encouraged me to risk my life and go on this venture in the first place. Now they are suggesting that my life is of value?

I just thought this to myself as I trudged up the path away from the Poison Sea and left Donny, Brad and Rhondo to unload the bulk of the trade supplies I was able to secure for our People. These supplies and the resumed trade were considered a success. The success was attributed to my skills as a negotiator so I suppose my status was briefly elevated and in that way, so was my value.

It was debatable as to whether my status would stay elevated once I met with the Council and told them the details of this negotiation. I would soon find out as I would be required to meet with them as soon as possible and tell them all the specifics of my adventure. I would however, be able to delay this meeting for a short period, and so when I reached the village and was greeted by a few leaders and my family, I made delaying the meeting my goal.

It appears your journey has been successful. The Mountain People will benefit from your efforts. Good work child, My father declared as I walked slowly and deliberately toward my dwelling. I did not stop to listen to their accolades, but I slowed my pace enough to show respect.

Thank you Father, I replied. I am looking forward to telling you all the details of the negotiations. Can we arrange a meeting after I have a small meal and rest to settle my stomach? I was very fortunate not to become violently ill on the voyage back, but I do want to take a small rest to insure I do not have a deferred reaction to the poison. The Moraines and the Stalites asserted that this can occur sometimes and they suggested I eat and take a brief rest as soon as I return. Could you schedule the meeting Father?

I will do that indeed, he answered, as if it was his own idea. We will see you in a short while. He bowed his head and walked away.

It still seemed odd the way my father spoke to me in adulthood. It was as if I was from a different tribe or something. He did not ask how I was, nor did he seem interested in my well-being. He did not even acknowledge his own grandchildren, Douglas, Mika and Shenal who were also in the greeting party. Odd, was the only way I could describe it now. I was no longer hurt or angry nor, proud or happy by the way my father addressed us. I had come to realize it was what it was and that was all.

I did not supress my elation to see my children however. As soon as my father finished addressing us, I rushed to give them each a hug.

How have my young men been? I questioned Mika and Douglas. Mika smiled, Douglas looked off in the distance. And how are you Shenal? It looks as if you’ve grown since I’ve been gone these few days.

Come Letsi, Delta, Shenal’s mother commanded. I’ve prepared you a little meal at your dwelling. You need to get some rest.

You have a bossy mother, Shenal, I proclaimed to Shenal. She smiled and took hold of her mother’s hand.

I directed my attention back to Mika, So how are Nanco and little Mesha? I tried to keep my emotions as neutral and unassuming as possible when I said it, because I did not want Mika to absorb any of my anxiety. He was already burdened by far too much worry for a young, barely adolescent youth. Inside I was worried sick about my tiny granddaughter and her tiny mom, but I tried not to pass any of that worry onto Mika. I knew it was safe to inquire by Rhondo’s response at the Poison Sea shore; but I did not know any details.

Since you have been gone, Mesha has continued to eat and sleep regularly. Nanco has been up and about. She looks very skinny, but she gets mad if I say it. The elder women are all pleased with their progress. Ophaela has even allowed Nanco and Mesha out for a walk with me.

When Mika shared this with me, I knew it was a very good sign. Ophaela, Nanco’s mother was very guarded about her daughter and had always been that way. Ophaela had had several miscarriages before Nanco was born and Nanco had not been carried to term either. She always looked as though she was born too soon. Even as a young adolescent she looked like a child of eight or nine. To the adults, Nanco looked very frail.

Her spirit however, was not frail. She had to fight for her life as a baby and as such she was very determined in her mannerism. Mika loved that about her. Everyone had known that she and Mika were good friends, but it had surprised everyone when it turned out that they were more than just friends. They, Nanco especially, seemed too young to be parents. When I returned from my mission across the Poison Sea, their baby, Mesha, was less than two months old and I was anxious to see her. Relieved by Mika that she was doing well, I focused my mind on preparing to meet with the Council.

I am so thankful to hear this Mika. You were all in my prayers while I was gone, I hugged Mika tightly. What I had told him was sort of a lie. I had not prayed much while I was gone. I thought about them, but when I did, it was so painfully distracting I tried to think of something else. I mean, I wished with all my heart that they would be well, but I tried very hard not to focus on thinking about them. I was distracted by my duties among the other People. In this distant place it was easier to distance my thoughts. However, when I did think of home, I did think of Mika and Mesha and I did become very homesick. If there was any consolation to my selfishness, I had traded for medicine, foods and herbs that might help Nanco and the baby.

I have some herbs and medicines from the Stalites and the Moraines that may help their recovery. I will sort through them as soon as I meet with the Council.

Mika smiled and nodded and went off to tend to some work and meet with Nanco. I went to my dwelling with Douglas, Delta and Shenal and we ate a small meal.

Thank you for this Delta.

Would you like to rest now?

I would indeed, but I almost feel like meeting with the council before I rest, just to get it over with. I have so many things to tell them that I had better not take my good health for granted. I will tell you everything as well as soon as I am done with them.

I will take Douglas for you, Delta offered.

You don’t need to. You have done so much already. I think he can manage for himself in here while I rest.

OK. If he follows me when I leave, I will watch out for him. If he doesn’t I shall leave him. What do you think Douglas?

Muaaaaa, Douglas uttered.

I think he said mom, I said excitedly. Douglas you finally said my name. I have waited 14 years to hear that.

It sure sounded like mom, Delta concurred.

Come on young man! Come have a nap with your Mommy.

Douglas and I laid down on the mattress. He was very calm and still. I on the other hand was restless. I knew I should sleep, but my mind was racing. I was a good sleeper; but sleeping requires concentration. My body was willing to focus on the task of sleeping, yet so many thoughts kept going through my head, it was very difficult to concentrate. Douglas’ behaviour assisted me in focusing. He seemed so still and relaxed that it calmed me.

I thought about him as a child. I thought about how he would sit in one spot for a very long time, meticulously arranging his sticks, picking them up, putting them down, scattering them and starting all over again. At the time most people, me included looked on his behaviour as impractical and pointless. We saw no benefit to what he was doing. At the time all I really wished was that he would stop these rituals when he had to relieve himself rather than sit there amidst his urine soaked cloth and continue to move the sticks around. However, now, without the stench of urine or the prospect of washing more salvage cloth, I could remember him and envision him so attentive and dedicated to what he was doing. It calmed me and before I knew it, I dozed off.

I hadn’t slept long though when my nap was interrupted by Rhondo who entered the dwelling carrying a huge load of some of the supplies I had brought back from my voyage to the land of the Stalites and Moraines.

Where do you want to put all of this? he inquired.

Just leave it here until I sift through it, I answered rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stretching. Oh, here, I brought you back some grassbake. Try it!

Grassbake was something that only the Moraines were capable of making. It was rare for Mountain people to have this food. Douglas had never tried it and Rhondo likely had not either. Rhondo and Douglas sat down and I broke the offering into three. The three of us chewed it. It had very little taste but the tactile nature was enticing to our palate. It was the only food source we knew of that would dissolve in your mouth if you didn’t swallow it right away. All the food in the Mountains required arduous rumination. Thus, it was an exotic treat to get some Moraine grassbake.

Both Rhondo and Douglas had a distinctly distant look in their eyes as if they were unaware of what they were doing as they consumed the offering. I felt as though neither of them were even aware of my existence as I sat with them. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to tell Rhondo some of the things I was about to reveal to the Council. I felt since he was the father of my children and I had spent over half of my life living with him, I should respect him enough to let him be the first to know.

The reason the Stalites agreed to resume trade is not because the dispute between them and the Moraines has been completely resolved. The reason trade was resumed was because I agreed to their specific request.

What does that mean? Rhondo questioned.

The Stalites are dying. They have not produced any offspring in many years. Their only concern at this time is to preserve their people. They were not concerned with making peace with the Moraines. They asked only that I carry their seed as an attempt to preserve their people. The resumed trade, the ample supplies that they bestowed upon me, the knowledge of their medicines and their horticultural practices were all because I agreed to attempt to conceive a Stalite child.

Rhondo did not look surprised by what I said. He did not seem hurt, angry, or even besieged by it. It almost seemed as if it didn’t register with him. He had always seemed somewhat indifferent to me or my pursuits, other than in the act of copulation. However, this time he seemed particularly detached considering the extraordinary nature of what I had just shared with him. I may be carrying the baby of another People. I guess I had anticipated more of a reaction. At this moment Douglas got up and headed for the door.

He likely is going to relieve himself. I shall go with him, stated Rhondo.

And that is how are conversation ended. At least that is what I thought.

3

My first reaction to looking out of the Cavern the day after storm reminded me of the day after one of the beatings my father had given me as a child.

Sometimes when my father would punish me or Donny with a beating, he over did it. Of course it is questionable if beating children of any intensity or frequency is admissible; but sometimes it was just unquestionably overdoing it. We were all guilty of punishing our children and doing so harshly, but we tended to defend our action in two main ways. First, we might say we are trying to teach them something that will benefit them well into adulthood. Or, second if we were too harsh we would console ourselves by saying, we were harsh, but not as harsh as some other parents.

Delta was a good example of the second way. Delta had been so severely beaten by her mother that the council stepped in and removed her and her twin brother Chris from their home and gave them new parents. Violet, Delta’s mother, was not well and dying of cancer of the brain. This we knew much later, but in the early stages of her madness all that was clear was that she was very erratic in her behaviour and at times excessively violent toward her children. When she threw a spear that pierced Delta’s leg, leaving Delta maimed for life, the children were taken from her.

As a young mother, Delta never hit her child Shenal. She was committed to never doing what her mother had done to her. However, Delta was particularly harsh verbally toward Shenal and for the most part she was unaware of it. There were many examples of this and they could easily be summed up into one story or a series of similar stories