A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME Book One: The Journey Begins

By C. J Hannum

Cavewoman Cora must choose between marrying the Chief's son or being banished to the dark forest. The dark forest was said to be untouched by humans and home to a monstrous creature. In the foreboding forest, Cora meets and befriends an otherworldly being, learning things she could never imagine. Together with the help of the creature, Cora sets

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leap Write Literary
• Release date: Apr 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798893760248

C. J Hannum

C.J Hannum is excited to re-release Book One: The Journey Begins, as told like never before. With the publication of three books in the A Journey Through Time trilogy, along with the first book in her brand-new adult series titled: Outworlder, C.J continues to write.

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. 

Printed in the United States of America.

Leap Write Literary

137 Forest Park Lane Thomasville

North Carolina 27360 USA

ISBN:

Paperback: 979-8-89376-023-1

Ebook: 979-8-89376-024-8

For the Dreamers and Believers.

For those who need hope in their lives.

"Who’d have thought, I could feel this way,

With such loneliness within my soul,

This empty space I cannot escape,

This cave feels more like a grave,

Can’t you see, I’m not me,

Unless you’re there by my side,

My life changed, when you entered,

Into my life, and into my heart,

Through it all, through it all,

I promise you, I don’t fear your face in the very least,

For once in my life, I felt welcomed,

Not seen as some monstrous figure,

For once this planet feels like my home world,

It’s all thanks to you,

No one can stop us, or keep us apart,

For your heart is connected to mine,

Over the ocean, through the forest,

I will find you (I will find you)

No matter what the obstacle,

(No matter the Obstacle)

Through it all, through it all,

I promise you, I will always be near,

Through it all, through it all,

I promise you, I won’t leave you,

For once in my life, I feel longed for,

Through it all, through it all,

I’ll be with you, forever ever and ever."

Contents

Part One: The Primal World

Chapter I: The Ways of The Tribe

Chapter II: Stamped 

Chapter III: The Verdict 

Chapter: IV: Banishment 

Chapter V: The Cave 

Chapter VI: The Creature 

Part Two: The Dark Forest

Chapter VII: To Trust Again 

Chapter VIII: Looking For the Way Out 

Chapter IX: Behind The Mask 

Chapter X: Prehistoria 

Chapter XI: Confessions 

Chapter XII: Seeing Things Clearly 

Chapter XIII: Back at the Tribe 

Chapter XIV: Reminiscing on the Past 

Chapter XV: Close Call 

Chapter XVI: Leaving 

Part Three: Two Against the World

Chapter XVII: Captured 

Chapter XVIII: Danger All Around 

Chapter XIX: The Couple 

Chapter XX: Tim’s Scheme 

Chapter XXI: Surprise 

Chapter XXII: Monster Unleashed 

Chapter XXIII: The Choice 

Chapter XXIV: Through It All 

Part One:

The Primal World

CHAPTER: I

The Ways of The Tribe

Amonumental mountain stood on the horizon, separating two stretches of land. Below the rocky terrain, a lone tribe sat along a meadowed area. The clan had rules everyone was expected to follow. Born a boy, they’d be shown to hunt, fish, carve, and craft their weapons. Learn the layout of the land, how to read the stars, the direction of the sun and moon, judge where they were by how both rose and fell. At a certain age, the boy would be considered a man and take a wife, being told to have many children to carrying on his lineage. He’d be respected, heard, seen, acknowledged as a vital member and warrior of the tribe.

Birthed a girl and the options were few and far between. Young girls were told never leave the clan for fear of being killed, kidnapped, and the horrors of being a single woman in the world went on. Unfortunately, life wasn’t any better in the tribe. Girls and women alike were forced to be silent, obedient, and never step out of line, to be grateful and never ask for anything.

The growing girls were taught to sew, cook, tend a home and help with task around the tribe, or look after the children. Once they reached a mature age, when they were fertile, they’d be married off and expected to have as many children as they could in their usually short life span. Most woman never lived beyond twenty, dying during child birth, or illness, weakened by intense labor. Dath was a fate none could escape.

The roles of the boy and girl were never called in to question, most, if not all went along, thinking there was truly no other way. That was until a couple from another tribe joined, crossing the mountain and deciding to settle down from their nomadic lifestyle. Most of the clan were intrigued by the pair, eager to see the couple who wore different furs and had a different complexion than the Caucasian people of the tribe. Corinna, the woman, was tan, with dark brown hair and eyes, having a beauty mark under her left lower lip. Her husband Cornelius had an Australian accent, with dark black hair and sky-blue, standing out against his dark red-ish skin. The people of the tribe were excited to hear about the couple’s adventure and knowledge of life on the far side of the mountain. However, there was one who was anything but pleased to see them.

The individual was the chief of the clan, Chief, who didn’t like the new ideas they put into the tribe member’s heads. Why, Corinna couldn’t cook nearly as well as Cornelius, which was unheard of. Yet, when it came to hunting, and tracking, Corinna could keep up with the best, even showing them little tricks when tracking their prey. Heck, despite missing her left arm, she was a great shot with a bow and arrow. Over time, the men of the tribe no longer came to Chief with their marital problems, going to Cornelius or even Corinna. Even the women were seeking advice from Corinna, who was happy in her marriage, not miserable like them. Corinna told the women they were valued as much as the men and should be considered equal to their husbands. Equal, it became a word Chief hated, loathed with every fiber of his being. In the short time since the couple arrived, his entire tribe had been turned upside-down. Some of the men began to act different, trying to be similar to the kind, soft, and warm disposition of Cornelius in order to win affection from their wives. Even the younger boys, weren’t like their fathers, it was absolute anarchy in Chief’s eyes.

Chief knew he couldn’t knock them off, knowing it’d cause a stir and even a rebellion, considering they were so well liked. Thus, he’d have to wait. When the couple announced Corinna was pregnant, all Chief thought of was, let it be a boy. Then, with good fortune, he’d take the pair out on a hunting trip, kill them and raise the boy himself, mold him into his version of what a man should be.

When they had a girl, all he felt was dread. Not only would she push back, but she’d cause a good deal of trouble for his own son, Cullen, who was a level headed man in his late teens, ready to take the tribe any day. His hunch was correct, for Cora was a curious one, always asking question, wanting to learn to hunt along with the womanly tasks. When she grew to be twelve, he knew it was time to act.

Out on the great mammoth hunt, a several days trip that took them along the mountains edge. Chief planned it out, how to take care of the couple once and for all. While the men forced a slower mammoth from the heard, the three stood and could see the mighty herd stamped along the stretch of flat land. The mammoth was eventually be pushed into a corner, where he and the pair waited to throw great boulders over a steep edge to kill it. There, high above, unable to be seen, Chief eyed the pair up, knowing he had the time to kill them. In a swift move, he charged.

Corinna, look out, Sheila!

Corinna was quick and leapt back, her foot perched on the very edge, rocks clattering downward. Glancing from the drop below, she faced the chief.

How could you, I thought we were friends?

Standing tall, she flexed her right arm, glaring Chief down.

Stand down its two against one. Cornelius added.

Never, you two have caused nothing but misery in my life! He saw Cornelius join his wife, the pair meeting his angry gaze. With the pair of you gone, I might marry your daughter off and fix that head of hers.

Cora will never bend to your rules, we taught her well.

Yeah mate, ya stand no chance.

Chief lunged, dodging a spear thrown by Cornelius, drawing a knife from his side and digging it into Cornelius’s chest. Gasping aloud, Cornelius spit blood, using his last bit of strength to hold Chief in place with a set of strong arms. Behind Chief, Cornelius saw Corinna, giving her a nod, knowing she’d understand.

I love you Cornelius and I’ll see you in the next life.

Eyes watering, she trembled for the choice she made would seal their fate for good. With a battle cry, she threw her shoulder into Chief’s back, knocking the pair toward the siding.

Chief thrashed in Cornelius’s grasp, feeling her shove them to the edge. Struggling, their feet entangled and they were dangerously close to falling, pebbles clattering downward and out of sight. Chief felt another hit, Cornelius falling over and hanging onto Chief. Fearful of death, Chief yanked his arm free and grabbed Corinna’s hair, keeping a strong grip within the thick strands. In a tangled mess, the three tumbled off the side, dropping downward.

By the time the other men got there, they were shocked to find the couple, and their chief dead. Cullen knelt down, knowing once they returned, he’d be the clan’s new leader. The weight of their survival rested on his shoulder, something he didn’t take lightly. With the three buried they returned to the tribe, Cullen breaking the news to Cora, who took it better than he thought. Still, he had more important thing to worry about. For while he was gone, his wife grew ill and died, leaving him to raise the twelve-year-old child, Tim. It was hard for him, yet Cullen had to keep a level head if he were to be a good leader, one who’d control his emotion in hard times. However, handling Cora would be a different story.

CHAPTER: II

Stamped

Brush rustled, something darting through, figures, many of them. Among some brush, a single guy stood, pointing for the rest to move forward. Across from the cover of