But it was overwhelming for some for whom change of such magnitude was instinctively feared and shunned. It was an unacceptable scene for one named Yavo, a well-known and admired hunter who was standing near the fire in the front row. A witness to the entire spectacle, he stood with a stone axe at his side. Yavo lost control of his fear and in an impulsive instant the tragedy began. He yelled the words "Demons from the sky, they will kill us all!" And with one swing he broke open the skull of the alien nearest to him. Silence began as a wave from the fire outward as the immense crowd realized what was happening. A few seconds passed while the stunned crowd of thousands looked at the dead body and grasped the moment.
Almost immediately, others close to the beings, holding tools and weapons, and triggered by the close air of violence, became involved in the frenzied and bloody chaos that followed. Immediately after seeing their comrades' dead body lay next to them, two of the beings withdrew weapons from their clothing and, with little control, began shooting white fire at the crowd. They shot indiscriminately but were each clubbed in the rear of the head moments after. It was all over in seconds.
Several of the Beaker people, some children, were dead from the white fire. Some were cut in half, several others were missing limbs, and, as shock subsided, each began to scream in horror and pain. The children, the women and many men screamed and yelled, "no! no! no! no! no! no!" Women began to wail and scream without control. The crowd tightened around the bodies of the visitors, hanging their bloodied weapons and their heads low in disbelief.
The bringers of knowledge of the stars were beaten to indistinguishable lumps of grey flesh and orange blood, and the several objects they had been holding were fearfully smashed into thousands of small fragments. A girl of about seven was beating upon one of the white fire weapons with a stone hammer when the weapon exploded and killed her and a small boy. Yavo immediately searched for and found the other alien weapon, carefully hiding it in its clothing and tightening his belt cord to hold the weapon in place.
The bringers of knowledge of the stars were beaten to indistinguishable lumps of grey flesh and orange blood, and the several objects they had been holding were fearfully smashed into thousands of small fragments. A girl of about seven was beating upon one of the white fire weapons with a stone hammer when the weapon exploded and killed her and a small boy. Yavo immediately searched for and found the other alien weapon, carefully hiding it in its clothing and tightening his belt cord to hold the weapon in place.
There was not a soul that evening who did not regret the violence and did not cry for the lost lives of the strange visitors and for those killed and wounded in the attack they had brought upon themselves. Collective shame set-in overnight. By sunrise, anger at those at fault was spreading through each tribe. Looming fear and anxiety for the consequences of their actions was slowly coming to light.
Between the fire and the flying creature that carried them, the friendly visitors' bodies lay in a pile. The next morning children threw stones at the lifeless lumps of strange flesh and poked at them with sticks, until the bodies were moved in the afternoon. At morning a meeting was held where all Elders, hundreds of hunters and men, were in attendance. It was a meeting that would have occurred on this day as an award ceremony to end the gathering, but it was instead a meeting to attempt to solve this new and very stressful problem. They met at the bonfire in front of the silver beast. Each tribe had two Elders and each Elder had one apprentice, usually considerably younger. It was quickly learned that members of all three tribes had engaged in the violence, even two women had struck blows at the beings. It was agreed without dissent that what the people had done was an unforgivable act committed upon innocents who had only been engaged in bringing their people great knowledge and joy. As a result of the tragedy, there would be certain retribution and doom to everyone for others like the small grey bringers of star knowledge, were certain to come when they learned that their brethren have not returned home.
Between the fire and the flying creature that carried them, the friendly visitors' bodies lay in a pile. The next morning children threw stones at the lifeless lumps of strange flesh and poked at them with sticks, until the bodies were moved in the afternoon. At morning a meeting was held where all Elders, hundreds of hunters and men, were in attendance. It was a meeting that would have occurred on this day as an award ceremony to end the gathering, but it was instead a meeting to attempt to solve this new and very stressful problem. They met at the bonfire in front of the silver beast. Each tribe had two Elders and each Elder had one apprentice, usually considerably younger. It was quickly learned that members of all three tribes had engaged in the violence, even two women had struck blows at the beings. It was agreed without dissent that what the people had done was an unforgivable act committed upon innocents who had only been engaged in bringing their people great knowledge and joy. As a result of the tragedy, there would be certain retribution and doom to everyone for others like the small grey bringers of star knowledge, were certain to come when they learned that their brethren have not returned home.
"Frantic and enraged with fear, Yavo dashed out of the beast quickly."
All Rights Reserved: James Gray Mason, 2015
#Stonehenge #Neolithic #England #ScienceFiction #Fiction #Amwriter #JamesGMason
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Please be kind. Be productive. ATTACK THE ARGUMENT NOT THE PERSON. If you are incapable of this please move-on and check your emotions. Remember: the First Amendment is FIRST because we will never grow to be a better nation IF FREE OPINION IS NOT ALLOWED! This is why we really love the United States.