Beyond This Beach
“A treacherous world is beyond this shore, a world with demons, a world
full of danger. No-one dares to pass the edge of Karrikins, or else…”
My father’s words whirled in my mind. Will there actually be danger
awaiting me in such beautiful waters? Why can’t anyone pass the
Karrikins? I stared longingly at the sea. What if I just stuck a finger in the
water? Will it hurt? Will it disappear? Will I die?
They say curiosity killed the cat but the tranquil blue ocean called for me.
My father the chief, my father the leader, my father the ruler, would not
know if I just dipped my hand in the water, would he?
I started with just my fingertips. So far, so good. All I felt was a slight
chill. My whole hand was in the water. No damage done.I had expected to
feel pain by now. I moved my arm through the water. Perhaps my father
had lied. Perhaps there is no danger after all.
Just then, a series of cracks came from the forest behind me. Someone was
coming. I leapt three feet into the air and dashed behind a nearby bush. As
soon as I saw a glimpse of who was coming, I was glad I had rushed away
from the water. Dad had come with his troupe to patrol the beach.
Their battle gear consisted of a strip of long leaves tied around their waist,
some bracelets of more leaves and flowers by their ankles and wrists and
each had an elephant-tusk spear or wooden arrow. I suppose my little sister
Mei would be in awe to see my father in action. Tattoos spread across their
bodies and Dad had white stripes across his face. I start wondering what he
would do to me if his own men saw the chief’s daughter, their leader’s
daughter, disobeying her father. I would definitely have my head on a
wooden platter.
Father ordered his men to spread across the beach. I felt like I had been
kneeling behind the bush for hours. I’ve even started to wish I had chosen
a more shady bush to hide behind when Dad finally left with the warriors.
Sighing with relief, I crawled out from behind the bush and was just about
to head back down the water when Dad came back, alone this time.