The Prairie Smuggler

By Julia Skinner

The lisuxx were on the move, rising like a lake of miniature stars over the dark prairie. I crouched at the edge of the forest, watching with a familiar sense of awe tightening my chest. They were a blinding, bright yellow. The color of poison. Forbidden to the tribe. Millions of carnivorous fly-sized dots that buzzed together in a silent storm of life. I leaned forward on my toes, eager to be out there, among them.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

I bit back a sigh of annoyance. “What?”

“Do you think… it would be better to cross in the daylight?” Grray asked softly.

I twisted to glare at him and his girlfriend, Chara. They both wore the hideous yellow robes I’d given them—dipped in the juice of a poisonous yellow fruit like my own. “No.”

“But we can’t see in the dark!” Chara objected.

“Correction,” I held up my hand. “We can see in the dark, just not well. And trust me, this is the best way to sneak past those beauties.”

“You mean those monsters,” Chara muttered.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m the best prairie smuggler you’re gonna find. If you want to get safely across, stop questioning me. Otherwise, you can go back to the tribe.” A tense silence stretched between us. Going back to the tribe meant Chara would be forced to marry our leader instead of Grray.

Grray crouched beside me. “We do appreciate you doing this for us.”

As the sunlight vanished, the lisuxx surged forward, a rippling wave flowing through the air, searching for prey. Crossing the prairie while evading their deadly hunt was supposed to be impossible, but I’d broken almost every tribal rule and spent years studying the insects, all to discover a way to evade them.

I turned to face the couple. “Ready?”

Chara stepped back. “What if they detect us?”

“Then they will eat you.”

Once, when I was little, I’d watched the tribe throw a man into the prairie as a punishment. I never learned why, but I could vividly remember how the lisuxx had swarmed him. Their strange, burning glow turned the man into mush within heartbeats.

Even in the dark, I could see the fury—and fear—on Chara’s face. The fear that controlled every member of my tribe.

The fear I would never let control me.

“Follow me, you’ll be fine.” I tossed my hair out of my face, and stepped into the open prairie. Long grass blades brushed against my knees, so different from the barren ground of the forest. I tipped my head back, filling my vision with the glittering forms of the lisuxx. Here in the open, without tangled tree tops blocking the open gray sky, I could actually breathe.

The creatures washed through the air above, oblivious to our presence. I wasn’t sure how the tribes had never realized that the lisuxx completely ignored creatures the same color as themselves. They would only be able to detect us if someone was dumb enough to take off their coat, or if they touched us—which would never happen, since they patrol the sky searching for prey until morning.

I glanced over my shoulder. Grray and Chara inched after me at a painful pace. Ugh. “Guys, seriously! We’re not in danger.”

As if in answer, the bushes where we had stood moments ago crackled. A young deer burst from the shadows, its dull hide darkened with sweat. Behind it, a panther skidded to a stop within the safety of the trees.

I froze, as did Grray and Chara. As one silent swarm the lisuxx swerved toward the dear, and dove. For a wondrous moment, I was transfixed. Frozen to the prairie ground, awed by the beautiful, glowing mass. The deer spun back toward the forest in a panic. But it was too slow, too late.

The lisuxx spiraled around their prey like a rushing funnel, consuming it beneath their light. Within seconds they shot away again, fanning out across the prairie in a wave, leaving behind only pale bones.

But instead of rising back into the air, the lisuxx stayed low. Too low. In moments, they would sweep right into us! And then… not even our cloaks would be much help. I whirled toward Grray and Chara. “Run!”

The couple burst into motion. But they were still so far away. They’re not going to make it. My throat tightened. I gripped the sides of my coat—my only protection—and glanced toward the opposite side. I could probably get to safety. But then… if I left them… that would prove I was controlled by the same fear everyone else was.

“I am not afraid.” I whispered.

Meeting the gaze of that sea of deadly light, I slipped off my coat.

Chara screamed something, but I was too focused on the lisuxx to catch it. They tightened into a funnel, flooding toward me. I bolted down the prairie, trying to lead them away from Chara and Grray’s path. But I wouldn’t be able to run fast enough to evade them. A foreign, horrible heat pressed against my back as they neared. It felt like burning poison sinking into my skin, burrowing into my muscles and veins.

I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid.

Right as the heat became almost unbearable, I dove to the ground, rolling onto my back, and flung my coat over my body. Then I laid there, heart pounding out of my chest, waiting.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened.

After my heart slowed to something resembling its normal rate, I cautiously shifted my coat away to see a clear, dark sky above me. No deadly yellow glow. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat up. The lisuxx surged down the prairie blind to my presence. Looking over my shoulder, I glimpsed Grray and Chara as they reached the prairie’s edge. Safe. Exhausted, I fell back in the grass, and watched the glowing creatures slowly rise into the sky.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Skinner is a nineteen-year-old, modern-day hobbit, with a love for good stories and chocolate ice cream. When she’s not working on one of her many fantasy novels or flash fictions, she can be found procrastinating college, playing video games, reading aloud to her four little siblings, or happy-ranting about Brandon Sanderson’s books. She is a sinner saved by Jesus, and if any good comes from her journey, it’s because of Him.

---

More Stories | Author Website| Facebook | Twitter