Hopeless as it’s beginning to seem without the elder’s lead, the dance continues. Chanting, stamping, every person keeps in time, as strings of shells which dangle from their ankles, rattle to a timeless beat. Owab, carried by the rhythm of the dance, wills himself on, inhaling the powerful scent of the sacred herbs smouldering on the remnants of the fading fire.
They cannot fail. Without the Rain Bull, the land will turn to dust and the group will be driven from the place they call home.
Far into the night
they dance on through scented smoke;
waiting for a sign.
Previous episodes of this little African adventure are here.
Photo credit: Nika Zhorzholiani from Pexels
Written in response to two challenges:
– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – PERSON, DANGLE, HOPELESS
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – REMNANT
I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!
Click here for more Six Sentence Stories – come and join the party!
Powerful tribal depiction here, Chris!
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Thanks, Tom! A fascinating culture almost lost to the world now.
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Hope is still alive.
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Always!
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❤️😍
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Good story, Chris. I wouldn’t mind living in this world.
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Simply spool on a million years or so, Jacqui! 😉
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I smell the herb-laden smoke and hear the drums! Very evocative post. ❤ Have a great day, Chris!
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Excellent, Cheryl, I so pleased the story came alive for you! Enjoy your day. 🙂
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Wonderfully done with all the sensory details, Chris. You loaded on the challenges and pulled it off! I enjoy doing that too. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Diana. These challenges are such fun, aren’t they? Mental gymnastics! 🙂
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I enjoy them whenever I can squeeze them in. I wish I could do more of them. 🙂
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Brilliant Chris. I can almost here the chants
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Thanks, Di. I’m pleased they came over! 🙂
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Yay!!
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Togetherness when it’s needed, Chris! The image animates your words.
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The power of the group! Thanks, Tom. 🙂
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Thanks so much for the lovely review 🙂 It was you, wasn’t it, T?
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Can imagine the exhaustion, the determination to keep limbs moving in time to the sacred beat, the fire and smoke, the will to bring about the changes needed. Excellent episode, Chris.
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I’m sure they’ll win through! Thanks, Ford. 🙂
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I was glad to see another African adventure. This series is highly addictive!!
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Thanks, Liz. I’m finding it so too. 🙂
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You’re welcome, Chris! I look forward to the next installment.
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🙂
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Suspense! 😬
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Naturally! 😉
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We know we can expect nothing less!
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Incredibly visual writing, Chris. There’s a hint of hopelessness in the getting lost in the endless dance.
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Thanks, Susan. That could happen… they’re on the edge of desperation.
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Your writing is always extremely vivid and takes me straight to the heart of the story. I’d heard of Rain Dances before, but I’d never realised until now that they’re called that because they’re done to literally summon rain. I’d never considered that before.
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Thanks, Simone! 🙂 The San people of southern Africa still perform a ‘healing dance’ on which this little bit of fiction is based. The Rain Bull is part of the same culture, and is depicted in their cave drawings. I’m not sure that they perform a rain dance to summon the Bull, but it makes for a good tale.
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The most enjoyable (for me) of the weekly SSS pieces, this one, like the others, creates its own atmosphere so succinctly.
Reminded me of the Rainmaker, one of Hesse’s Three Lives at the end of The Glass Bead Game.
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Thanks so much, CE. 🙂
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Descriptive, atmospheric – a gem Chris,
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Yes! they cannot fail. For now they should dance.
A sad episode but hopes are high.
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We never lose sight of hope! 🙂
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Rightly said.
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Reblogged this on Love & Love Alone.
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Thanks for sharing, Nelson!
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Nice work! It’s such a sacred dance from so many cultures. The power of movement and dancing and poetry.
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Thanks Benjamin! Yes, all powerful forces. 🙂
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Welcome!!! 🙂
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So atmospheric, Chris. I can see the long shadows cast from the glowing embers!
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Just what I wanted you to see, Matthew!
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No rain is very scary, Chris. I hate droughts and can’t think of anything worse than no water.
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Absolutely, Robbie. Getting so close to Day Zero a few years back was really disturbing. I still keep a cupboard full of bottled water…
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