Laurels Literary Magazine Fall 2014 | Page 12

The Storyteller Janna D. Tierney The Storyteller stepped bravely out from the trees into the light of our bonfire. He must have seen us from a few miles off and recognized that he was needed. Even to venture this close to the town he was tempting his luck, already worn so thin. To all knowledge, he was the last one. There had been quite a spree for a while, hunting them down and bringing them in. Dead or living, they were worth the same as a she-wolf: thirty bucks. It was well worth the kill. Inflation was a thing of the past, and what would have once bought only half a tank of gas was now enough for half a month’s rent. Times were good. That’s what the TV said. A twig snapped as he gazed about the clearing. Two score of youths, a neat, grim battalion, sat on sawed logs around the fire. The Storyteller smiled at us and warmed himself. There were no stars. He pulled his cloak-hood from his face and set it down. We saw that he was old, at least 60, probably older. But he had the step and stride of a younger man. We glanced awkwardly at each other. We had to get this done. It was like a rite of passage. What would happen when there were no more storytellers? How then would we attain our manhood? The old man cracked his knuckles and cleared his throat. We fingered the stones behind our backs. He began by saying, “A nation that has lost its identity is a nation that has lost itself. Stories tell us who we are and where we are going. They give us an answer to the only question worth asking, “‘Why?’ “So this is the story I tell you. I hope that one of you might take it upon yourself to remember and to share it with others, as I have done.” We sat at the edge of our seats, the breath stolen from our lungs. We could not see well. The light from the fire had suddenly burnt low. We were thrilled, and nervous, but also stone cold. He took the sight of us in, and continued. “This is the truth. This is the story of who we are. It all began one day, when society decided to answer the ultimate question, “‘Why?’” We all stood. He nodded, and continued, “The answer was society itself. ‘This is who we are’, they said.” 10