<center><h1>Time Before Memory</h1></center>
<center><h2>an interactive drama in three acts</h2>
<h3>by Cecilia Dougherty</h3></center>
This is a story about human life in pre-history. The direction the story takes is up to you. Play the story like a game. If you want more of the story, use the back and forward arrows to make more choices. The more choices you make, the fuller the story becomes. This story is speculative fiction, so chronological accuracy, archeological exactness, and anthropological certainty may not always be in effect...
Act I:
[[A group returns from foraging and hunting.]]You're not sure if you have seen these people before. They are Magnons and they make you uneasy. Your own hunt is usually more successful than theirs but at this point you have strayed from your group and must now turn your attention to the search for a specific flower that heals wounds and leaves that mend broken bones. You find the flowers, calendula.
[[You turn away from the group and continue foraging.]]
They're walking along the stream. The old man in the group looks familiar.
[[You follow the group.]]You remember that this was where you saw Esti during the previous warm season and the memory stops you in your tracks. Calendula is for healing. Bright oranges and yellows, sturdy and cheerful. Knitbone for fractures. Broad rough leaves that cling to the skin.
[[You gather calendula and knitbone.]]
You recognize someone in the Magnon group. Is it Esti's father Paio?
[[You run to the cave, hoping to see Esti.]]
The people you are watching look familiar. The tall one carrying a spear - is that Esti's father, Paio? The smaller one, Xanti - one of her lovers? You remember now that she was with him just before you met her. You are stirred by a momentary pang of longing. Strange creatures. They taught you some of their words. It's getting late.
[[You run to the cave, hoping to see Esti.]]
[[You turn away from the group and continue foraging.]]One of the children in the group who is teething is crying. Esti gives her willow bark with honey to suck on and she calms down. Another member of the group, Ion, is weak from an injury that is not healing properly. During the last big hunt, he was gored by an auroch and now the wound is yellow and his leg is swollen. Meanwhile, Oihana is shaping a piece of flint into a cutter and scaper for the animal hides and meat.
[[Esti sees something from the corner of her eye just outside the cave.]]
[[Esti builds a fire.]]
She teaches two of the older children how to prepare the hearth, lay the smaller rocks and arrange the wooden sticks. The others will be here by the time the fire gets going. Oihana looks on, promising to watch the children.
[[Esti goes outside the cave to find more firewood.]]
Oihana continues with his work, whistling a new tune.
[[Esti picks up a bone and finishes hollowing it out.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/fire-1.mp3" autoplay> She crawls carefully and quietly to the mouth of the cave to see who or what is there. The children continue to prepare the hearth, talking softly, laughing, and play-fighting amongst themselves. The wounded hunter Ion lays further back from the cave entrance on a woven grass mat. Oihana is finishing two new tools. Flint chips are scattered on the cave floor.
[[Esti sees that it was a large bird, nothing more.]]
[[There was someone or something there.]]She peers down the rocky hill. The hunting and foraging group are below. They begin their ascent.
[[Esti goes inside the cave to tend the fire that the children have started.]]
[[Esti calls down to the group.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/bird-outside-cave.mp3" autoplay>Esti hears the sound of a twig snapping underfoot. She turns quickly enough to see someone running in the opposite direction. She gathers the children behind her.
[[Esti runs back into the cave.]]
[[Esti calls down to the group.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/runningLeaves_1.mp3" autoplay>There are plenty of logs from an earlier excursion for wood, reeds, and red ochre.
[[Esti picks up a bone and finishes hollowing it out.]]
[[Esti hears a sound like twigs breaking underfoot.]]Esti grabs the conch and goes to the mouth of the cave. She blows her signature call and waits for an answer.
Her father, Paio, calls back. He tells the group they need to walk faster. He takes some of the child's bundle and they begin their ascent up the rocky incline to the cave.
[[Esti runs back into the cave.]]
[[Esti calls out to you.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/conch3.mp3" autoplay>Esti sees something out of the corner of her eye but when she turns around, nothing is there. She finds a lot of large twigs, which she bundles with twine. She finds several logs. They will have enough wood for the next few days, at least.
[[Esti picks up a familiar scent.]]
[[Esti hears a sound like twigs breaking underfoot.]] Esti puts the hollowed out bone against the back wall of the first room, placing it with the red ochre and charcoal. Oihana tends the fire. He watches Esti work.
Oihana leaves the cave and looks for the hunting and foraging group. They are about to climb the hill to the cave. Uda lags behind.
Esti is worried about Ion. She goes out on the path to find healing herbs.
[[Uda picks up a familiar scent.]]
[[Esti hears a sound like twigs breaking underfoot.]]Esti picks up a scent that is both foreign and familiar. She remembers this scent, someone from the other camp who wandered over one day in the warmer months. A stranger? She knew Uda, that's for sure.
Esti fell in love. Haizea was her name and she was stronger and smarter than anyone in Esti's group. But Haizea's group were using tools from before the distant memory of her own elders. Crude but effective tools. A bittersweet memory of an old flame.
[[Esti runs back into the cave.]]
[[Esti follows your scent.]]
[[Esti calls down to the group.]]She sees the hunting and gathering group in the near distance. Soon they will climb the rocky hill to the cave. She wishes they were closer.
The children look up in silence. Oihana looks up.
[[Esti calls down to the group.]]
[[Esti picks up a familiar scent.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Branch-Break-SoundBible.com-1964864165.mp3" autoplay>
Esti knows that a stranger may be lurking, but she also knows that the scent is Haizea's and Haizea is no stranger.
[[Esti looks for Haizea.]]
[[Esti decides to look for herbs - calendula and knitbone.]]
You have stalled too long and must hurry to get back to camp before sundown. You catch the scent of someone, a Magnon. Are you being followed?
[[You pick up your pace and run towards the Neander camp.]]
[[You stop a short ways away from the Magnon cave.]]You want to see Esti before Paio's group returns. Still clutching the calendula, you approach the cave quietly but you step on some twigs. You stop dead in your tracks. Esti hears the twigs break. She knows it's you. After a moment, you run out of sight, afraid of what the encounter might be like. What, in fact, would you even want it to be like? You miss her. Except for Paio, you miss all of them.
[[You stop a short ways away from the Magnon cave.]]
[[You see the foraging group approach the ascent to the cave.]]
[[Esti follows your scent.]]
You hear an unmistakable call.
[[Esti calls down to the group.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BranchBreakHaizea.mp3" autoplay>You are afraid, but not sure why. Esti will not hurt you, you're certain of it but Paio never liked you nor //any// of the Neanders, and you'd rather not meet up with him. You think about Uda, too, who was actually an exciting lover but he is fiercely committed to his own group, the Magnons. He might not want to see you. Enough pondering...
[[You see the foraging group approach the ascent to the cave.]]
But there are more Magnons on the horizon than there were earlier and they are bringing back food. You should leave.
[[You pick up your pace and run towards the Neander camp.]] Oihana keeps an eye on the children back at the camp. Esti walks carefully in the direction of the scent. You are ahead of her but not by very much. You hear her call your name,
- Haizea! Haizea? Haizea, is that you?
[[You stop.]]
[[You pick up your pace and run towards the Neander camp.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/EstiCallsOutToYou.mp3" autoplay>
The wounded hunter Ion has been gored by a bull. He is feverish, delirious, and talking nonsense. Oihana washes his face and head with cold water and prays that the foraging group returns soon with the herbs. Xanti tells the children an old story about the mammoth women.
[[Esti decides to look for herbs - calendula and knitbone.]]
[[Esti calls out to you.]]You see Esti through the trees. She walks towards you, her head in the air, catching your scent. She tracks your footprints as well. Always an expert!
Your group knows that the Magnon hunter, Ion, has been hurt. You all watched as his group rescued him and carried him to safety. Uda was with them. You realize Esti is collecting medicine for Ion. You drop some of your bundle of herbs for her to find.
[[Esti finds the herbs you have dropped.]]
[[Esti approaches quietly.]]
You are running so fast that you drop the calendula and knitbone on the path. Esti is tracking you.
[[Esti finds the herbs you have dropped.]]
[[Esti approaches quietly.]] Esti leaves the cave and searches for the flowers she needs to make a poultice for Ion's wounds. But she follows your scent instinctively.
You see her on the path.
[[Esti approaches quietly.]]
[[You stop.]]
Uda sees Esti on the path ahead. Uda is very quiet.
[[Esti calls out to you.]]
You stop and turn around, wondering whether you should run towards her or away from her.
[[Esti approaches quietly.]]
[[Uda picks up a familiar scent.]] Esti calls out your name, softly...
-Haizea!
You respond, hesitantly...
-Esti...
Esti explains that she is looking for calendula and knitbone. One of the Magnon hunters, Ion, has been badly injured.
She approaches and you give her a gentle hug. She starts crying. You are confused but at the same time relieved that she does not want to fight you. You step back from one another to take stock. You smile at each other. The sun is low on the horizon.
[[Esti goes back to her camp with the herbs.]]
[[Esti follows you to your own camp.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/EstiSeesYouBreath.mp3" autoplay>The herbs you have collected and have dropped are the same herbs that Esti needs to save Ion's life. She picks them up and is grateful for your gift. She wants to run after you.
[[Esti goes back to her camp with the herbs.]]
[[Esti follows you to your own camp.]]
Esti returns to the cave. The hunting and foraging are unloading their goods. Oihana starts skinning the rodents and the rabbit while the children move back a bit from the fire and let the adults take over. The meat is cooked over the open fire. Zoriane pounds the tubers to a mash.
Ion is still feverish. Esti makes a salve with calendula and animal fat and binds his wounds with knitbone.
The meal is ready. Everyone eats and the storytelling begins. The children settle down and eventually fall asleep with full stomachs. Uda looks after the children. Ion sits up and is given a bowl of broth.
Esti and Uda find the red ochre and hollowed bone against the west wall. They take some fire in a stone lamp filled with animal fat and together go deep into the cave.
[[Go back->A group returns from foraging and hunting.]]
[[Proceed to Act II->The paintings cover the walls of the inner galleries.]] As you walk on, Esti follows a few paces behind. She has the herbs you dropped on the path for her to find and adds them to her own supply. This is a new path and she is pleased with the abundance of healing herbs she finds here. She looks at her own reflection in pools of water along the stream.
You turn around and take her hand. Her hand is small and strong - all of her is small and strong. She squeezes your hand, but then she stops suddenly. She tilts her head to the side.
[[Someone else is following you.]]
[[Esti goes back to her camp with the herbs.]]
You say your goodbyes.
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/walking_on_gravel1.mp3" autoplay>Uda follows Esti in hopes of finding the right healing herbs for Ion, the wounded hunter. Uda sees Haizea in the distance and crouches down, realizing now that a reunion is taking place between Haizea and Esti. He follows silently, gaining ground. He sees the herbs.
The hunter-gatherer group has finally reached the cave.
[[Uda approaches Esti and Haizea with a smile.]]
[[Uda runs quickly and silently behind you and Esti.]]Esti embraces Uda and gives him the herbs for Ion, telling him how to prepare them. Uda smiles through his teeth. But at least he's being friendly. She wants things between Uda and Haizea to go smoothly. There's something not quite right about Uda's behavior but she can't put her finger on it. Esti trusts her instincts.
Uda gives some of the herbs back to Haizea. He says that he and Esti have enough herbs. He spots the child, Eneko.
[[Uda returns to the cave.]]
[[Esti goes back to her camp with the herbs.]]
[[Esti continues on her way to Haizea's camp.]]Uda suddenly jumps onto your back, knocking you off balance. Uda is quick. You wrestle Uda to the ground and pin him down, your staff positioned across his neck. His life is in your hands.
Alarmed, Esti tries to separate you and Uda. She yells "Haizea! Stop now! You're killing him!" You stop and pull Uda up, looking him directly in the eye.
Your son Eneko runs up to you, crying. Uda is his father. You and Uda look at each other and then at the child. The moment of tension has passed. The child reminds you of the love you once had for Uda, and you give Uda a hug.
[[Uda returns to the cave.]]
[[Esti continues on her way to Haizea's camp.]]You go with Esti and the child back to your camp. You and the child approach the cave carefully and calmly. Esti waits a few paces behind, ready to run if necessary. After a brief discussion, your group say they trust Esti and you emerge from the cave with arms outstretched. Esti follows you into the cave. There is a fire near the entrance and smoke is rising on a breeze. You put the herbs aside. Yesterday's hunt was successful and everyone eats.
Then you reach for the red ochre and a hollow bone. You take a torch from the hearth and you and Esti go deep into the cave. You blow red ochre over your hands through the hollow bone that Esti gave you. Esti does the same and you create a wall of handprints.
Esti then goes back to the Magnons camp.
[[Go back->A group returns from foraging and hunting.]]
[[Proceed to Act II->The paintings cover the walls of the inner galleries.]]Uda leaves the group and spots Esti up ahead on the path. Is she picking herbs for Ion's wounds? That would make sense but then again, the scent of someone else grows stronger - Haizea? Esti and Haizea have met up!
Uda has spotted you and Esti.
[[You stop.]]
[[Uda approaches Esti and Haizea with a smile.]]
[[Uda runs quickly and silently behind you and Esti.]] Uda goes back to his group. He says nothing about seeing Haizea or about seeing their child. He and Oihana prepare tea and a poultice for Ion. Uda scrapes the rabbit skins while others prepare a meal. The children tend the fire. Uda notices there's a new hollowed out bone and red ochre placed against the cave all and realizes that Esti has prepared their supplies for painting.
[[Esti goes back to her camp with the herbs.]]
[[Esti continues on her way to Haizea's camp.]]Esti hears something. She comes to the mouth of the cave searching for whatever has made the sound. She lifts her face in the air, catching your scent. At first she seems frightened but then becomes calm and a warm smile crosses her face.
[[Esti calls out to you.]]
[[Esti runs back into the cave.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/wood-snap.mp3" autoplay>Uda and Esti are in one of the far galleries of the cave. Oihana has made a sharp-edged tool for Esti for bevelling rock carvings. While Uda records Ion's encounter with the auroch in charcoal using a sap binder, Esti etches a horse into the rock. The tool works nicely and the edges are smooth so that the horse seems to come right out of the rock. In the firelight the horse dances. Uda paints a map of the seasons in red ochre near the wall of hands.
Uda and Esti have finished painting and carving for the night. They leave the galleries and find the group asleep around the hearth near the cave entrance.
[[But resentment builds.]]
[[Esti goes to the river.]]
Uda's appearance this evening makes you uneasy. You cannot sleep. You hold Eneko close to you just as you did when he was a baby. Esti pretends to sleep but you know she is awake. She will probably leave soon.
The elder Gorka sits up with you. He knows what's on your mind and he, too, is worried. The other group have been getting closer and closer to your camp. They are following your group. You and Gorka share a knowing glance.
You stare at the fire and eventually fall into a deep sleep.
[[Gorka leaves the camp before dawn.]]
[[Esti reaches the river.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cracklingfire1.mp3" autoplay>Uda ruminates. Why, exactly, is Eneko //always// with Haizea? Why is Eneko not here with //him?// Uda grabs his spear and takes his post by the cave entrance adding kindling to the embers. Uda jabs at the embers. The boy, Eneko, should be with him now. He did //not// actually attack Haizea, but was, realistically speaking, defending himself. He //knew// in his bones that she wanted to hurt him. He //felt// that his life was in danger. He was simply defending himself from her //before// she could attack him. And besides, she //did// actually fight back and nearly kill him.
[[Uda's mind races.]]
[[Uda tends the fire.]]Haizea and Esti are together again. That's a problem, thinks Uda. Why would Esti go back to Haizea at this point? The mammoth hunters will be here soon. And on top of that, Zoriane wants a child with Esti. It's obvious to everyone that he wants to be with her. She needs to be with //us//.
The whole foraging episode to find medicine for Ion? Just an excuse for them to meet up! Are they //trying// to keep Eneko away from him? It grates on him. He can't let it go. Uda falls into a fitful sleep.
[[Uda has a dream.]]
[[Uda is awoken by the sound of twigs breaking just outside the cave.]]Uda dreams that Haizea is on a raft, drifting away. He stands on the shore and there is an ocean between them. He sees the curve of the world. He holds Eneko's hand. Haizea is blowing the conch.
Eneko turns into a large cat with amber eyes. He is drinking from the stream. The cat opens his jaws wide. The cat is outside the cave. Esti and Eneko are walking away. Now the cat is with them. The cat is walking away from the cave. Eneko stands by the stream. A conch sounds in the distance.
[[Uda is awoken by the sound of twigs breaking just outside the cave.]]
[[You run to the Magnons camp.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sea.mp3" autoplay>A lion is on the prowl. She has two month-old cubs and must feed them. She saw the new drawings of herself in the cave and she knows that she is the spirit animal of this band of Magnons. She must protect them. She will feed her young ones soon, but right now she must protect this group. They are hers.
The fire is going out.
[[The cubs have entered the cave.]]
[[The lion goes into the forest.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/wood-snap.mp3" autoplay>Gorka is worried about Esti's group. They are very capable - slender and swift on their feet, with muscles like taut vines. They came into this region early in the season and quickly took over the cave that Gorka's group had used for years and years. Now //they// are the ones who look out over the valley. //They// are close to the herd and well-situated to hunt.
After the last hunt, when one of them was gored by an auroch, they made such a fuss rescuing him that the herd stampeded, running for miles to a distant valley. Gorka, Haizea and the others in their group watched but could do nothing about it. At this point, getting to the herd will take days.
Gorka walks along a path. He wants to go to the river to be alone and to think. The Neanders should leave this place and should get far away from these people. The herd is being decimated and the meat is going to run out. He hears the sound of a conch shell being blown.
[[You follow Gorka.]]
[[Gorka sees a dark figure up ahead.]]Esti reaches the river. She sees a lion sliding back into the forest. She knows that the cat is a spirit animal and is there to protect her.
[[There is the sound of a conch shell in the distance.]]
[[Esti meets Gorka on the path.]]Uda jabs at the fire angrily with a stick. He will make a plan. He will talk to Paio in the morning. Uda will be taken seriously and he will see his son, Eneko, very soon. Uda falls asleep towards dawn.
[[Uda has a dream.]]
[[Uda is awoken by the sound of twigs breaking just outside the cave.]]
Esti sits on the bank of the river. She wants to clear her mind. Uda is dangerous and so is Haizea. Their child, Eneko, is caught in the middle. When Uda saw the child, he wanted to kill Haizea. But he greeted them with a smile instead and this is worrisome - Uda doesn't smile. Not ever.
Esti sees the mammoth-hunters on the horizon returning from the hunt. She blows the conch and they return her call. Maybe they will help her find a solution to the problem. She goes back to the Magnons camp. Their group is much larger than Haizea's.
[[Esti talks to Uda about Eneko.]]
[[Esti talks to Paio about Uda and Haizea.]]Esti tells Gorka that Paio is going to call a meeting. They will probably attack the Neander camp. Gorka doesn't trust her but he cannot ignore her message. She asks about Eneko. Gorka says that Eneko is none of her business. She asks about Haizea and Gorka tells her that Haizea has been following Paio all along. Gorka continues on his way. Esti waits for Haizea.
[[Gorka sees a dark figure up ahead.]]
[[You find Esti.]]Gorka sees someone on the path to the river. It is Paio, from the other group. Paio veers off and walks into the forest. He is headed for Gorka's camp.
Gorka races after Paio. Gorka tells Paio to go back to his own group. He tells Paio that they have taken up too much territory. The small band of Neanders will go hungry by next season if the Magnons take this valley for themselves.
Paio tells Gorka that this valley is //his//. He has no concern for the Neanders and the Neanders should move on. Paio demands that Gorka bring Eneko to him. Gorka laughs, shakes his head, and walks away.
[[Gorka calls a meeting.]]
[[Paio calls a meeting.]] You follow Gorka. Is he meeting someone? He has brought only a staff with him. Maybe it was a spear.
You know that Esti went back to her own camp in the middle of the night. She kissed you on the cheek before leaving and you pretended to be asleep.
[[Gorka sees a dark figure up ahead.]]
[[Eneko waits for Haizea to return.]]Everyone in your small group is awake. Someone in the distance is blowing the conch. This is what the Magnons use to signal to each other. You have learned the language of the conch from Esti. You listen to the message. More people are coming. They are coming from a mammoth hunt and are carrying meat and supplies.
Esti's group will thrive, you have no doubt.
[[There is a large group of Magnons on the other side of the river.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/conch2.mp3" autoplay>Esti tells Uda that she and Haizea are painting in the deepest galleries of the Neander cave. Eneko is learning how to paint. Uda does not respond. He doesn't want to hear about paintings right now. He believes this is a trick. Esti is taking Haizea's side. At best, Haizea has deceived Esti into thinking she and her people are harmless. Uda knows that Eneko is the only one who is harmless. Uda tells Esti that Eneko belongs with him. A storm is brewing.
Esti talks to Oihana, her brother. He listens.
[[Uda sharpens his tools.]]
[[You run to the Magnons camp.]]Esti tells Paio that Uda has attacked Haizea. Paio says Uda had good reason to attack her because she has their child. Paio says they should take the child and raise him with their other children. Eneko is growing fast, almost but not quite as fast as one of Haizea's people. But he belongs to them and not to Haizea's people. He belongs to Uda.
[[Paio walks into the forest.]]
[[There is the sound of a conch shell in the distance.]]Paio says the mammoth-hunters have signalled with the conch shell and will arrive soon.
Paio says Haizea is causing trouble between the Magnons and the Neanders. He says that Haizea and Gorka's camp is too close to them. He says they are scaring away the herds. There is not enough in this valley for both groups. He says they should //attack// the Neanders and force them to leave. They must take the child Eneko - //do not harm Eneko// - and give him to Uda.
Ion's fever has passed. His leg is mending and he is ready to fight. Ion has carved a lion on his spear.
Oihana glances at Esti and signals to her with a slight nod. Esti signals back. They say nothing. Zoriane watches them from the corner of his eye.
Paio has a plan.
[[Go back to the beginning of Act II->The paintings cover the walls of the inner galleries.]]
[[Proceed to Act III->Paio's plan.]]Paio avoids the path. He wants to stay hidden. You follow him. You know this region only too well. The best herbs, afterall, are not along the path but are deep in the forest and in the meadows. Your people have been collecting herbs here for a long time, for a thousand years. Your eyes stay on Paio. Paio is headed for the Neander camp.
The lion is shadowing Paio.
You must find Esti //now//.
[[Esti meets Gorka on the path.]]
[[Gorka sees a dark figure up ahead.]]Uda speaks to Paio. They must take action against the Neanders //now//. The rest of their own band are across the river and will be here by tomorrow. Eneko belongs with the Magnons. Paio agrees and explains that when they are finished curing the mammoth meat and working the bones and hides, they will follow the herd to the next valley. They will follow the auroch and bison. Eneko will be with them.
Uda explains that Haizea and Gorka's people are already planning to follow the herds. They cannot get there first. The Magnons need the meat and hides for the coming winter. They are a large group now and they need food for the cold season. They are a much larger group than the twelve or so Neanders who stand in the way of their survival.
[[Paio walks into the forest.]]
[[Paio calls a meeting.]] It is not yet morning. Uda is sleeping by the dying fire. The cubs find a spot behind him and rest like two sphinxes. They are awake and alert.
Someone has come into the cave. It is Haizea. Esti is already gone.
[[The lion cubs jump up.]]
[[Oihana is awake. He sees you.]]The large cat will protect her people. She and her cubs will go to the clearing and wait. When they are needed, they will act.
[[Paio calls a meeting.]]
[[There is a large group of Magnons on the other side of the river.]] You are worried about Esti. The Magnons are violent. You need Esti to be different, to be better. You need Esti's help.
You reach the Magnons camp. Uda is asleep near the cave entrance. The fire is going out. Suddenly you see them - two lion cubs sleeping behind Uda. Even at a young age - they must be four or five weeks old - they are dangerous. You see Oihana as well. Is he sleeping?
[[You leave quickly and quietly.]]
[[Oihana is awake. He sees you.]]Oihana catches up to you - he says that you and Esti must leave. Take Eneko. Take Oihana. Oihana has a plan.
But where is Esti? You head back to your own camp taking a less-traveled route through the forest. The lion and her cubs are sleeping in a clearing. They will not harm Esti, but they will kill you if they think you are after Esti. You pass by quickly and silently.
[[You find Esti.]]
[[Uda sharpens his tools.]]Oihana follows you out of the cave and calls to you in hushed tones. He explains that Esti is looking for you. He says that they will all be together soon - Esti, Haizea, Eneko, and Oihana. All together. His eyes are red. Tears. He is being very optimistic and you know it.
[[You leave quickly and quietly.]]
[[The lion goes into the forest.]]The cubs are big-boned and strong. They are about to pounce. Uda stirs, half-awake. Esti is not here. You must leave now.
[[You leave quickly and quietly.]]
[[Oihana is awake. He sees you.]] There is a large group of Magnons on the other side of the river. They are pulling sleds piled high with mammoth meat, fur, and bones. They are dark and tall, like Esti's people. Magnons. They signal their arrival as one of them blows into a conch shell.
Eneko can see them from the entrance of the cave. He puts out the fire so the smoke does not give their location away.
[[Gorka calls a meeting.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/conch2.mp3" autoplay>
Eneko is frightened. He's small for his age but he is resourceful. His mother has been teaching him the Magnon language as well as his own. Eneko does not like Uda. Uda attacked his mother. Eneko //does// like Esti. He follows them into the caves sometimes when they are painting. Eneko likes to paint.
[[There is a large group of Magnons on the other side of the river.]]
[[Gorka calls a meeting.]] You and Esti meet up. You want to believe you can trust Oihana and Esti with Eneko's fate even though they are Magnons. You stake everything on a concept - trust. Esti says that she and Oihana can be trusted.
Esti says that Oihana knows a place far from here where they can go, a fertile valley between two rivers. A place called Shanidar. You look up in surprise.
[[Eneko waits for Haizea to return.]]
[[Gorka calls a meeting.]]It is raining. The warm season will end soon. Gorka tells the Neanders that the Magnons in the other camp are their enemies. He says the Magnons plan to drive them from this valley. He says the Magnons will try to take Eneko from them. That can never happen.
Gorka says they must pack up and leave //as soon as possible//. The herds have gone to the next valley where they are finishing their summer grazing. It will take the Neanders days of walking to get there. He says everyone must prepare to leave.
The people agree to leave. You say nothing. Eneko is by your side.
[[The Neanders prepare to go to the next valley.]]
[[Paio calls a meeting.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/thunder-and-rain.mp3" autoplay>The paintings cover the walls of the inner galleries. They are a record of your travels. They explain things and show what has been learned, understood, witnessed. They call out to spirits and unify everyone across time, even time before memory. Pigment is magic; flickering light from torches deep inside the cave makes the paintings move and come alive. The horses, the mammoth, the lions are all on the move.
[[Uda obsesses about his son, Eneko.]]
[[You worry about your son, Eneko.]]The band of Magnons hurry through the forest with axes and spears. They plan to capture Eneko and to chase away all of the other Neanders. They will kill anyone who gets in their way.
Esti and Oihana trail behind. Esti blows the snailhorn. The Magnons believe it is for the mammoth hunters but it is actually a call for Haizea and Eneko. Haizea returns the call. They are ready.
[[Esti and Oihana run in the direction of Haizea's call.]]
[[Uda reaches the Neanders' cave.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/snailhorn.mp3" autoplay>The Neanders break down their camp. They pack provisions, stone tools, hides, ochre and mulberry pigments, and firewood. They will carry some of it and pull the rest along on sleds of leather.
Haizea and Eneko pack extra provisions for themselves, knowing they will not be going with the group. They must instead find the right moment to secretly veer off track and meet up with Esti and Oihana. That is their plan.
[[Go back to the beginning of Act II->The paintings cover the walls of the inner galleries.]]
[[Proceed to Act III->Paio's plan.]]Paio's plan is for Uda to arrive at the Neander camp just ahead of the Magnon war party. Uda will pretend that he is alone. He will say he wants to talk to Haizea, to make a compromise, a reconciliation for the sake of their child, Eneko. He will gain her trust just long enough to snatch Eneko and run into the forest. Then the war party will arrive and chase the Neanders out of this valley.
[[Uda reaches the Neanders' cave.]]
[[The Magnons are on the move.]]Uda reaches the cave. He sees they are all packing for a journey. He looks for you and Eneko. You immediately tell Eneko to move away from you. Eneko stands near Gorka. You tell Uda to speak his piece. Uda talks of reconciliation and forgiveness as he inches closer to Eneko and Gorka. Suddenly he attacks Gorka with an axe and grabs the child.
Gorka falls to the ground, holding his stomach. Shaking the bloody axe threateningly at you and the other Neanders, Uda runs out of the cave with Eneko.
[[You run after Uda and Eneko.]]
[[The mammoth hunters reach the Magnon camp.]]The Magnons threaten the Neanders and the Neanders, following Argiña's lead, push them back.
The fighting is fierce. The Neanders are strong but the Magnons have a critical edge because of the element of surprise and because of their superior weapons.
Although wounded, Gorka attempts to defend his people. Paio stabs him with a long flaked blade. Gorka dies.
[[The Neanders are rounded up.]]
[[You see Paio running.]]
Esti and Oihana lag behind the Magnons war party. They veer off-path and hide in the forest. They plan to meet up with Haizea and Eneko.
Oihana tells Esti that he knows a place in the east that the elder Aito once told him a story about. When Aito was a young boy his band came upon a valley between two rivers. They came upon a large cave in the hills just above the valley and it was called Shanidar. The cave was hard to reach but the valley was a paradise of birds and animals and fruit that was ripe and ready to pick from the trees. Aito's group stayed there when he was a boy. And then they moved on.
[[Esti and Oihana look for Haizea and Eneko.]]
[[The Magnons reach the Neander camp.]]You run out of the cave. You call out for Eneko as loudly as possible. You can hear him whimpering just up ahead and now you can smell Uda. Uda smells like blood.
Esti and Oihana are in the forest. There is a sudden uproar coming from the direction of the Neander camp. They hear Haizea calling out for Eneko. They follow the voice.
[[You see Paio running.]]
[[The mammoth hunters reach the Magnon camp.]]You can see Paio running with his weapon ready but you can't see who he is running after. Zoriane is with him. You run after them with your hand axe and bolas. You hurl the bolas at Paio, striking him down. Zoriane flees, running to the Neanders' cave. Xanti appears. He is young and confused. You leave Xanti alone.
Paio gets up again and walks confusedly back to the Magnons camp accompanied by Xanti. Paio is in a fog. He stumbles along the path but Xanti holds him up. Perhaps Aito can explain what they should do next. The lion shadows them.
[[Esti and Oihana hear you calling for Eneko.]]
[[The mammoth hunters attack.]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/YouRunIntoPaio.mp3" autoplay>Esti sees Paio through the trees. He is crouching down outside the Neander cave. Esti stumbles over a vine. Paio runs towards her with his blade held high. Paio stops when he realizes that it is Esti.
Esti and Oihana turn away from Paio and run quickly into the forest. They are looking for Uda who cannot have gotten far.
[[You run after Uda and Eneko.]]
[[Esti and Oihana hear you calling for Eneko.]]
When the mammoth hunters reach the Magnon camp, the elder Aito tells them that most of the group have gone to chase away the Neanders in order to keep this valley to themselves. He tells them that if the Neanders stay, they will take their food.
The mammoth hunters become angry. They did not travel for days with meat, skins, and other provisions just to have them taken by the Neanders. Aito tells them how to reach the Neander camp. The mammoth hunters leave. Aito stays back and guards the goods.
[[The Magnons reach the Neander camp.]]
[[The Neanders are rounded up.]]
The Magnons cut the Neanders' bodies to pieces. They are mad, ecstatic, in a trance. They cannot stop.
Ion builds a fire. The wood is piled high. The Magnons cook and eat the vanquished Neanders.
The sun goes down. A child deep inside the cave curls up and holds herself tightly. She sings a Neander lullaby softly to herself about a place called Shanidar.
[[The four go east towards Shanidar.]]
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The Magnons have rounded up the band of Neanders. Gorka is dead and the Neanders are reeling, in shock. They were prepared to go peacefully, to leave this valley and never come back. The Magnons threaten them with spears and axes. The Magnons tell them to leave now or more will die. The threat is meant to keep them from ever coming back to this valley. Attacking Gorka was not a part of Paio's plan but he was in the way. He should have listened.
[[You see Paio running.]]
[[The mammoth hunters attack.]]Esti and Oihana hear you calling for Eneko. They hear Eneko whimpering and Uda is yelling at him to stop. Everyone is in the forest.
They run towards Uda. Uda must let go of Eneko to defend himself and when he does, Esti grabs the boy. Oihana uses a large rock to knock Uda down. Uda is unconscious.
You have been tracking Uda and you see him lying on the ground unconscious. You see Esti, Oihana, and Eneko. The four of you are finally together.
[[Oihana knows a place.]]
Aito once told a story about a place called Shanidar. There is a cave above a fertile valley between two rivers. The valley is filled with every kind of delicious fruit. Dates and pomegranates, olives, pistachios, figs, grapes, muskmelon and almonds. Aito said this is paradise.
Oihana tells Esti and Haizea that they are going to Shanidar. You know of this place as well from Neander stories of the time before memory. You hum to yourself a Neander lullaby about the place called Shanidar.
The four of them will start a new life at Shanidar. There will be no rivalries, no deception, no wars and no strife. Only Shanidar, forever.
[[Ion builds a fire.]]
[[The four go east towards Shanidar.]]Shanidar is a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. Inside the cave were found the remains of ten Neanderthals dating from 65,000 to 35,000 years ago. The remains indicate that the Neanderthal individuals had been cared for during their lives. Their bodies were found covered in pollen. They were buried with flowers.
There is a cemetery at Shanidar containing the remains of thirty-five Cro Magnon individuals who were buried 12,000 years ago.
Shanidar is a site where people came to live and where some people settled. But they did not migrate. They stayed and their lineages ended at Shanidar.
[[Go back to Act III->Paio's plan.]]
[[Go back to the beginning->A group returns from foraging and hunting.]]
[[Credits]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/wings-flapping.mp3" autoplay><h3><center>Time Before Memory</center></h2>
<h4><center>by Cecilia Dougherty</center></h3>
<span style="font-size: 80%">Photographs of El Castillo and Las Monedas, Spain, and of Pech Merle, France by Cecilia Dougherty
Photograph of Cabrerets, France by Nancy Mackowsky
Altamira and Lascaux images, UNESCO, licensed by Creative Commons
Fire gifs: Gifer
Theme music and Neanderthal Lullaby by Cecilia Dougherty
Sound effects by Cecilia Dougherty
Additonal sounds by odiasites.com, ohrwurm, and freesound.org, licensed by Creative Commons
Additional sounds by falconbeard, Craig Smith, SoundBible.com, The Art of Foley (Dan O'Connell and Sound Dogs Archives)
<hr>
Created in Twine, 2019. The IFID for //Time Before Memory// is DD7ECA27-9239-46D8-B904-4008187FB6AC.</span>
(link: "About this story") [(goto-url: 'http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/interactive-story-in-twine/')]
[[Go back to the beginning->Time Before Memory]]
<audio src="http://www.ceciliadougherty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/TBM-theme-fixing-91219-9.19-PM.mp3" autoplay>The Magnon war party reach the Neander camp. The mammoth hunters are not far behind. Uda passes them as he runs through the forest with Eneko. The Neanders have been preparing to leave the valley but are caught off-guard. Argiña, one of the younger Neander women, lunges at the Magnons.
[[A fight ensues.]]
[[Esti and Oihana look for Haizea and Eneko.]]The mammoth hunters take over. They push the first group of Magnons out of the way and attack the Neanders. The first group of Magnons are surprised - they were told to chase them away and not to kill anyone unless it was necessary. They watch, at first. Then they join in.
[[The mammoth hunters chant and dance.]]
[[Oihana knows a place.]] You watch seven people walk along the horizon. They carry animals they have hunted - some rodents and rabbits - as well as tubers, flowers, and herbs they have foraged. Two are carrying spears and others carry hand axes. They have pouches tied around their waists. It's a small catch but they can make a few nice meals and the medicinal herbs are an important find. A child walks with them carrying firewood. They are talking, but it's impossible to hear specifics of the conversation.
Your shadow is long and your staff indicates that by the time you get back to camp, the sun will have set.
[[You watch them until they have gone behind the horizon.]]
[[Esti is in the cave waiting for the hunting & gathering group to return.]]The mammoth hunters chant and dance. The small band of Neanders huddle together. They hold their bodies over the children to protect them. The mammoth hunters are dancing, chanting; they are bludgeoning, stabbing, dancing, and killing.
Spears, blades, axes. The mammoth hunters kill every Neander man, woman and child, except for Argiñe's girl who runs deep into the cave. Neander body parts and entrails collect in a pool of blood. The Magnons are drenched in blood. They drink the blood of their victims.
[[Ion builds a fire.]]
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