The Annicans of Annica

The Annicans of Annica

     The ground started shaking. And the Annicans were panicking. Big Chief Bigfoot was there to calm them down. And after a few minutes he did.

     Suddenly Wounded Knee came running in. But she wasn’t alone. She had a young man tied up behind her. And she was dragging him into the Village. “I was out hunting and I found this stranger watching us from the big hill.”

     “Didn’t I tell you not to go hunting today,” said big Chief bigfoot. “According to White Flag what just happened was going to happen.”

     “White Flag is always saying something bad it about to happen,” said Wounded Knee. “And the last six times she was wrong. I just figured she would be wrong this time.”

     “But she wasn’t wrong this time. You could have gotten yourself hurt – or killed,” said Big Chief Bigfoot.

     “I didn’t get hurt, or killed, now did I,” said Wounded Knee. “Besides, if I wasn’t out there today I wouldn’t have found this stranger watching us.”

     Wounded Knee pulled on the thick cord she used on the stranger. Custer had his hands tied together – and his feet tied together. He was being dragged by Wounded Knee.

     Big Chief Bigfoot looked at the stranger. “Where did you find him?”

     “I told you,” said Wounded Knee. “He was watching us from the big hill.”

     “What were you doing on the big hill,” said big Chief Bigfoot. “You could have been really hurt, or killed, when the ground started shaking.”

     “The Food was hiding from us again,” said Wounded Knee. “I went up onto the big hill to see if I could find them. That’s when I found this stranger watching us.”

     Big Chief bigfoot went and looked at the stranger. Then he picked him up off the ground. “Who are you?”

     “You can call me Custer,” said Custer. “Custer is short for a name that is thirty letter in it. No one can pronounce my name. I even have trouble pronouncing it. So I shortened to it to Custer.”

     “I am Big Chief Bigfoot,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “And I am the Leaders of the Annicans on Annica.”

     “Nice to meet you Big Chief Bigfoot.” Custer crossed his arms in front of his chest – and placed his hands on opponent shoulders. “This is how you greet someone on Annica – isn’t it?”

     “How do you know how we greet each other,” said Big Chief bigfoot? “Exactly how long have you been watching us.”

     “We have been watching you for about a hundred years,” said Custer. “But I have only been here eleven years.”

     “What do you mean ‘we,’” said Big Chief bigfoot? “Who are you?”

     Suddenly White Flag come running out of her Dome Home with a white flag in her hand. She was waving it at Custer. “We surrender.” White Flag stopped. “You don’t need to kill us. We surrender.”

     “Go back and make some more flags,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “We will call you if we need to surrender.”

     “I have been listening,” said White Flag. “And we surrender. We Surrender.”

     “You’re not the Leader I am,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “And as the Leader I want you to leave – now.”

     White Flag first looked at Big Chief Bigfoot. Then she looked at Custer. After a few seconds she turned and left.

     “Now you know why we call her White Flag,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. All she does is make flags. Mostly white one. Whenever there is trouble she’s the first one to panic.”

     “You don’t have to explain White Flag to me,” said Custer. “I know all about you.”

     Custer looked at Wounded Knee and said, “You are called Wounded Knee because you are always wounding your knees when you fight. And you fight a lot.”

     “I am a Warrior,” said Wounded Knee. “The best there is on Annica.”

     “Yes, I know you are,” said Custer. “I have seen you many of times.”

     Custer looked around the rest of the Group, all of them were there now – but White Flag, but he stopped when he got to Big Chief Bigfoot. “Everyone but you. Why do they call you Big Chief Bigfoot?”

     “It’s because I am big, as in fat,” said Chief Bigfoot. “And because my feet are big.”

     “I thought it was something like that,” said Custer. “Now I know why you never mentioned it. You don’t like that name do you?”

     “No, I don’t.” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “I hate my Title.”

     It’s Wounded Knee who spoke next. “How do you know who we are? What are you doing here?”

     “I am here to help you,” said Custer. “First with the shaking. And then with your lives.”

     “We don’t need your help,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “Annicans have lived like this for six thousand years. And we like it just like it is. Some people may call us Primitives or Savages. But we don’t care. We like things just the way they are.”

     “But it can be so much better,” said Custer. “We can teach you how to stop the Shakes.”

     “You don’t need to help us to stop the Shakes,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “We already know how to stop them. And if it ever becomes a problem we will.”

     Custer was shocked. “You know how to stop the Shakes. But how?”

     “Eight thousand years ago we were just like your people,” said Big Chief Bigfoot. “But we destroyed ourselves. And we aren’t going to let that happen again.”

     “That’s why we life like we do,” said Wounded Knee. “We like things just the way they are.”

     “Does your people know you are here?” The look on Custer’s face told Big Chief Bigfoot no. “I think you better leave – now.”

     “I just wanted to help you,” said Custer. “If you don’t want that help then I will leave.”

     Custer left. And that’s time the Annicans saw Custer. But not his people.

The End?