Acacia

by Claudia in the Titanic

February 11th, 2007

ACACIA

Prologue

In a land far far away there lived a girl. This land was very different than our own. for one thing, animals could talk.
All of the animals’ languages were intertwined in the Music. There were certain people whose job was to learn the
Music and play it. Everything and Everyone is part of the music. But now, someone is interfering with the Music.

This girl and her faithful panther are about to uncover the biggest plot in all of Far Far Away. A devious master is
behind it all. This plot might lead to the heart of the Music.

This is the story of Acacia.

Chapter 1 – The Home for Feral Outcats

It was a rather chilly June day. Acacia ventured out of her hut just as the sun was rising. The dew crinkled under her
feet and she shivered. She was 11, turning 12, yet hse had her hut all to herself. She was lost but soon, she told
herself, she would be found. Every day she told herself that. For people like Acacia, each day brought new hope.
Today, though, was entirely different. Today gave a whole new meaning to the word hope. she was going to the
home – the home for feral outcats.

See, feral outcats are actually very sweet. In the land where Acacia comes from, feral outcats hold a vicious tyranny
over the Desert Lands. The feral cats kick out any cat that is too sweet and nice. Therefore, they become the feral
outcats. They venture along until they get to the Home.

So Acacia decided to get an outcat. She had decided she needed a partner.

Chapter 2 – Sanskrit

The feral outcats come in all species. Volks, the secretary at the home, was responsible for all 200 outcats. And
there was one that particularly got on his nerves – Sanskrit, the panther. He was the only one the Home had and he
was a troublemaker, but a sweet one. He would make so much trouble that Volks would want to strangle him, and
then he would be so sweet that you couldn’t possible do anything to him. Like now for instance. He overturned a
bowl of raw eggs on to Volks’ head. The yolks of all ten eggs ran down the back of Volks’ neck and slipped down
his shirt. “Now that”, Sanskrit said, “is just plain nasty.” Volks face turned purple with rage.

“Why you…”

Sankrit knew his cue. He ran and skidded along the halls of the orphanage. Finally Volks cornered him by the front
door. Volks was raising his fist and Sanskrit was about to put on his puppy-dog-eyes when there was a knock on
the door.

“You stay right there,” said Volks.

Sanskrit peered from around the corner as Volks opened the front door. There was a girl standing in the middle of
the doorway.

“Hi,” Acacia said. “I was wondering if I could adopt…”

“Why yes,” said Volks wickedly. “I know just the one.”

He shoved Sanskrit out the door.

“Don’t I have to sign--??”

“No, no, don’t be silly,” said Volks. “He’s yours. Have a good time”

And with that he shut the door, a wicked smile on his face.

Chapter 3 – The Bravest Cat

Acacia stared at Sanskrit from a few feet away. He was as black as the night sky.

“What are you?” asked Acacia, not at all rudely.

“A panther,” he said. “Perhaps you’ve heard of me, the noblest of all cats.” He preened himself gloatingly.

Acacia mumbled, “So what if I haven’t?”

“Well, you should have,” Sanskrit proclaimed. “For I am Sanskrit, bravest cat in the Midwest.”

He stood tall for a moment, the sun behind him. Then he got tired and started chasing his tail.

Chaper 4 – Blasting Jelly

Suddenly an explosion rocked the forest. Sanskrit screeched and jumped about three feet in the air.

“What was that?” Sanskrit said, crouching low to the ground.

“Probably just old man Tibbles messing with the blasting jelly,” Acacia said dismissively.

“B-b-b-b-blasting jelly?”

“Yeah, equivalent to about 5 sticks of dynamite, basically old explosives. They’ve banned it everywhere but here.”

“That makes me feel a lot better,” Sanskrit said sarcastically.

The pair quietly crept toward where they had heard the explosion. As Acacia and Sanskrit rounded the bend, they
could see a hut on fire.

“Oh no,” Acacia breathed, “Mr. Tib-bles!”

Mr. Tibbles was running around the back of the hut, frantically waving his hands at the fire. But the flames showed
no mercy. They licked and devoured the hut like a juicy steak. Acacia ran down the hill toward the hut.

“Mr Tibbles, what did you do???” Acacia said angrily.

“Well, you see, there is this new water resistant blasting jelly. I couldn’t resist. And then it got a teensy bit out of
control.”

He twiddled this thumbs nervously.

“Water resistant!” Acacia screamed. “You moron!” She threw handfuls of dirt on the fire. The flames sputtered and
went out.

Acacia’s hut was reduced to a pile of ashes. All the while, Sanskrit stood at the top of the hill, fairly bewildered and
confused. Sanskrit had never seen fire before except in contained spaces. Now he trotted down the hill to see if
Acacia was ok. Acacia has wet teardrops on hrr cheeks. Sanskrit, sensing something was wrong, licked her face.

“Oh, Sanskrit,” she sighed and hugged him. At first Sanskrit resisted but then she scratched behind his ears. He
relaxed and gave in to the nice massage.

Chapter 5 – An Eldernapping

Acacia and Sanskrit spent the night at Mr. Tibbles’ house. Sanskrit was curled up cozily by the blasting-jelly-fueled
fireplace. Acacia slept fitfully, tormented by dreams of her burning hut. When they awoke in the morning, Acacia
found a note on the kitchen table.

Dear Acacia and Sanskrit,

Have a good time on your journey, my dears. Do what you’re told!

Love, Daddy Tibbles

Wait a second, Acacia thought. Daddy Tibbles? And since when had he known their names?

Acacia’s thoughts were interrupted by Sanskrit, who trotted up to the table drowsily. He jumped up on the table.

“You know, we never woke up this early at the orphanage,” Sanskrit said. He glanced down. “Oh, he left us a note.
How sweet.”

“No, he didn’t,” Acacia said. “In all the years I have lived here, Tibbles has never called me a dear.”

“Hey, he called me a dear too,” Sanskrit said defensively. “Maybe he just has a kind heart.”

“Yeah right,” Acacia said sarcastically. “I think there’s been an eldernapping.”

Acacia and Sanskirt wandered around for a while looking for clues. Sanskrit just wanted to get back on his cozy rug
in front of the fire place. Acacia scoured the hut. She opened his garage/messy storage room. The room was
empty. All of Mr. Tibbles’ homemade blasting jelly was gone. Labels were scatterd on the floor. The water resistant
was gone. The super powerful was gone. Even the cold fire was gone.

“Who would want blasting jelly,” Acacia murmured. “They have much newer stuff now. And why would they kid- I
mean eldernap him?”

Acacia rushed into the living room. Sanskrit was curled up contentedly by the fire.

“Sanskrit,” Acacia yelled. “We’re go-ing.”

“Wha-?” Sanskrit said half asleep. “we haf to go awready? But I was so comfy.” Sanskrit looking longingly at his rug
as Acacia dragged him out the door.

Chapter 6 – Just Going

Sanskrit walked along lazily. He was a dreamer and busy smelling the sweet forest air. Acacia was a half-mile
ahead, waiting for him.

“Jeez, cant you move those paws a bit faster?” Acacia said, annoyed. Sanskrit was so lost in thought he didn’t even
hear her.

“Sanskrit!” She whacked him on the head with an pine cone.

“Wake up!,” Acacia yelled in Sanskrit’s ear.

“What?” Sanskrit said bemused. “where are we going anyway?”

“To the Gump region. They are known for its kind monks. Maybe they will offer us some guidance.”

They walked silently, the trees making a canopy overhead. The forest was dark and ancient, the trees slippery with
decades of moss. There was owl calling in the distance.

The pair come upon a ridge. It was a long hike up to the top but Acacia met the challenge. The trees grew sparser
and sparser. Finally they reached the edge of the cliff.

“Whoa,” Acacia said.

Sanskrit responded with a quiet meow.

Chapter 7 – Sky City

Below was a vast metropolis. The woods were abundant with monkeys, swinging to platforms and cozy little house
in the trees. This was an entire sky city. Little monkeys walked across vine ropes, suspended high in the trees. they
shimmied down the vines into their homes.

“Wow,” Acacia said, taking a step back.

A rope was suspended from a tree above Acacia.

Sanskrit looked down. “Um,” he muttered. “You go first.”

“Glad to, scaredy cat.”

“I am not-“ But she was already gone.

“COWABUNGA!,” she yelled, adrenaline coursing through her bones.

Sanskrit shimmied up the tree trunk. He carefully took a step out on the branch. And another. And another. And
another. Soon he was confidently striding out on the tree limb.

Chapter 8 – A Monkey Named Maya

Adult monkeys, capuchins, were meditating on a platform when Acacia and Sanskrit dropped on to the floor. A
monkey stood up.

“Ah so, young one. You join us today,” the “monk” said calmly.

Acacia clasped her hands to bow. Suddenly a cry came from above their heads.

“Look out below!” A young girl monkey swung down on a vine. All the monks kind demeanor vanished in an
instant.

“Hit the deck!” the monkey cried, dropping on to the platform.

The young monkey jumped off the vine, landing gracefully with her hands up.

“I’m Maya,” she said, sticking her hand out pointedly.

“Uh, I’m Acacia,” she said, shaking Maya’s hand.

Sanskrit made an effort, but, being a four-legged panther, it was to no avail. Maya laughed at Sanskrit’s clumsiness.

“Come on,” said Maya. “Let me show you the city of Bagamayo.”

Chapter 9 – The Great City of Bagamayo

“Whoopee,” Sanskrit cried, sliding down a tree at a 44 degree angle.

Maya and Acacia were swinging high in the trees from vine to vine. Acacia was getting more and more comfortable
on the vines. She did a somersault in mid-air and caught the next vine. Through the middle of the sky city ran a
river, like a crack in the earth. The river was like an alley. Tiny canoes traversed the creek with little difficulty. Small
tree-bark shops lined the river. There was a tiny café that seemed to be the center of the city. The river split on
either side of the café, creating an island. A beam of light shown through the trees, shining like a spotlight on the
café.

Rafting down the river was Sanskrit, bouncing happily on his state of the art raft. Sanskrit had gotten used to the
bounciness. He had almost flown out of the raft going through some nasty rocks. Now Sanskrit was looking up,
mesmerized by a pretty female cat.

“Why, hello gorgeous,” he said smoothly.

The cat looked at him haughtily and dropped a pinecone on his head.

Acacia was swinging high up in the trees. She loved it up here. She felt so so free. The wind blew her hair back and
gave a crisp feeing to her cheeks. Acacia spotted Sanskirit rafting down below, looking a little dazed with a bump
on his forehead. She waved goodbye to Maya and jumped off her vine and landed in the raft. But, being a
counterweight, she lifted Sanskrit way up in the air.

“Oof,” said Sanskrit. “Well well, look what the weather blew in. Where the heck did you come from?”

Acacia gestured vaguely upwards. Sanskrit’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

“Heaven???”

Chapter 10 – Hungry

Acacia and Sanskrit walked into a desolate pub. The cheery café, as it turned out, was for “celebrity guests only.”
Acacia was determined to get in. She loved a challenge. Sanskrit was convinced he could pass for royalty. He
walked across the sawdust floor on his tippy toes, with his nose in the air. Then he lost his haughtiness all of a
sudden, as he tripped on a pot, and flew into the wall, a picture falling on his head.

“Out,” the bartender cried and kicked them out the door.

“You idiot,” Acacia said accusingly.

“Hey, it wasn’t my…” Sanskrit’s voice broke off.

Ahead of them stood the café. Sanskrit walked like a zombie toward it.

“Sanskrit,” Acacia yelled, “snap out of it.”

“But we need food,” Sanskrit protested.

“I know. There must be some way,” Acacia murmured. Her eyes darted from the guards to an ivy covered wall.
“Hmmm, this just might work.”

“What what what what?” said Sanskrit, drooling like a puppy.

“You’ll see,” Acacia said. “Just follow my lead.”

To be Continued…..

See more stories by Claudia