The Godsend Backfire: The Beginning by Harold Straugh (best e reader for academics TXT) 📗

one side of the massive freezer, a center walkway and the fish on the other.  We loaded all but one fish, on massive hooks that were anchored to the ceiling with chains and large spikes.  I was in awe the size of the room.

“It took me three days to make this and if you think this is nice, you should see the rooms,” Mylicious said, proud of his work.

“How many rooms are this in this place?” I asked.

“Each child has their own room and each member of the pack has their own room, of course Mila and I have our room,” he said as he hoisted a fish up on hook.

I thought for a second, on where I would stay, but the thought escaped me.  I turned my attention back to the massive room of meat and fish. Mylicious had enough food for ten or more years in there.

We left the freezer area and headed back to the main room. It was there, I noticed the fire was going down.  Yura had me follow her outside to a pile of wood that was well hidden under the snow. She picked up an arm full, as so did I, and carried it down and set it next to the fire. We done this a few more times before Yura informed that was enough and try to find some dry pieces, from the pieces we brought it. We found about ten and tossed them on the fire.  The wood had a white bark to it and took a minute to burn, but when it did burn, it gave off a lot of heat.

Soon the sun started disappearing, and Yura yawned, “Brother, where would like to sleep tonight?” Mylicious asked.

“I don’t sleep, remember?” I asked.

“I did forget that, I’m sorry brother, I don’t think I would like that.”

“I don’t like it, everyone else gets to sleep, dream….rest and I am awake always, mind wandering all always,” I said, my voice trailing off.

“I feel for you,” Yura said and put her hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t, I’ve grown accustomed to it,” I said.

Yura a had sad look on her face, “I’m going to lie down, today was eventful and took a lot out of me.”

“Rest well, tomorrow we have to go get wood to build a new boat,” Mylicious said. “and for the celebration.”

“What celebration would that be?”

“Well, with the full moon upon us soon, it’s a mating celebration, we make a big deal out of it” he said with a gleam in his eyes.

“Oh! I don’t have to be here for that?” I asked.

Yura stopped walking to the tunnel that led to the rooms and I caught her looking back at me.

“No, of course not, you can stay down here and clean some of the fish, or eat some meat,” Mylicious said.

 He mentioned fish and reminded me of the fish we had left out in my main area, “What about that, aren’t you going to eat that tonight?”

“I will clean it tonight, and get up and make it for the rest of the pack when they return. It’s been a long day, so you can help me with this cleaning of the fish, then I’m off to sleep myself.”

“I really do hate the fact you and Derium can sleep,” I said, getting some weight off my chest.

“I’m envious you don’t, I could get so much more done if I didn’t get tired,” he said and walked over to the fish.  He dragged it over to a certain area that was carved in between the fourth and fifth tunnel, the ice was stained red a little there.  Hanging up on the wall, were four different knives and cleaver.

Mylicious pointed and smiled, “I made these too!”

“I figured as much,” I said as he grabbed a large rod and a hammer.  The hammer had a square head and a large wooden handle.

“First, we spike it to the ground,” he said, he put the tip of the spike on the fish’s head and then struck the end with the hammer, driving the spike through the fish’s head and into the iced-floor, “Then we will cut by here,” he took a small, curved knife off the wall and cut right behind the gills, up to the spine. “Then we will cut down the back to the tail and on the underbelly, the same way.” He took and made the cut, following the spine down to the tail, then slightly turning the fish sideways and cut from underbelly down to bottom part of the tail, “now is the fun part,” he took and cut just slightly under the skin about ten inches in length.  Then he rolled the loose skin under and towards the inside of the fish.  He grabbed, with both hands, where he rolled skin up and pulled.

The skin came loose, making an odd tearing sound as it came loose from the meat. He rolled it up and set it aside, then went to the other side of the fish and repeated the process.  He then got a bigger knife and started to cut from behind the gill towards the spine, then slowly back, towards the tail.  He tilted the fish and repeated the process, “You have to be careful not to get the guts, then the fish is ruined.”

I watched him work, after removing one side, he took the guts out and then cut the other side off.  He took and cut the esophagus out right behind the gill and then cut the anus out, careful not to cut the anus any further away from the entrance to it. He carefully dragged the fish’s digestive track over and set it next to the rolled-up skin.

“I save just about everything, we travel to another land twice a season.  Mila, and Tapeesa make jewelry from the bones, Yura and Amka make