Now

“The mammoth hunters spectacularly occupy the cave wall and the mind, but what we actually did to stay alive and fat was gather seeds, roots, sprouts, shoots, leaves, nuts, berries, fruits, and grains…” –Ursula K. Le Guin, The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction

Ook tired of roots and sprouts! Ook want meat!

Day of Meat

Ook drag cavedad’s bonker club to deer pen. Ook throw sprouts for distraction. Deer eat sprouts. Ook bonk deer!

Victorious hunter Ook drag deer carcass up long mountain path to Goom’s cave. Goom cook deer in firepit. Charred meat taste like victory.

Ook go home dreaming of Goom.

Parents angry. Favorite deer in pen. Wasted sprouts.

Ook no apologize! Angry parents exile Ook from family cave. Ook take sleepfur and other shirtfur and no stupid sprouts. Ook keep bonker too.

Ook try Goom’s cave. Goom say hard no.

Sad Ook search dark mountainside for new cave for sleep. Find small cave. Can fit sideways only. Ook’s cave now! No parents allowed! No Goom allowed!

Well, maybe Goom allowed.

Hungry again.

Day of Two Sad Meats

Ook stick deer antlers in dirt in front of cave as cool decoration. Deer pen too far away. Ook decide to hunt!

Hungry Ook bonk squirrel. Bonk mountain cat. Drag both meats to Goom’s cave. Goom not home.

Ook search mountain caves. Find big cave where Goom smooching Bruk. Ook get angry! Ook try to bonk Bruk!

Bruk smash Ook.

Ook leave meats. Ook run away. Ook cry in cave.

Day of Sad Rain

Ook stay in cave with Bruk-smash headache. Cave fill with lizards hiding from rain. Ook can’t catch to eat. Ook too slow and weak.

Why Bruk so strong? Why Bruk’s cave so big? Probably good smoocher too. Ook jealous of Bruk.

Ook want revenge.

Day of Big Revenge

Ook stalk quiet like mountain cat. Ook scramble fast like squirrel. Ook hide with bonker above Bruk’s cave, ready for surprise attack!

But Bruk come outside crying. Light dance on Bruk’s fingers, like small stars. Ook hesitate. Bruk so strong and handsome and can do magic too. So why crying? 

Ook watch Bruk for long time. Ook sneak away to think.

Day of Bruk

Ook hunt wild deer on mountain. Bonk!

Ook drag deer to Bruk’s cave. Bruk try to smash Ook—Ook say wait!

Long talk with Bruk. Bruk good listener. Ook talk about parents and tiny cave and hunts. Ook say lonely sometimes. Bruk flex muscles. Bruk pose with smasher. Bruk say be brave!

Ook leave. See Bruk drag deer to Goom’s cave. Ook sad.

Day of Being Brave

Parents bring basket of sprouts. Basket no fit in Ook’s cave. Parents worry. Parents say Ook’s cave just crack in mountain. Parents invite Ook home.

Too bad! Ook flex like Bruk. Ook pose with bonker. Parents leave crying.

Ook visit Bruk’s cave to gift sprouts and tell of brave victory over parents!

Bruk gone. Where Bruk?

Day of Search

Goom bring neanderthal friend Chnthnn to Ook’s cave. Ask if seen Bruk. Goom worry. Ook worry too.

Ook hunt for Bruk. Hunt all daylight and into dark time. Hear soft hoots of pain. See little flashing stars shooting up from Bruk’s fingers. Find Bruk. Carry Bruk back to Bruk’s cave.

Bruk say he tried to be brave hunter like Ook. Bruk stalked wild deer. Raised smasher! But deer was beautiful. Could not smash. Slipped and fell and broke leg and could only watch beautiful deer leap away forever and take his heart too and leave him hurt and maybe dying in failed lonely life like stars above all shining apart and never ever together. Bruk say he jealous of Ook.

Ook say he want to be cool and brave like Bruk. Ook jealous too.

Ook and Bruk hold each other and cry.

Day of Hearts

Goom and Chnthnn splint Bruk’s leg. Chnthnn good healer and good artist. Paint cave walls until Goom and Chnthnn and Bruk stomachs growl hungry.

Ook hunt deer. Ook raise bonker—but remember Bruk’s broken leg and heart. Ook let deer go.

Ook gather roots and sprouts. Make soup for Bruk and Goom and Chnthnn. Tell Bruk about beautiful deer.

Bruk thank Ook. Bruk hold soup bowl close. Ook hold Bruk closer. Bruk smooch Ook. Ook feel warm.

Good Days Later

Goom say she tires of Ook and Bruk and caves and root sprout soup. Goom leaving mountain to live with Chnthnn and learn artist skills.

Ook move in with Bruk.

Parents bring basket of sprouts. Parents find Ook and Bruk so in love. Parents happy too.

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Spencer Orey has a PhD in cultural anthropology from Duke University and is a graduate of Taos Toolbox and the Odyssey Writing Workshop. His short stories have been published in all kinds of wonderful places like Factor Four and Worlds of Possibility. You can find him and more of his work online on Bluesky @spencerorey.bsky.social and at his website at spencerorey.com.