Today is your first day collecting food with your little brother. It is your job to teach him the customs, how to give thanks for all the food you find and to make sure the fish you catch and caught with respect and gratitude.
It is also your job to keep him safe and protect him from the dangers that exist outside of the tribe. Your brother has always been headstrong and determined, he has always acted older than he is, sometimes it has gotten him in trouble. Today he has been too excited to misbehave. It is a good day.
Or was.
Your brother suddenly stops walking.
[[Scan the area for any predators.]]You don't see anything. You look at your brother and he motions his head in the direction of the water.
You try harder and you hear noises, men talking and splashing. You move to grab your brother's arm and pull him back towards your village but he has already started running towards the noise.
[[Follow him!]]
[[Go back to the tribe and get reinforcements.]]Your brother is at the edge of the clearing, peering through some trees when you find him.
Up close you can hear that there are a lot of men, at least 10 or 15, it sounds like they are doing something in the water even though you can't see it. You wonder if that is why it has been harder to find food today, the men are scaring the fish.
Your brother doesn't even turn toward you before going through the clearing. You don't know what he is thinking.
[[Go after him so that you can protect him.]]
[[Stay hidden but be ready to fight.]]You start to move backwards and realize that you can not leave your brother behind. He is your responsibility and if something happens to him then it won't matter about reinforcements because he will be gone.
[[You pull out your spear and follow him.|Follow him!]]Before your brother can make contact with the men, you push in front of him and take charge. The men are all using tools to push the water through handheld nets. They seem to be searching for something in the water.
The men start shouting at you but you can't understand the language. Some of them are angry but some seem to be feeling how you are; curious.
[[Attempt to speak to the men.]]
[[Stay silent and show the men you mean no harm.]]The men all look at your brother with a mixture of emotions on their faces. Some of them look very angry, others seem confused about where he came from.
A few of the men start moving towards him and yelling, they are motioning to him and trying to get him to leave, they are trying to get him to leave his own land!
[[You grab your spear and move out of the clearing.|You pull out your spear.]]One man walks towards you, he must be this tribe's leader. You say a greeting and tell him these are Miwok lands that they have walked into. The man speaks back but his language is as foreign to you as yours must be to him.
After a while he stops speaking and instead pulls out a shiny sliver of a stone from his pocket. He motions towards the water. They are looking for stones in the water.
Two other men start sifting through the water again, showing you how it is done. They look at you, as if asking if you want to try for yourself. They want you to help them work.
[[Tell the men to get off your lands.]]
[[Try to pan for gold, maybe then they will leave faster.]]The men keep yelling dispite your silence, they don't seem interested in talking with you. They start getting angrier and it seems like it might be a fight. You realize that you are outnumbered and have to protect your brother. You turn and grab his arm and run back into the clearing.
The men might follow you but you have the advatage of growing up in this area, you know where to hide and where to go.
[[Hide up a tree.]]
[[Weave your way through the bushes and trees and go straight to the village.]]These men are on your lands and they are trying to make you work, they aren't interested in trade or giving gifts out of respect for you and your tribe, they just want to take what is on your land and claim it for their own.
You tell them to leave, you are no longer interested in being nice to them if they are going to be disrespectful. The men do not like you putting up a fight and start to advance towards you.
[[You pull out your spear.]]The men run this way and that way and don't notice you up the tree. You wait until they are gone before climbing down. You don't see your brother anywhere, you know you should go back to the village and them what happened but you also want to make sure your brother is okay.
There are two different roads to take, a short one and a long one, perhaps on the long one your brother will show up.
[[Take the long road.|Take the short road.]]
[[Take the short road.]]You make it back to the village out of breath and but safe. You wait and hope that your brother made it as well....you think you hear a noise.
|awake)[It isn't your brother but the men who have followed you back to your village. You shout to warn everyone of their appearance, there are more of you than there are of them. People come out of their huts with their spears and weapons. One of the elders runs towards the men, and the man uses his weapon to fire on the elder. He falls down dead where he was standing. You realize the fight will be harder than you think.
[[Join the fight.]]]
{(live: 4s)[
(show: ?awake)
(stop:)
]}The men show you how to use the tools to search for the gold. After you figure it out, the men help and bring you the water but make you and your brother look through the dirt to find the gold.
Your brother looks angry, he has never been one for following orders, always preferring to lead. You try to tell him to be calm. These men are just using the land for their gold and then they will be gone. You have no reason to fight them.
After a few hours of working the men are starting to get tired and you can hear grumbling throughout all the workers. You and your brother stop working and get ready to leave but a few men surround you instead. You realize that they intend for you to go back to their camp with them.
[[Make a run for it.|Fight!]]
[[Fight!]]Before you are able to make a move, two men grab you and two more men grab your brother. They tie up your hands and take your spear and your bag of food away. They force you to your feet and make you walk with them back to wherever they keep their camp.
You try to stay calm, you know these territories better than anyone else, if you find a way to escape, you will go for it.
[[Walk calmly with the men back to their camp.]]Once at the camp, the men set you and your brother down and get to work cooking themselves a meal. You notice that they are using onions and sweet potatoes, they have salmon from the water and clams. All food that your family eats and food that has been harder and harder to find lately. It must be because the men are eating it too.
The days work and stress is exhausting you. Your arms feel weak and you know you need your strength if you need to get your brother to safety. You are dozing off when you notice your brother slump down beside you. You try to move closer and his skin is burning hot. He has fallen sick. You move up to your knees and try to help.
[[The men notice you moving and start shouting at you.]]You ignore the men and try to help your brother although there is not much you can do with your hands tied up. Maybe he needs water. What he really needs is a trip to see the Shaman.
The men move over to you because of your distress and movement. One pulls you back and you fall over.
[[Use your legs to kick up at the men.]]
[[Roll over and try to get back up.]]The men don't like that you are trying to fight back. You hear your brother moan and fight harder, the men are trying to get to you but they can't because of how hard you are kicking at them.
One man you don't see comes up from behind and hits your head.
[[You pass out.|Your dream.]]You roll over and the men crush you into the ground. Your brother is moaning where he lies and coughing. He needs to get home, you need to protect him. You scream at the men and try to get away but they are holding you down so tightly.
Someone moves to pick up your brother and move him somewhere else.
They hold you down until you are overcome with exhaustion from fighting and fall asleep.
[[The next morning.]](link: "Everything is black but you can hear and feel your heart beating")[
(transition: "pulse")[You slowly wake up]
]
|awake)[You look next to you for your brother and see that he is staring up at the sky. His eyes are open, you know he has died. You have failed to keep him safe and are now stuck to work for these men. You hope that your brother's spirit is being welcomed and lifted up, and that he forgives you for letting him down. You know now that you can not return to your tribe because of what has happened. The life you now live is all that is fitting for someone like you.]
{(live: 4s)[
(show: ?awake)
(stop:)
]}You dream of the last ceremony your tribe had, dancing in thanks for the good weather and wonderful harvest they had gifted you. You helped your brother paint his arms and back, and put the headdress you had both made together on his head.
You had always done everything with your brother, you loved him and respected him even if he was trouble. You had sworn to protect him and teach him how to protect himself and the children he would someday have.
[[You failed.|You pass out.]](link: "The sun is shining in your eyes and you can hear the men moving about")[
(transition: "pulse")[You slowly wake up]
]
|awake)[The men get ready and then come to get you. They are taking you back to the water to pan for gold again. On the way out of the camp you pass by your brother's body. He is motionless on the ground, no longer fighting or standing tall. All the fight leaves you, there is no reason for you to return home. You were unable to save your brother. There is nothing left for you now but this life of work and capture.]
{(live: 4s)[
(show: ?awake)
(stop:)
]}The men have tools and weapons of their own. They are all so mad, they turn towards you when they see you and get more mad to see that your brother has back up. You try to keep your eyes on all the men but you can't help but watch out for your brother more than yourself. You see a man on his left that he doesn't notice. You make your move.
[[You throw the spear.]]You watch the spear fly through the air.
|awake)[It hits the man in the stomach and he falls down. You are left without a weapon so you run over to your brother as he throws his spear towards someone behind you. You are both outnumbered.
[[Run away.]]
[[Surrender.|Run away.]]]
{(live: 4s)[
(show: ?awake)
(stop:)
]}Despite being outnumbered your pride means that you can not turn your back on these men. You grab your brother's hand and stand tall in a moment of solidarity and defiance. You know that your spirit will be lifted up in your death and that dying is better than running away.
With your brother by your side, you know that this is the end.You pull out your spear and throw it at one of the men, it hits them in the side and they fall down. Two of the other men have started to go into huts and pull people out of their homes. More of your village has fallen to the ground.
You finally see your brother at the edge of the village, he made it!
Except...it is not only you that has noticed him but one of the men as well. He turns to fire the weapon at your brother and you jump in front.
Although your story may end there, you are die happy, knowing that you were able to save your brother. You forget all about your brother as you get closer to your village and realize there are screams and noises coming from inside. You rush over to see that the men have found where you live. They ambushed your people.
Many of them lie motionless on the ground while more are tied up and some are still running away.
You run towards the nearest person and cut them free. Together the both of you join the fight.
[[Run towards the nearest enemy.]]You still worry for your brother but hope that he is safe somewhere away from the fighting. You know that your entire village is in danger and that these men will either kill them or capture them.
You grab your spear and advance towards another man but he is faster, he turns towards you and fires his weapon. You fall to the ground.
In the last moments before your world goes black, you see your brother, but is he here or is it his spirit. You reach out for him and everything is better. He is safe, you are together, and that is all that matters.