Page 462 of Chaos has a Name
“Really, Elizabeth, don’t pokeThe Hollow. It’s a very bad idea.”
Again, it was her job.
“So, did your husband and sons like to hunt?” she asked, changing the subject.
Elkie laughed.
“All of the time. They kept our freezers full. They still do, but they don’t get to go out as much. The bar keeps them busy.”
Elizabeth was curious.
“Callen’s been trying to take me hunting but with a bow and arrow. Sadly, I suck at it.”
Elkie was amused.
“It’s not easy. My Joshua wasn’t good at it with a bow, but I taught the boys to be sufficient. That was my duty to make sure they could grow up and take care of their families—not that they’ve settled down,” she said, sighing.
Rayna understood.
“It’s not easy to find a spouse here,” she offered.
Elkie sighed.
“No, it isn’t. My hope for grandbabies died out a long time ago.”
To keep her off guard, and to show Takoda how she did it, she changed the subject.
“Do you know whoThe Hollowis?” she asked.
Elkie shrugged.
“No one knows. We only know the legend. You don’t mess with it, and you don’t try to stop it. If you leave it alone, the Wendigo gets fed, and we have a decent year.”
Uh-huh.
Except there were no Wendigos.
“What is known is it is to be respected. Nowadays the younger generations don’t heed the lessons or customs of the elders. That is a problem.”
Well, yeah.
Because this custom was taking a human life. That was all kinds of wrong.
Why was that so difficult to see?
It was like taking a trip to some alternate universe where people didn’t believe in things that were real, but they clung to things that were fake.
What was next?
Big Foot?
Chupacabra?
Moth man?
This was all insane to her.
“What is it you need for the people here?” Elizabeth asked, aborting this mission of cuckoo.
