Mist Boats

Mist Boats is an allegory. I’ve incorporated my anthropological knowledge and observation of the human condition into this sweet and surreal story of the pitfalls encountered in the passage from adolescence into self-awareness and adulthood. The setting is a large, self-sustaining, but isolated plateau with a population of hunter gatherers.
The plot has to do with a mist that surrounds the plateau. The mist is a once in a generation occurrence. This is the only chance to leave the plateau in their mist boats for those who think that they are ready to make the crossing over the mist and arrive on a new horizon.
A handful of young folks feel they are ready. One of these young folks is a hunter. He ignores the sacredness of life and the simplicity of nature’s logic and sees himself as being master of all of the herds and dreams of the personal fortune that can be made from trading in hides, meat and bones.
Our next adventurous soul is the Handsome One. He has had his fill of the adoration heaped upon him by the plateau’s young women. The handsome one is sure he can find even lovelier and more devoted women on the other side of the mist. He flaunts his good looks and fantasizes about the many wives and children in his future.
The Schemer is a lazy soul always looking for an angle to make his life easier. He has a misguided notion that the world beyond the plateau is one of ease and endless milk and honey.
Lastly is a self-doubting youth who has the gift of song. The songs have the power to heal. Misunderstood by the others, the youth, with Grandfather’s encouragement decides to leave the plateau and share this wonderful gift.
The four youngsters leave the plateau. It is not a race. Each one must rise to their individual challenge.