Umpteenth Attempt

He was deep in thought. It had been one year since his birth, and all the babies in his batch were now actively running here and there in the playroom, causing a ruckus. Snot covered toys, screaming, fighting, crying—everything that babies do filled the room with chaos. He had tried several attempts to escape the nursery, but wherever he went, the caregivers were always there to stop him.

A few months ago, when the majority of the babies were still confined to their cages, he had tried to climb out during nap time but was immediately spotted by a passing caregiver. He had tried to sneak out at night, but the lid was locked. He had figured out that there must be a locking mechanism on the opposite side of the lid joint, and he found it. However, when he tried to lift the lid, it was too heavy for his tiny muscles. When the majority of the kids could access the playroom, he had tried to distract the caregivers' attention by making several kids cry. He rushed to the bed area which leads to the door outside, only to find it locked, with the lock too high for his tiny height.

Right now, he was formulating a new plan to escape, only to be disturbed by a boy trying to play with him. He had grasped most of the language and could hold basic conversations. The little boy asked him to come play together, but he rejected the offer, saying he was too old to play a kid's game.

The little boy asked, "Huh? You're old? How? We're the same age, and we're in the same playroom."

Amused by the little boy's logic, 'That's actually a pretty good reasoning, hmm... This might be my best chance, alright I'll give it a try', he gave up and decided to play.

They played catch with a not perfectly round ball made of animal hide that were sewn and stuffed with dried fibers. But still, a ball is a ball. The little boy had the first throw and tossed the ball at him. He then returned the ball like he was doing a volleyball serve, the ball was thrown and smashed, which ended up farther behind than where the little boy was standing.

The little boy was mesmerized by his strength. The little boy picked the ball and asked him to teach the throw he showcased just earlier. But he said, "If you want to learn how to hit that far, you must at least be able to do what I'm about to do."

He took several steps back and said, "I will hit that chair over there." He threw the ball, and it hit the chair.

The little boy's eyes sparkled with amazement. "Hitting from that far is amazing!"

He retrieved the ball and handed it over to the little boy. "Good luck," he said.

The little boy took several steps back, assessed the target, and said, "I will hit the same chair."

As he watched, he noticed the little boy's form was clumsy but had good motor coordination, which surprised him. 'How can a one-year-old have motor coordination that good?' he wondered, as if he were not a one year old baby himself. The ball flew in a parabolic trajectory, passed the chair, and slipped right through the gap between the window's railing.

He grinned and praised the little boy. "That was a good throw. Keep practicing."

The little boy, shocked that the ball went outside, wanted to cry but subsided slightly because of the praise.

He then said out loud, "Oh no, the ball went outside," trying to get the caregivers' attention.

He made several kids cry in advance to divide the caregivers' attention. One of the caregivers attended to his request to retrieve the ball because he wanted to play with his friend. The caregiver responded positively and told him to keep playing and be a good boy while she went outside to fetch the ball.

Unbeknownst to the caregiver, the mischievous beginner human quietly followed her all the way past the bed area and into the corridor. He waited until the caregiver opened the door which leads directly outside, and to his surprise, she didn't close it. Seizing the opportunity, he successfully escaped the nursery facility. He quickly rushed into the bushes to hide himself from the caregiver and began to explore his surroundings in his merry way.

As he roamed around in the bushes, he felt a sense of freedom that he hadn't experienced since his rebirth. The air was fresh and filled with the scents of earth and foliage. He peeked out from his hiding spot and saw the village sprawled out before him.

The sight was both exhilarating and overwhelming. He saw men and women going about their daily tasks—some were carrying logs, others were fleshing hides or braiding ropes, and some other were carrying huge buckets of water to a house where roof tiles are laid out to dry. He marveled at the hustle and bustle of the tribe's life.

'So this is what I've been missing,' he thought to himself, feeling a mix of awe and determination. 'I need to learn more about this place.'

He ventured further, making sure to stay hidden as he moved. He found a small clearing where children were playing games. They were older than him, perhaps around five or six years old. Their laughter and shouts filled the air, and he watched them with a mix of curiosity and longing. By instinct he wanted to join them.

'Hmm, must be fun playing outside...' but he knew he had to be cautious. 'One step at a time,' he reminded himself. 'I need to gather information first.'

He continued exploring and soon found himself near the training grounds he had seen from the window all this time. Several young warriors were sparring, their movements fluid and powerful. He watched in fascination, noting the movements they used. He was particularly intrigued by their strength and agility.

'No wonder everyone in this tribe is so well-built,' he mused. 'They do start training at a young age.'

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. He turned quickly, his heart pounding, only to see a group of children approaching. He ducked behind a tree, hoping they hadn't seen him. The children, unaware of his presence, continued on their way, chattering excitedly about their own activities.

He let out a sigh of relief and continued his exploration.

He found a stream at the edge of the village and sat down beside it, dipping his fingers into the cool water. He felt a sense of peace wash over him as he watched the water flow.

'This place isn't so bad,' he thought. 'If only I could understand more about it.'

As he sat there, lost in thought, he noticed a faint glow out of the corner of his eye. It was the same mysterious light he had seen before. It hovered just above the water, shimmering softly. He frowned, feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity.

'Just... what are you?'

When suddenly he heard a loud noise followed by black smoke rising up from the village.