Dance of the Americas

South America 220,000,000 BCE

I remembered very little of what happened last week, and the week before that and the week before that. What I do remember was the time of my birth. I was born in a deep rainforest, somewhere near a hill. I recall what it was like to take my first breath of life when I popped out of my egg shell. The world was different in my eyes that day, sometimes harsh and cruel, and the other time full of beauty and wonder. The first breath was the most pure event of my life. I could never forget that.

I had six brothers and only one sister. My brothers had always ignored me, and even tried to kill me a few times. It was my sister who stood by my side. I always felt a close bond to her. What I mean by “close” is not pertaining to a sexual relationship, but more of a brother-sister relationship. She always stayed by my side and never abandoned me.

My mother called me “Dance.” I have no clue why my mother gave me this name, but the other names my mother gave to my siblings were quite as odd. For my six brothers their names were Tree, Sand, Sol, Fern, King, and Jam. They were simple names really but the most mysterious name was given to my sister. Mother had told my sister that, “since you are the only Female, your name is now America. No longer are you known as Female but as America. So now that you are all named, it is time to leave the nest. Refuse to and suffer greatly, for I am not always a mother for long.”

So my siblings all went separate ways after a certain age. As usual, I stayed with America. It was quite rare for our species to stay together, at least after leaving the nest. We Carnos saurians (Herrerasaurs) were mostly independent hunters and beings. Yet I could never leave my sister, America. I always had that strong bond with her, never wanting to be separated.

Originally as both of us got older we began feeling an urgent temptation…the temptation for what I do not know. We were now 5 years old and full grown. I remember a conversation that I had started with my sister. I noticed America was ignoring me as the long years passed. Now I had the chance to confront her.

We glared into each other’s eyes and that is how it all began.

“America, I must say you seem to be…trailing off from me.”

That statement totally caught my sister by surprise, and the dark anger in her eyes was on display for me to see.

“Listen Dance, I am thinking of leaving…permanently. I just cannot stay here anymore. The world is calling me and my instincts are forcing me to go on. I need to live a solitary life.”

My eyes grew with sorrow.

“I have instincts to, but they are just different than your instincts. Unlike other Carnos saurians, I do not want to be alone. I need company and assistance. Hunting would be more…”

America’s eyes snapped in anger.

“Yes, damn difficult. As a race we hunt alone. It has always been that way. That is why we have survived so long and are growing in success. The only time we ever meet is when we have sex once every year. Then boom! It’s over. The male leaves to find more sex and the female raises the hatchlings. That process keeps getting repeated and repeated until we die. Dance, we never knew our father and probably never will.”

I retaliated with my own opinion.

“But we are different. We are meant…”

America broke into my sentence once again, her eyes burning with rage.

“I am going up north, Dance. I am going to leave and live my own life. Siblings rarely, if ever, meet with each other and mate. Why, mating with our own Kin would be a disaster. It has already been proven Dance.”

I knew like that, America was going to leave. In fact she nearly attacked me, and at that moment we got into a territorial fight. America screamed and roared, and she took a lunge towards my neck. I kicked at her, breaking her lunge. She was disoriented for the moment, but later regained her reality. I did not want to fight, not now. If I ran though, I would be prey. When America tore at my right arm, I knew I was not paying attention. Her jaws locked onto my helpless arm and left an open wound.

I felt the agony of the pain, the Red slowly leaking from the gash. I could not move my arm, nor did I want to. I cowered against a giant fern tree. I was afraid to meet her eyes, to communicate and say my last words. However, I overcame my fear.

“Please America. You can kill me but I ask a favor of you. I want to dance with you. I do not want to dance a mating dance, but a ritual dance. Dance with me so that when I enter Eternal Freedom I will remember what it was like to experience something different on Mother Earth’s face. This way I can prove to mother as to why she called me “Dance.” I want you to never forget me from your anger, so that when you remember “Dance” you will remember me. For the last time, dance with me America as you represent both the North and Southern lands. See that hill over there? I remember it from my memory. I think we were born there. We will dance on the hill.”

America had lost her madness, but she had never heard a request like this in her entire life. America no longer looked into my eyes, but instead she stared at the hill ahead. She turned around at once and looked at me.

“Dance with me America, for I will die soon from this wound you have inflicted upon me. This is the last favor I ask of you before…”

This time I paused in my speech. I felt dizzy and knew that I was slowly bleeding to death. My arm was trembling very violently and so was my body. Whether America danced with me or not, I did not care. If she would not dance with me then I would just dance by myself.

So up the hill I went. I almost fell several times but I managed to escape my near death experiences. To my surprise, America had followed me up the hill.

Her eyes were calm and filled with anguish at the same time. This time she replied.

“Let’s do the Dance of the Americas.”

And so our ritual dance began.

I began to bob my head, and my sister did the same. Only she did not bob it as quickly as I did. I felt very nervous, and I could sense America was excited. We both rotated in a circle, now bobbing our heads and necks. We jumped back several times, closing in on each other. It was almost like a mating dance but it was a different type of dance. It was an apologetic dance.

The next move we began leaping in circles, very close to each other. So close in fact, it felt like we were almost touching each other. The next thing I knew I felt this very bizarre sensation. The dance truly was my nirvana and I could dance for all eternity if I had to.

I do not know if I lived or died that day, but the last thing I remember was that my soul was being set free from my body.