The Little Ones Speak

This post was authored via the little ones dictating content to Elizabeth, the sometimes-Gatekeeper.  All efforts have been made to strike a balance between the authentic voice of the children, and the standardized grammar and spelling requirements that adults observe.  Apologies are offered if this seems difficult to read, either because of how it's written, or - more likely - the content herein.


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It's scary when big people are yelling.  When we was still little on the outside, the big people around us would yell a lot.  Them big people aren't here anymore, but we gots big peoples inside with us.  Sometimes they get mad and yell, and is scares us.  They not be yelling at us, but just yelling cuz they're mad at somebody else in the Tribe, or cuz Jo ain't listening.

We don't like the yelling... makes us sad and afraid that something bad gonna happen.  Don't know when or even what it gonna be, but yelling always means somebody gonna do something bad.  We don't like the "badness."  Don't like big people getting mad, even if it's not at us.  We hide when they yell.

Elizabeth says that it's okay, we don't have to hide all the time.  She never lies to us, but hard to trust that it's okay to talk.  We gonna see what happens.  Big people in the Tribe are talking on the outside sometimes, and not always hiding no more. So we gonna see if they're safe before we gonna come out from the hiding place.

Want to get some time to play and not get in trouble for wasting time and being in the way cuz the big people got stuff to do.  Don't wanna be crying all the time; it makes the head hurt really really bad.

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Within the Tribe, there is a wide spectrum of voices and experiences.  Over time, we'll reveal more about the structure, most especially within the narrative of the book, but suffice it to say that it's a diverse group.  A broad variety of perspectives can be both valuable and frustrating.  Ultimately, each "part" has value either for its knowledge, abilities, access to memories, or because it is a core part of the original self.