"Wow, look at that thing"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8dFs64wJA
"Ew, where did that come from?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8UNa2qNAa
"Can it even talk?"
I was roused from my sleep at the sound of three separate voices, all chiming in at the same time. I took a deep breath, before opening my eyes- the lids felt heavy against my eyes as I blinked. I heard three pairs of footsteps scramble against the floor, and was greeted with the sight of...nothing.
"Huh?" I said dumbly, wondering just where I was.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUATEoRMpD1
"Hey, you alright there? You just kinda...appeared" a male voice said, sounding significantly older than the other three I'd just heard.
I sat up, my limbs burning as I did, like I'd just run three marathons without stopping.
"HOLY SH-"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWxT6FG96s
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2QXRmAtiB
"None o' that, pal, there be children present" the male voice said.
'Holy- a real- no, this can't be real...this isn't real...'
"Hey, buddy, snap out of it!" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nqRyyaXta
I did, and I still couldn't believe what I was seeing- standing over me was a pile of sand, not too crazy, right? Wrong, this particular pile of sand had human features- well, at least a pair of eyes and a mouth, other than that, it was a little difficult to make anything out.
"'Bout time you woke up" the 'sand-man' said, taking its hand off my mouth "Thought you were a goner there for a while"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqwDPT8sJi
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMIU6f6eQc
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡht28f5e8SS
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz03zHA2Wu
The sand-man stared at me like I just grew three heads...
...whew, still only got the one...
"Did you really hit your head...or you just pullin' my leg?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ7gw4q8yC
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUyI95Tr6u
The sand-man 'hmmph'd', and sat back.
"Arkia's the name o' the land" he said "What idiot don't know the name o' their own land?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWVdxWKsT0
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF83kVn8K62
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4eiQvPND2
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCZyT5CcE2
residents won't take too kindly t' that"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkmmRWkuPf
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiczQzPgC6
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dyUzVanDx
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoObmHsuWi3
"Alrighty then, let's get y' straightened out" he said, standing up "C'mon, I'll show you around"
I stood as well, and followed the sand-man out the door, the three shorter ones following.
"So...uh...what's your name?" I asked the sand-man.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH4dIXUjT9
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xot9CU5mR
"Jack"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLpTJjtPU5
"Nice to meet you"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEoGfQqpDf
"...likewise..."849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa15W8uU02M
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmGAZJluek
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyRQWOjkjL
"Sounds like an interesting place"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUhBE3BwIq
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucs1E1w1C1
"Who are they?" I asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBSxUbp8ke
"Children" he responded simply.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfefE0yR9j2
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjWVckR7UG
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4UEtqFUB0
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3YbHcy5mN
"S'alright" the boy responded.
'Shake it off...freak out later...freak out later...'
I repeated the mantra in my head until our group came upon a large, rectangular hole in the wall.
'Must be a door' I deduced.
The sun suddenly made itself known as we exited the house, the rays beating down relentlessly as we walked out into the open. I noticed that there were about a dozen more sand-people walking about, perfectly fine- as if the sun's heat didn't bother them.
'Makes a bit of sense...' I thought 'they're made of sand...I guess I'd be more surprised if they aren't affected like I am'
You know what else? This...this place...it's crazy- I mean, this is like something out of a sci-fi movie. Being the nerd that I am, this is practically a dream come true- well, if I can find a way back home, that is...
A shiver ran down my spine, despite the blazing heat.
'I will find a way home...'
"Hey, Jack" Grit called "The heat gettin' t' ya?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSbYSaHlJF
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29w6odOCSI
"No, just thinking a bit"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4PtwAD6v8
"'Bout what?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ7VU3OO7z
"Home"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2EvxmVvK2
"I get y', anytime I'm away from this place, makes me a bit homesick myself"
I nodded absently.
"So- uh- what other kind of...uh...people live here? In this land, I mean"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCaw9OX2ky
"Don't really know all of 'em" he responded "Know there's a few types o' dragons enjoy the heat, see one of 'em huntin' out there every once in a while"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjSKEkHR7n
"D-dragons?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfzgGyMVyh
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqbafIgU8l
"I know what a dragon is" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡud26EHsmYf
"Then why'd you ask?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfl5OZEu1p
"I d- nevermind..."849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPerOLWuCk
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcA612ua7f
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqUBomPcm4
"No problem at all"
Before I knew it, we had crossed the street, and were now entering another home.
"What are we doing here?" I asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9N4eQ8tleS
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0rG88CGVv
"I- could just use some water, thank you"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziDXl8svff
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJwzXjOP4Z
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLpP4JeXNi
"Not much, couple miles at the most"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBjiiOo4za
"Then...yeah...guess I will..."
Another slap on the back, and he laughed.
"Now you're gettin' it!"
'Get what?'
"Come on in" he said "What'll y' have?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSQv562Ke8
"Um, just anything you have" 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dmOWzubH4
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2cxR56jKG
"You guys eat rocks?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PIX0vM8JF
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbQ1OWQbJD
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2NYnaxaWt
"Huh...never woulda guessed..."
'What's that supposed to mean?'
"Well...can I just take the water? Then I can be on my way"
"I got a bit, not much water here in the desert- we really don't got much use for it, anyway"
Grit passed me two small clay pots, I set one down and popped off the lid, finding the water almost to the brim. I put the lid back on, and picked up the two bottles.
"Thank you, really" I said, reaching out to shake Grit's hand. 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCpqf0iBVq
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsowE9qcfmp
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBWWdNCvvO
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBMiR30L0Z
He waved dismissively.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTCKiABZF1
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIFdq7RNVP
"I, uh...will if I can..."
He grinned, and I left the house, walking once more into the heat as I waved back to the sand-people inside.
I sighed to myself as I passed the city limit, and stared out at the expansive desert.
'Better start walking...' I moaned inwardly.
ns3.21.106.239da2
