"Wow, look at that thing"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Jyn3pLVD0
"Ew, where did that come from?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HmFLww1K8
"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.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49PXPLWOiZ
"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-"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQHfJ1lp7z
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Rxn1bJcSr
"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!" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsav50lSc7P
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"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbl3OY22jH
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7e84Q1e3s
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZMGNMa6ER
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbKi6R15oa
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?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRNEE0FkFm
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygKcw8O2Gv
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?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeDAQeP4bG
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4Kxswx7IZ
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC70epEjfTu
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1B3A99liih
residents won't take too kindly t' that"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndYlmOebLz
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuQw6cOOK4
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyto5W7uKT
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffXANJwlC2
"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.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoh9gRZuCy
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NYaBcHohX
"Jack"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHO8CtvGVo
"Nice to meet you"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdVR5sdUOI
"...likewise..."949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDNBSw1Hxb
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERD2CtgKKy
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwG6juNDTyh
"Sounds like an interesting place"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci6RGizoEa
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHMv46GfiL
"Who are they?" I asked.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfHQGlYbLO
"Children" he responded simply.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE65ML46Qq
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriQpmEWXbo
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtkwsOOuut
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QmevhzLcj
"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?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBteotXUz4V
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmtQaXL2yG
"No, just thinking a bit"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTX7CKKZlyT
"'Bout what?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynMjU5VvNy
"Home"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3uW9jviuM
"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"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kMoAUXEZx
"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"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VEhBD9SIK
"D-dragons?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsH2UrLlNH
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RaSq176WD
"I know what a dragon is" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg1VHymBhH
"Then why'd you ask?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm5dNTvU91
"I d- nevermind..."949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepSUrC2657
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV68FTfyB0
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42RKlpv575
"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.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlphLKdwAIs
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrmcymaY95
"I- could just use some water, thank you"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr1i1Q4lLE
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLnqm7j1h5
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvKNIEmRUe
"Not much, couple miles at the most"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6ORKjP7XM
"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?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmERktmK80u
"Um, just anything you have" 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlygS0bIjC9
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifAmNqF8IK
"You guys eat rocks?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTqLC44568
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD43bkhVxm
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y45Po454i
"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. 949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu7HcFopPw
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzimEb8KIgS
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKbwXAkcq9
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdaXLdtTMw
He waved dismissively.949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kHeOkuS1f
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"949Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmecNAwsBzx
"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.
ns216.73.216.176da2
