by Zac Strong
There certainly is a difference in the women’s attitude around here. It’s impossible to go anywhere without getting these long, seductive stares, not that I mind. They wet their lips and flaunt their pretty much naked bodies through the path in front of my room at all hours. Everyone loves the new guy. Even Jacee has been acting strange lately, stranger than usual. Something has been building in the space between us. Whatever it is has me looking to bump into her as often possible, without looking too obvious, of course.
In 34 when we gave our heart to someone, we gave all of it to them. Here… well, here I quickly learned it’s completely different. Everyone shares their heart. Jealousy has been replaced by exploration. As Hera would say, the shackles of monogamy do not exist in Elysium. Promiscuity is as common as laughter. Drunkenness and sex are official pastimes. It’s almost impossible to stay faithful to anyone. Why would anyone want to? What law of nature says you must? Temptation lingers like an unwanted roommate. So far, I have resisted, but I feel myself slipping.
I can’t sleep tonight, not that unusual lately.
Sliding the rust-stained metal gate to the Outlands open I spot her immediately. Top of the big rock across the gate sitting peacefully by herself, waiting for sunrise. A stray hair falls across her face like it was programmed. From within her gaze, moonlight sparkles across fixed eyes.
The rocky rise proved simple to scale. Jacee didn’t flinch as I took my seat, allowing my legs to dangle off the edge next to hers.
“Can’t sleep either, huh?”
“Nope,” she replies, without moving. Head still fixed in the direction of the moon.
“Well, I know things have been a little crazy lately but, how do you like it here so far?” I ask for something to say.
“Better than the alternative, I suppose.”
“I kind of like it.”
“Bet you do,” she snaps playfully.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Palin. I can see why you wouldn’t mind living in a cave filled with half-naked women wanting to have sex with you all of the time.” There was unquestionably some resentment in her voice, but she was pretending it didn’t bother her.
“Wait a second… Are you jealous, Jacee?”
“Me?” she fakes a laugh, “Don’t flatter yourself. That is the last thing on my mind right now.”
“What’s the first thing?”
“Sleep. I think that’s enough fresh air for me.”
She slips attempting to lift herself off the edge, and I catch her mid-fall. As she turns into me something indescribable happens in the closeness between us. With my arms wrapped around her, her sapphire eyes cut up to mine, then to my lips.
She thanked me, and climbed down, disappearing behind the gates. My eyes traced her the entire way like a sentry droid. I elected to stay a while longer before heading back to my room.
Right before I fall asleep Jacee bursts into my room wearing the same smile I see every time I close my eyes here recently.
Her short blonde hair bounces, and she glides with an elegance I could only hope to be in the way of. Her sweet scent warps my mind causing me to forget about anything that isn’t her.
“Come with me, now. There’s something I want to show you,” she demands from the door. “Hurry.”
“What’s happening?” I ask sleepily.
“We’re going on a little… adventure,” she explains blinking at me with exaggerated eyes.
What is she up to?
“Where we going?” Admittedly, I haven’t even started to discover the full extent of this cave. Figured the rest of it is just tunnels to nowhere. Perhaps there’s more to explore.
“I found a place I want you to see. Just follow me and I’ll show you,” she replies extending her soft hand in my direction as if I had a choice in this or anything she asks.
We race through the passageways towards the deepest corridors of Elysium like children lost in their imaginations. I’ve never
been this far before. Nothing can reach us here. Everything is eerily silent, a blissful quiet. The only sounds are the patter of our feet and the occasional splash of her delicate laughter echoing against the cave.
The low-lit path narrows. It’s tight, almost impassable in areas. “How far are we down?” I ask trying to adjust the pressure in my ears.
Her shoulders shrug as she impassively replies, “Probably a mile or two.”
We’ve been walking for longer than I expected. This little adventure has grown into a chore. A strange feeling begins to overwhelm me. It slowly creeps down my spine. I feel the walls squeeze the air from my lungs. My body suddenly has an intense urge to extend in every direction. I feel trapped. Helpless.
“Almost there,” chirps Jacee directly into my discomfort as if she knew what my mind was doing to me. She heals me.
“There!” she says as she squats down and wiggles through a small opening in the wall that you would easily miss if you didn’t know what you were looking for.
The sound of water rushing on the other side intrigues my curiosity, momentarily blinding me from how absolutely insane this is. There’s no way I’m going to let myself look weak in front of her
though. Against my instincts, I man up and follow her into the narrow slot in and up a stone tunnel.
Immediately I regret my decision.
It quickly becomes apparent that I’m not getting through this. The rocks are slimy and cold. Water slowly drips on my face from above. Everything is pitch black.
Midway up, my momentum seizes. My thickness won’t allow me to move any further. I push the sides of the opening with my feet, desperately trying to get leverage only to come up short with every attempt.
Tiny stones and pebbles fall around me as I now more eagerly try to escape the tunnel’s hold.
The stone walls further constrict me.
It’s getting tighter.
I’m stuck and no sign of Jacee anywhere.
I’m not sure she can even hear me.
“Hey! I’m stuck – little help here!” I cry out trying my best to save face.
Panic begins to set in.
My heart rate increases.
I shift my body rapidly only to make my situation worse.
I’m freaking out.
I’m so close.
“Help me, Jacee! This isn’t funny. I’m really stuck!” I shout out again.
Still nothing.
Where is she?
What if she’s hurt?
I find a rock wedged inside of the tunnel above me and use it to force myself up to the opening as my skin scrapes against the pointed edges of the pass. Slowly, rock by rock, I manage to escape the cave’s deadly grip.
Dusting myself off I stand above the gap that I just crawled through still unable to comprehend how I managed to escape. I turn around to a wonder that renders words useless.
My body drops to the ground. How is this possible?
She’s taken us to the most beautiful place on earth.
Millions of bioluminescence mushrooms and globerries illuminate the walls and ceiling of this giant, cathedral cavern hidden in the heart of Elysium.
Countless waterfalls circle a rock dome as water burst through from a hundred openings in the wall around us. An untouched forest of giant glowing mushrooms resides majestically past the bluff in the center of this ambiance of perfection.
She sits on the cliffside flanked by two waterfalls, kicking her legs into the air, soaking it in.
I cautiously take a seat in the space next to her, taking extra care not to fall from the edge she dangles from.
Water rushes past us on both sides, off the cliff, and into the river circling the giant mushroom forest below.
I try to speak but, my tongue is lost in its infatuation of this paradise. My eyes refuse to blink for fear of missing even a magical second of this. Still looking into the wonderland, I feel her wrap her hand in mine. She tilts her head and rests it on my shoulder. I’ve made up my mind.
I never want to leave this place.
“Rise and shine, Palin. You ready yet or what?” shouts Cyrus beating on my door. “Come on… You’re the one that volunteered for this.”
My eyes stick to my face, as I rub them with one hand and reach for Jacee with the other. She’s gone. Must’ve left after I fell asleep. Rushing out of my bed, still wearing yesterday’s clothes I step out of the rugged comfort of my stone room. My half-open eyes greet Cyrus and a few of the other guys impatiently waiting for me. These people get up way too early.
“About time.” scoffs Cyrus. “We need to get there while the sun is still shining if we’re going to have a chance at finding anything of value.”
My first supply run. I’m nervous, but more so eager to get out and away from this cave. I miss the warm breeze of the open desert kissing my skin. It’s been too long. You don’t really know what you have until you go without it for a bit.
“Okay, guys listen up. I need all three of you – eyes on me,” barks Cyrus, wiping the hair from his eyes. “Here’s the plan. 34’s trash dump is about a mile outside the city. Our mission is to get there and scavenge this week’s load. Simple right? We’ve been tasked with hunting anything that will cast a flame: fluid tanks, booze bottles, oily machinery, the usual. We also need a few backpacks full of clothing and material to be repurposed.”
Everyone seems to be experienced, nodding their heads in agreement. I guess that makes me the noob.
“Alright, any questions?” He looks directly at me.
A million questions all race through my mind at once, but my lips remain silent. I figure this is more of a learn-as-you-go kind of thing.
In a single file, we grab our gear and head for the gates catching smiles and warm pats on our back from the older people as we move through the hallways to our departure. Aside from Archer Lethe I’ve never seen anyone that looks much older than me, that is until Xander found us. I feel no less than a hero here. It’s nice. I must admit, this place is growing on me. I’m becoming a vibrant shroom on Elysium’s wall.
The gates were already open by the time we made it to the entrance. The smell of fresh air hits me like a drug, and damn does it feel good. Anticipation empowers me. We take our weapons from the racks, a short sword for me, and step out of the safety of our home. A surge of pride rises from within. For the first time in a long time, I feel a real sense of purpose in my life. The second I pass the guards bidding us farewell, I’m nearly knocked to my knees from the heat. The fiery sun burns my retinas, blinding me but I persevere.
My squinting eyes aim for my feet as I pull the bone-covered mask over my face. It would never stand a chance against Lethe blasters, but it shields the sun and might give you an edge against rogue traders or thieves, at least that’s what Xander said.
We push forward parting the blackened sand with each step. I follow the footsteps of the man in front of me as he follows the man in front of him. We pace ourselves and trek through the seemingly endless sea of sand. Within minutes I’m drenched in sweat. The shirt under my metal breastplate is completely soaked and has already begun to chafe. An unceasing argument arises within me in a desperate struggle with my self-control to conserve the water in the canteen strapped to my back. I keep myself distracted by listening in on a conversation two of the guys behind me are having, but even that soon turns into the most tedious of chores imaginable. It isn’t long until their words cannot account for the needless exhaustion of their energy any longer. The only sound that falls on my ears now is the sifting of the sand under our feet and the clinking of our gear as the dunes around us sway in the heat.
Hours into our hike the heat is unbearable, and I remember how foolish I was to be excited about this journey. I begin to long for the cave. You don’t really know what you have until you go without it for a bit.
A cool wind dances on top of the hills twisting and spiraling erratically before whirling back into the desolation. My legs begin to ache as the sand trapped in my boots slides from my toes to my heels and back with every step forward. I’m dying, or at least it feels like it. The sun isn’t just killing me physically. I can sense my mind taking a beating as well. This isn’t what I expected on my first adventure for the tribe. This is work. The struggle is real.
You never really understand how long the days are until you spend all of it watching the sun sail through the clouds. Time doesn’t stop. It just kind of melts. The sun, directly over our heads, shines brighter than I ever remember it before. Images of Kalli scar my
mind. She’s in our old bed waiting for me, smiling. Her sweet smell of home lingers in the air around me. I’m finally happy and she’s gone, so why am I torturing myself?
The wind blows a bit harder as it spells her name in the sand at my feet.
“Just stop!” I scream aloud.
Our squad, all at once, turns and looks at me oddly.
Shit. I’m losing it.
“Okay. How about we take a quick break,” orders Cyrus as he motions for me to follow him.
Embarrassed, I trail him a few paces away from the group before he asks in a low voice, “What’s going on man? Everything okay?”
I try to fake a laugh.
He doesn’t buy it.
“It’s nothing. Eyes are just playing tricks on me.”
“Well, take a minute, get some water in you. We need you to keep it together.” He pats my back, and I surprisingly feel a little better. I can tell why Xander relies on him.
I gather myself for a few minutes, noticing something different in the air. The wind picks up abruptly as dark grey skies brew overhead. I nearly forget the heat as I watch the clouds ravage through the electric sky.
“What is that?” he asks staring at the dunes far behind me.
It takes a second for my eyes to find what he is talking about, but sure enough, something is out there. A black mass crawling over the tallest hill of sand quickly becomes the only thing my curious eyes will let me focus on.
Thunder roars all around us.
The wind is blowing pretty hard now.
Cutting my eyes towards Cyrus I realize he has already run back for the others. I still can’t figure out what’s coming for us. It’s just out of range.
Cyrus points and screams in my direction. The whirling wind steals every word before they ever reach my ear.
I assume he means to follow, so I comply as I try to keep my balance from the continuous gusts.
The further we march, the worse the storm becomes. Keeping my balance becomes nearly impossible as the sand becomes alive twisting and swirling all around us.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” asks the memory of Kalli mockingly as she twirls her dress in the wind beside me.
I wipe my eyes and ignore her. She’s not real.
She persists, whispering in my ear, “Save them, Palin.”
I lift my head and she’s gone.. just like that.
Dark grey clouds have swiftly taken the sky. I flinch as thunder growls angrily from above. When we top the last dune, her message becomes clear. The black mass... it’s people.. dozens of them, beaten and tattered trying desperately to escape their doom. My heart stops as I witness what’s behind them. A monolithic moving wall of debris and sand that stretches as far as my eyes will let me see.
“Ghost storm!!”
Absorbing anything in its path, it moves straight towards us. Even Cyrus is stricken with awe, momentarily paralyzed by its might.
“Run!” he shouts, inches from my face. “Run!!” His look of absolute terror, unhidden.
Lightning crashes beside us. The air sizzles as I trip, tumbling face-first into the sand. A stampede of frightened strangers races past me. I stumble to get back to my feet, but with every attempt, I’m knocked further into the sand.
The ground behind me erupts. Sand flies everywhere. People behind me claw and scream, but the storm shows them no mercy, swallowing them whole, spitting them miles into the blood orange sky. Their cries, barely audible amidst the shriek of the g
host storm.
It quickens its pace. Breathing right down my neck. The feeling of helplessness engulfs me. People pass left and right of me; one by one they’re swallowed whole in its wake. With every quantum of energy I possess, I run.
A whirlwind of sand and debris touches the ground in front of me. A funnel cloud spirals from the sky to my right.
This can’t be happening!
Its shadow stretches over me.
I feel my feet begin to lift off the sand.
No..
The ground from under me has stripped away.
I force all of my weight to my knees, but I feel them too lift towards the screaming storm.
I can’t hold on any longer.
My feet leave the ground again.
Out of nowhere, an arm reaches out and secures me.
It’s Cyrus!
He anchors us in the sand as he struggles to fight the wind. But the storm is too strong. It lifts us both from the ground pulling us into the mouth of chaos.
The sand-splintered wind clashes against my skin, gnawing, grinding at my flesh as the storm drags me through the sky. It rips my armor from me, slinging it in every direction. Sand blinds me, as
I feel myself being torn apart. It seeps into my mouth and nose, filling my lungs with every breath I try to take. I’m suffocating..
Wrapping my arms over my head, I slam my eyes closed, and wish for this nightmare to end.
Being jerked through the skin, I collide with a stranger. Her hands grab me. I fight the sand to look down. Her long brown hair covers her face. I can barely see her crimson eyes. “Kalli?”
She claws at me as I desperately try to hold on to her.
It’s no use. The storm is too powerful.
I can’t hold on any longer.
Her terrified eyes, begging for her life, wound the deepest parts of me as she is taken by the storm, taken from me again.
Moments later I crash shoulder first on the floor of the Outlands as my body is flung down a hill that never ends.
The dark clouds above me dissolve. The wind dies down as the sun begins to duck behind the tallest dune to the west. Just as quickly as it came, it’s gone.
