"Wow, look at that thing"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCHYIaoTtj
"Ew, where did that come from?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5REoNd570
"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.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXQVm5AZNd
"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-"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FEQKmlDQX
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQ1EzZ4XZS
"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!" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMFfrnmXas
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"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNh6SFQmv0
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc3RvEO1NW
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOzxTh8Zl0
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqep0tIfffJ
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?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pCBMwslZm
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzIGYqZnUZ
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?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KFV1C4ERJ
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjivaaqPKJH
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZCqWia6mw
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO17IbaZBei
residents won't take too kindly t' that"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQmjbWw0Ew
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GVOsDcF3U
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KS9D8pldQ
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wrPDFjWIj
"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.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2ZNg5PtQX
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR0rC4fCuL
"Jack"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJa0ZySwbe
"Nice to meet you"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGyPY2nxoK
"...likewise..."853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZ4PEoqQEW
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI5qNbCcxk
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXOM926dnM
"Sounds like an interesting place"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzeTJpEXOU
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNfeTIwPUm
"Who are they?" I asked.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuO7Z9BVtU
"Children" he responded simply.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AykX2VGO4
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGDVtw3y2E
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgJ8N7b15D
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH4EbbnJBc
"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?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGYZ9VYPuP
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeQqn6Zyeg
"No, just thinking a bit"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdDu8snhRF
"'Bout what?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zc4WXCUBY
"Home"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbN2cQUjPq
"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"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1Ixggp4i7
"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"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfY4or9E56
"D-dragons?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9OWOPRrO4
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf9ve5IFIv
"I know what a dragon is" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7wpnLlwZO
"Then why'd you ask?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD4tRUC3mW
"I d- nevermind..."853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZuWXpLAoI
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0hg1cMQhq
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TwrFn4Uba
"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.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKqrBkwL4l
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSuUQttW5g
"I- could just use some water, thank you"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6byewFl4eZ
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXpyyY101a
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FMIri0pFz
"Not much, couple miles at the most"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHd4Gykp0F
"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?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquJr2xDYcS
"Um, just anything you have" 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeCSxclfiu
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0Gz2ptbTO
"You guys eat rocks?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbaLksr9vx
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwDccI2fMn
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfe4gg6714
"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. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdrV3VQ3zH
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQlF50lo2Y
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcu8BXDdP1
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhXcka0scd
He waved dismissively.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIoAEQQpip
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQTm1VEFgH
"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.
ns18.191.31.59da2
and then Add to home screen.