For Children of Sands

So turn away from the ones who hurt everyone
I can tell by your smile you're coming undone
I could bleed for a smile; could die for a gun
Walk away from the sun and kill everyone

Ely was soon left behind. The empty ghost town was abandoned in the clouds of dust, to rust and fall until only the dry soil was left. Ahead, there were mountains protruding through the rock and sand, slipping the ribbons of tarmac into a valley. The same cracked grey line repeated, over and over, and over. It became trance which brought any driver into a blear eyed state.

A ruckus picked up across the radio link. A bickering commotion amongst the passengers of the mustang and cadillac. It was childish and pointless. A conversation about nothing, overflowing with light hearted foul mouthed insults. Completely pointless. But it held back the grey depression from downing on the travellers, from consuming them whole in one gulp.

All joined in on the pointless banter except for the driver of the mustang, the leading vehicle. A sour taste had stained Andy’s dry mouth, he tried to drain it away with water, with energy drinks and alcohol. But everything seemed to only strengthened and richen the bitter and the sour.

A diluted image of North America skimmed through Andy’s mind. Red lines slithered across highways, freeways and interstates, it squirmed across the northern states and reeled towards the south but it always kept east. Points were plotted but soon dispensed and new ones were created just as quickly.

A new responsibility arose with the breaking of chains that linked these five men to Eureka. They had no missions, no mapped commands. They were free. As an unannounced leader Andy had to choose where to lead them, how to keep them alive, what is the correct next step. With such ease, Andy could lead these men to certain death, the men who trust him and consider him a friend.

Silence dawned. Andy did not see the concerned glances towards him, neither did he notice Jake’s questioning across the VHF radio until it was indicated to him by Jinxx. The warm crackling from the speaker brought him back to life, somehow made Andy feel alive, normal.

“Where to next, Legolas?” Jake repeated, “Or are we going where ever the wind blows?”

“I was thinking Salt Lake city, then to Provo, Richfield then Greenriver,” Andy carefully masked the tremble in his voice, “Then to Kansas, Toto!” A blaze of humour was set alight once again.

“Fuck you Andy!” He laughs.

“Well we’re not in happy doo lally Kansas anymore, are we?” He grins outwardly and adds a lilt to his voice to suggest humour. But he meant it, no more watching the wind play across pirarie.

“And then where?” CC spoke up.

“Where ever you want.” Andy cheered, but look away as the fear in his eyes contradicted the joy in his words. “I mean it, point at any town or city on any map and we will go there.”

The excited bickering began again, but Ashley had fallen silent. He watched helplessly as Andy’s defences shattered one by one without his own notice. Ice began to crack, slowly, so slowly, but the water began to seep to the surface until the black inferno burst from beneath and simmered back down taking the bystanders into the dark still depths.

And of course nobody else would notice, only Ashley. Because Ashley could feel the same tremor of doubt in his mind.

Notes