A far future divided.
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:44 am
Something cold and wet touched Tim’s cheek and he jolted awake. His eyes opened to see a tiny wave receding down a wet beach. He lifted his head confused at the site and why he was at a beach. He hadn’t been to the beach since he was a kid. His mouth was dry and when he tried to close his mouth and moisten it he tasted salt and brine. Climbing to hands and knees he discovered not only were his clothes were wet but he was incredibly sore everywhere, almost like he’d been thrown into the tumble-dry fluff cycle of a dryer.
He sat up and looked around. He wasn’t alone there was a group of people with him but nobody he recognized. This seemed to be a beach on the ocean; aside from a sand bar there wasn’t anything out in the water. Looking down the beach to both sides showed it went from horizon to horizon. Getting to his feet he ran up to the top of the beachhead. Cresting the rise he stopped at what he saw. In the distance was the faintest hint of a mountain. Between him and that mountain was a seemingly endless sea of sand. The desert went to the horizon to both sides here as well. An idea hit him and he pulled his cell from his pocket. He flipped it open and water poured freely out. his face sagged as he slid it back into its holder on his hip. Something was odd, but he couldn’t place what it was. Not that he’d ever been in a place remotely similar to this, but he’d seen movies. That nagging hint something was off wore on him and he sat down to think and look at the landscape. Then it hit him. There were no cactuses anywhere. He wasn’t even sure there should be any this close to a beach, but it was more then that. There was no hint of life, nothing. Not a bird or blade of grass anywhere, not even the buzz of an insect. Turning back to the beach he saw he was right; no washed up kelp, seaweed or grass along the beach. There was nothing. All he could hear were waves crashing on the shore.
He looked down at the group; the water had risen more and was almost touching a man’s outstretched foot. It was then that he noticed the clouds. Looking up now he saw the sky was thickly overcast but the clouds were pink, they were pink. As his brain tried to comprehend the color he turned back around to the desert and the mountain behind it. As far as the eye could see was pink cloud. In the distance he could see flecks of green here and there but it was mostly just the pink. “Where in the fuck are we? Did we get sucked into the Never-Ending Story?” He asked himself. He tried to remember where he was last. He remembered getting fitted for and buying the suit he had on when he was at the mall. Then he got a pretzel, then he seemed to recall a woman screaming but that was a little fuzzy and it was the last thing could remember. Deciding the other might remember better or possibly even know where they were he ran back down to the water and began everyone people up.
He sat up and looked around. He wasn’t alone there was a group of people with him but nobody he recognized. This seemed to be a beach on the ocean; aside from a sand bar there wasn’t anything out in the water. Looking down the beach to both sides showed it went from horizon to horizon. Getting to his feet he ran up to the top of the beachhead. Cresting the rise he stopped at what he saw. In the distance was the faintest hint of a mountain. Between him and that mountain was a seemingly endless sea of sand. The desert went to the horizon to both sides here as well. An idea hit him and he pulled his cell from his pocket. He flipped it open and water poured freely out. his face sagged as he slid it back into its holder on his hip. Something was odd, but he couldn’t place what it was. Not that he’d ever been in a place remotely similar to this, but he’d seen movies. That nagging hint something was off wore on him and he sat down to think and look at the landscape. Then it hit him. There were no cactuses anywhere. He wasn’t even sure there should be any this close to a beach, but it was more then that. There was no hint of life, nothing. Not a bird or blade of grass anywhere, not even the buzz of an insect. Turning back to the beach he saw he was right; no washed up kelp, seaweed or grass along the beach. There was nothing. All he could hear were waves crashing on the shore.
He looked down at the group; the water had risen more and was almost touching a man’s outstretched foot. It was then that he noticed the clouds. Looking up now he saw the sky was thickly overcast but the clouds were pink, they were pink. As his brain tried to comprehend the color he turned back around to the desert and the mountain behind it. As far as the eye could see was pink cloud. In the distance he could see flecks of green here and there but it was mostly just the pink. “Where in the fuck are we? Did we get sucked into the Never-Ending Story?” He asked himself. He tried to remember where he was last. He remembered getting fitted for and buying the suit he had on when he was at the mall. Then he got a pretzel, then he seemed to recall a woman screaming but that was a little fuzzy and it was the last thing could remember. Deciding the other might remember better or possibly even know where they were he ran back down to the water and began everyone people up.