The Sands of Borrowed Time (27 page)

“We're so unlucky, I guess,” Hayley laughed.

Demelza shrugged, “Maybe we shouldn’t stray too far from the buggy, just in case we lose our bearings.”

“Maybe you're right,” Kyla said, but we’re only down the road, “not too far away.”

“Tomorrow, early, we will resume our northward journey, safe in the knowledge of fresh clothes to keep us warm, and plenty of beef to keep away the hunger pangs,” Hayley said reassuringly.

As they walked back out into the street, the storm had eased a little, the sand not so thick in the air anymore.  They all looked around.

“I take it back, this isn’t such a bad little town, it's a fucking awesome town,” Kyla said.  “I feel so much better after all that.”  Hayley smiled and patted Kyla on the shoulder.

“You look wonderful, good to see the colour back in your cheeks.  I was getting a little worried.”  Kyla smiled as they turned to walk back across the street.

“Hey!  I said Hey, who’s that over there!” a man’s voice suddenly shouted out to them from across the street.  Kyla could feel a rush of blood to her head as she turned to look over her shoulder.  “Hey, you three, stop there!”

“Shit, it's the man, the man through the window!”  Demelza exclaimed nervously, “Leg it, back to the buggy, run for fucks sake!”

“Hey, stop!” the man continued as he started running over to them.

“No!  No one must know about the buggy,” Kyla whispered at the top of her breath.  She drew her knife, pointing it towards the man running towards them, making it obvious of her intentions.  He abruptly stopped barely ten feet away, holding his hands in the air. He pulled the hood up from over his head and laughed at them, revealing black and yellow teeth, along with dark, sullen eyes.  Eyes that had lost their lustre so long ago that it was difficult to tell the pupils from the irises.  He continued to laugh, looking the three up and down, one by one. 

“My, my, three young girls all alone in the big city, looking for the bright lights, no doubt.”  The girls said nothing, standing still, looking at each other, unsure what to do.  The man stepped a little closer. 

“Back!  Back off!  Kyla shouted, reaffirming the existence of the knife in her hand, pointing it violently towards the man.  The man continued to laugh, his black skin wrinkling.

“Hey, sweet little thing, no need to be so rude.”  Demelza stared at the man,
He
looks like a right pervert, the way he's eyeing us up.  His charm is about as seductive as his looks. 

“
She's just communicating the ground rules,” Hayley said to the man.

“Ground rules?” the man asked, pretending to look bewildered.  He laughed again, stepping two steps closer, “Any rules or laws that this city had, or anybody had, I think may have expired a while back.”  The man stared at the three menacingly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Kyla.  She swallowed hard, feeling sweat around the handle of the knife.  The man stepped closer still, Demelza completely frozen from fear, Hayley feeling her heart thump through her chest.

“Now, why don’t you put the knife down little girl so that we can chat in a civilised manner like grownups.”

“Never,” Kyla said, her hand beginning to shake.  The man laughed again, his throat starting to sound hoarse as he cackled away, eyeing Hayley's breasts.

“Then, you give me no choice, no choice at all,” the man said as he pulled a shotgun from under his coat.”  Kyla and Hayley looked at each other, each seeing the fear in the others’ eyes.  All three backed away, a little.

“You still like this place?” Demelza asked, looking across at Kyla.

“What's that my little flower?” the man asked.  Demelza said nothing, looking like she had lost all functionality from surprise, fear, and confusion. 

For fucks sake, don’t look so scared Demelza, this guy is feeding off it, enjoying it,
Hayley thought, not so sure how robust she looked herself.  The man walked closer to Hayley, looking at her breasts as he did so.  He lifted her chin with the barrel of the gun as she tried to look down, away from his dark eyes.  He stared into her eyes, a long mocking stare.  There was madness in his eyes that seemed disconnected from his laugh as if they were two separate entities, Hayley thought.  Then he turned and stared into Kyla’s eyes, tilting his head and smiling with pity, keeping the gun hard pressed against Hayley's chin.  His eyes moved down across Kyla's quivering lips, down to her breasts, then back up towards the knife.  Kyla could feel his eyes like a spider crawling across her skin.  He laughed again, the sarcastic laugh of someone sure to win.  There was a sharp crack as the barrel of the gun slammed suddenly into his face, breaking his nose.  He choked with surprise, quickly turning to see Hayley let go of the gun, stumbling backwards looking dazed and confused.  He held his hand to his bloody nose.  He looked at the blood in his hand, his face filling up with a bad mix of testosterone and adrenaline fuelled anger.  Hayley pushed him backwards swinging her leg around his.  As he tripped, Kyla ran over to him, slashing his neck with her knife with one vicious swipe.  Hayley went for her gun as blood spilled down the man’s face, down his arms and over the black barrel of the gun.  The anger in his face turned to shock, Demelza looking on in fear, still frozen to the spot. 

Hayley was just about to pull the trigger when she thought better,
No need to attract any more weirdos. 
She looked on, watching Kyla thrust the knife again and again into the man’s chest, going nuts with frenzy.  The sound of each stab was disturbing in its own right, the man's pain evident in his wide-open eyes as he struggled to breathe through his slashed throat, the blood gurgling down into his lungs. 

“Kyla stop!” Hayley finally exclaimed.  “Stop, he's done, more than done, save your energy!”  Kyla looked up to her, her face smeared with blood.  She turned away again and with one powerful thrust she stabbed the guy one more time, his eyes already closed, his body already still.  Kyla stood up shaking, leaving the knife in the man’s chest, and spat in his face, watching it mix with blood and running across his skin until it dripped onto the dusty floor.  She looked down at herself, feeling the dark, sticky blood between her fingers, its metallic smell making her feel nauseous.  She looked at Hayley and Demelza and cried. 

Space Gun

The girls yelled along to the music as they bounced around the dunes in their truck, Summer rocking her head from side to side as she peered out of the passenger window at the dry lake beds.  Isla looked the picture of content, twisting her shoulders to the distorted rhythm of the guitars.  Dagger hung his head through the window, poking his face into the oncoming stream of air.  His eyes were half closed, and his tongue was hanging from his mouth as he relished the warmth of the air buffeting around his head. Isla reached down to turn up the volume further, but the dial was rotated as far as it could go, the music fighting against the growl of the double V8 engine as it pulled them up and over the dunes. 

Their Dad had told them to scout below the dry waterfall, to find a path down and report who and what was there.  He wondered why so many were coming their way.  It was worrying him and why now? 

Visibility was good down on the plains, the weather being quiet compared to the hills.  There were just grey clouds tinged with orange, streaming by a few hundred feet above them, a watery Sun glancing through from time to time.    The truck weaved and swung easily around the large dunes on its desert-modified suspension as Isla drove the truck, the steering wheel juddering through her fingers.  As the song ended with a drum roll, the roar of the mighty V8s became a song in itself, matching the attitude of the distorted guitars.  The truck tipped over yet another dune peak, the tyres digging deep into the dry sand.  Isla suddenly freaked out, slamming on the breaks, the truck continuing to slide down the dune for several feet before it came to a gentle stop.  Dagger barked, staring up at the strange structure before them.

“What the fuck!” Isla cried out, looking at the towering, white barrel before them as she wiped the dusty windscreen to get a clearer view.

“Shit!  Summer added, as she too looked up in gaping awe, her attention caught by the curious black windows at the top of the structure, following their contours as they narrowed to a blunt nose.  Dagger jumped through the window and onto the sand, running excitedly towards it.  He turned to bark at Isla and Summer.

“What is it Dagger?”  Summer shouted, sliding her hands down her cheeks.  Isla’s eyes darted up and down, looking at the strange red lettering that covered its right-hand side.  There were four large letters; a snaking N and S, interlaced by a couple of upside down rounded V’s

“Not sure,” she replied slowly, shaking her head as she looked at the long cylindrical vessel that stood proudly, its base covered up by drifting sand that had blown up and collected around its sides.  To its left was a red scaffolding structure attached to the vessel by narrow gangways.

“Looks like a large bullet,” Isla said.

“With windows!  Do you think you can take a ride in it?”  Dagger barked again, continuing his run towards the structure.

“It’s pointing upwards at the sky.  Why upwards I wonder?”

Isla drove the truck slowly towards the giant bullet, the ground flattening out to hard, baked soil as they neared it, pulling up as close as she could before stopping.  They both got out and walked up the steep sand banks towards it, Dagger chasing close behind as he barked feverishly.  Isla shielded her eyes with her hand as she peered up to its top, a few hundred feet above them, while Summer brushed her hand against its white metallic surface, feeling its solidity.

“Shall we?”  Isla asked, pointing to the steps that led up the inside of the red scaffolding.  Summer shrugged her shoulders feeling apprehensive at the thought.

“Come on, at least for the view from the top.  It’s such a nice day; we will be able to see for miles.”  Isla continued, already walking towards the steps.  Summer reluctantly followed, feeling something was not quite right.  Dagger ran between them, on ahead, soon reaching the steps and leapt up them excitedly not waiting for Isla or Summer.

“What about the truck?” Summer asked.

“It’ll be fine,” Isla replied. “Anyhow, I have the glow plug, so nobody’s going to get far unless they’re willing to push it through all that sand!”  They both stumbled up the rest of the sand bank until they got to the red scaffolding. 

Summer looked up as she caught her breath, “It’s a long way to the top, Isla.  Still sure you want to get up there?”

Isla nodded, “Why not, we’ll be up there in no time?”  They climbed through the gaps in the scaffolding and started to climb the steps, one by one as the stairs double backed in on itself through a series of flights, leading them to the top.  The wind got stronger the higher they climbed, whistling through the metal framework in hysterical bursts.  Halfway up they stopped to catch their breaths and looked out across the plains.

“Sand, sand and more sand,” Summer joked. “Quite an impressive view if you’re fond of sand.”  Isla smiled and gave Summer a playful little shove, pretending to push her off the steps and over the rails.

“Don’t do that; my legs feel like they’ve turned to jelly!”  Summer protested. 

Isla took to the steps once again, running up this time, “Come on, we’re almost there!” she shouted down to Summer.  The steps shuddered and clanged with every step, feeling more and more unstable the closer they got to the top as it swayed in the breeze.  Summer began to feel more and more anxious, but it was not their mercy at the hands of the wind that troubled her.  She felt a presence that somebody was lurking here, perhaps watching them.  She stopped and looked around, up and down the steps, but there was nobody, nothing except the eager footsteps of Isla ahead of her.  She reluctantly followed, her nerves on edge, until she finally reached the top, Isla waiting there impatiently for her.  Dagger was crouched down between Isla’s legs, looking pleased with himself that he had got to the top first.

“What kept, you?” she asked.

“Oh, you know, got stuck behind some old people,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Look across the gangway,” Isla eagerly said, pointing to a door.  Summer looked at the door, feeling a bit spooked.

“You okay, Summer, you’re looking a little uneasy?”  Summer shook her head quickly as if to shake off her discomfort.

“I’ll be fine,” she said.  They both walked across the dizzying gangway as it swayed in the gusty wind, its height and exposure making each step, each heartbeat, feel like their last.  Dagger trotted behind them wondering what they were so nervous about, urging them to hurry up with a few friendly barks.

“Should we knock?”  Isla asked, turning to look at Summer’s frightened face.”

“Why?”

“In the old world, it was a polite way of introducing your intentions to meet those inside?” 

Summer gave her a scathing look, “You think there’s someone inside?”  Isla nodded.

“Me too,” Summer replied, calling her bluff, but she felt it as if someone was near.

“Only one way to find out then,” Isla said, knocking the door hard.  They both waited.  Nothing. 

Isla knocked the door again, shouting, “Anybody home?”  Still no answer.  Dagger barked loudly, scratching his paws frantically down the door.  She pulled down on the door handle; it was unlocked but heavy.  She struggled against its weight but finally managed to pull it open.  They peered inside at the seats that pointed upwards towards a control panel.

“It’s a ship!” Summer exclaimed, kneeling to pat Dagger on the head.  She tugged playfully on his collar as he cheekily drooped his tongue from his mouth.

“You think it still flies?” Isla asked as she entered.  She climbed into the seat and sat back, looking out of the windows above the control console.  Summer walked inside nervously towards where Isla was seated, looking at her dreamy face.

“Try the ignition,” Summer joked.

“No, can’t see one, they’re too many buttons.  It all looks a bit tricky, too complicated.”

“It’s stuck in the sand anyhow,” Summer said as she continued searching the small cockpit.

“There’s no steering wheel; I wondered how they steered her?”

“Maybe they just aimed her like a gun,” Summer suggested. 

Isla giggled, “But what if they missed?”  Summer ignored the question as Dagger barked attentively, looking at a card on the ground, pushing it with his paw towards Summer.  It looked like a playing card on the end of a necklace. 

“What is it, Dagger?” Summer asked as he looked up curiously into her eyes.  She picked the card up, showing it to Isla.  There were some words and a name
George
against a white background with blue stars.

“Cape Canaveral,” Isla said as she read the words on the card.  “It also has the name of the ship, what we tried to read earlier on its shell.  They have the same strange symbols written here.”  She looked at the back, puzzled by a series of black stripes, all different widths contained within the area of a small rectangle.

“Maybe it’s an old word for Carnival,” Summer suggested, “that word, Canaveral?” 

Isla looked at her not too convinced, “Maybe,” she said, then looked at the picture of George on the card.

“He doesn’t impress me much as a pilot of a ship!”

“Me neither,” Isla added, “he’s a bit, I don’t know, too normal looking, I guess.” 

Isla flung the card on the floor, “Bye, Bye, Georgy,” she laughed as Dagger pawed at it.

“Whatever George’s role was; he isn’t around to tell us unless he’s hiding in the toilet back there.”  Summer giggled.  “Let’s go; this place is starting to bore me.”

“Ok, ok, let’s go,” Isla agreed.  “It’s been a complete waste of time; there’s nothing up here for us.”

Isla jumped down from the seat and was just about to exit the door when she abruptly stopped, holding Summer back with her arm.

“What’s the matter?” Summer nervously asked.

“What’s that?  Can you hear footsteps?” Isla replied.  Summer shook her head.

“You sure?” Isla asked as a series of clangs vibrated up the steps.  Dagger started to whine as Isla and Summer looked eagerly down the stairwells.

“And now?” Isla asked.

“Shit!” Summer exclaimed under her breath. “Do you see anybody?”  Dagger peered out of the door, stretching his neck as he gazed down through the flights of stairs, starting to growl.

“No, not yet,” Isla replied.

“What do you mean, not yet?

“Maybe it’s the wind?”  Summer peered around Isla, taking a good look down the flights of stairs, keen to get validation of her theory.

“The wind?”  Summer asked.

“Yes, I still don’t see anybody, do you?”  Summer took another good look down the flight of stairs with baited breath but saw nothing.  Dagger was still growling.  She exhaled the pent up nervousness from her lungs, only to hear them for sure; the footsteps resume their slow, steady journey up the steps.

“Shit, again, you must hear that?” Isla whispered.  Summer nodded as she saw a figure get up from a rest, before turning to resume his journey up the next flight of stairs.

“He must have seen the buggy and know we’re here,” Isla anxiously spoke.

“You think so?  Seems a bit brave to come up on his own.  We could be anybody?” Summer replied, her eyes glued to the figure slowly climbing the steps up towards them, his heavy boots now clearly audible with every step he took.  Dagger’s growl turned to a bark, Isla quickly kneeling to quiet him with a few gentle strokes.

“Then he must have seen us arrive in the buggy, two young girls all alone.  We must look like a cheap and easy takeaway.”

“Depends on what he thinks is easy and who he wants for starters?”  They both looked at each other anxiously, beads of sweat were trickling down their brows.

“Shit, this isn’t funny!”  Summer croaked, feeling acid build in her chest. “What’s the plan?”

“Plan?”

“Yes, plan?”

“We need to throttle him.”

“Throttle him?

“Yes, before he throttles us!” 

Summer looked at Isla with searching eyes, “How shall we throttle him?”  Isla shrugged, looking lost.

“Well, the knives, the guns, everything is in the buggy,” Isla said, so we need to improvise.

“Great, fucking great, I’m not a good improviser,” Summer replied, wringing her wrist anxiously.  “Maybe he has the knives guns and everything; that’s why he is so brave to come up alone!”

The steps continued getting louder with each moment, with each step, his figure getting clearer as they both looked down at him anxiously as he continued slowly climbing the stairs.

“He doesn’t look armed,” Summer whispered, barely able to talk.  Dagger looked down at him inquisitively, assuming a rigid, defensive stance. 

“Depends on what’s under the trench coat, I suppose,” Isla said, Summer beginning to look distressed.  The man stopped, sat down on the steps, and lit a cigarette.  He inhaled long and deep like he needed it, coughing a little as he exhaled, the sickly smell of nicotine quickly drifting up to the girls.  He looked out across the desert, calm and relaxed, his greasy long hair billowing in the breeze.

“He can’t know we’re here,” Summer whispered. “Look at him, does he look like he’s searching for someone?”