The Sands of Borrowed Time (29 page)

Loud Surprise in the Box

“I wonder what we would have been in the old world.  I mean, we, us two, we could have been anything, couldn’t have we?  Like teachers, policemen, movie stars, anything really.” Jeff said as they rested on the terrace of the wooden house.  They had spotted it from the road and had come to take a look, but there was nobody at home so had decided to make it theirs, at least for a while.

“Well, that’s not something we need to worry about anymore, I guess?” Skylar replied as she relished the warmth of the early morning Sun.

“No.  I often wonder, though.  It would be nice to be somebody,” Jeff said.  “You know, have some kind of identity.”  You could have been someone brilliant, like someone who cured cancer, or royalty, or both!” he rambled on.

“We are somebody. You have an identity; you’re Jeff, for crying out loud,” Skylar giggled as she smoothed down his unkempt red hair.

“Yes, but…”

“And there’s only one Jeff,” she smiled.

“Thanks, I know, but sometimes I feel like a burglar hiding in the shadows.”  He frowned as he looked at Skylar.

“A burglar in the shadows!  What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know, like we’re scroungers, spongers, not earning our keep.”

“You’re talking shit,” Skylar said, shaking her head.

“But we’re not contributing to anything,” Jeff moaned.

“How can we!  We’re half-starved and thirsty.  It’s either too hot or cold, and we spend most of our time avoiding robbers or muggers.  It’s a struggle just to stay alive.  Anyhow, there aren’t many opportunities out there at the moment, and I don’t foresee any soon.”  Jeff stared blankly out into the distance, across the barren fields saying nothing, looking far away, deep in thought.  Just as Skylar thought the conversation had ended, Jeff’s eyes suddenly widened and came to life.

“There must be something useful we can do?” he suddenly said.

“Like what?” Skylar asked. “You’re starting to make me feel bad.”

“Exactly!  That’s how I feel,” Jeff quickly replied.  “We were born to do something, something good.  Out of this mess must come something good.”

“I wish we could do something,” Skylar pleaded, “but I don’t see it happening.  Do you?  I mean, how?”

“Anything, even if it’s just a little thing, we must do something with our lives.  Something to help others, otherwise what’s the point, we’re like, well nothing.”  Skylar looked at Jeff, his hair unkempt again from his anxious hands. 

“One day, we will do something brilliant, you’ll see, you just need to be patient,” she said.

“Patience is not something I have,” Jeff said, breaking into a laugh.

“Oh really, I never noticed,” Skylar said sarcastically, laughing also.

“Wait and see, if you want it enough, it will come to you,” she continued.

“Yeah, really, now you’re talking shit!” he replied.

“Listen, you hear that?” Skylar asked, whispering.  Jeff turned his head slightly, listening in the direction to where Skylar was looking.  He shook his head.  Skylar stood up and pointed towards the window, hiding by its side, up against the house’s wooden beams out of view from within.

“There's sod all in there,” he said, convinced there was nothing to be worried about.  She peeked through the window, but the reflection of the rising Sun was too strong to see through.  She beckoned Jeff to rise, but he stayed put, crossing his arms in defiance.

“There’s nothing in there, I tell you.  We stayed the whole night.  It, or what, would have introduced itself then, surely.”  Skylar took another peek, shielding the reflection of the bright morning Sun with her hands.  She looked back at Jeff shaking her head.

“There, I tell you, there’s nothing, relax, the day is young,” Jeff said.  Skylar was just about to sit back down when she heard it again.

“There, again,” she whispered, “you’re friggin’ deaf if you missed that one.”  Jeff stood up quickly, looking like he hadn’t missed the scratching sound that was coming from within the house.  She beckoned him to take a look inside as the scraping became more frequent.  Jeff pointed at himself, his expression asking, why me?  She beckoned him again, this time more urgently.

“The hooded man perhaps?” Jeff asked, Skylar immediately shaking her head.  “Pull back your hood and reveal yourself,” Jeff kidded.  Skylar rolled her eyes.

  Jeff reluctantly opened the door and peeked into the large room they had stayed the night in.  He walked in slowly holding Skylar's hand as she unwillingly followed.  Sunlight streamed in from the windows and door, revealing air laden with dust that silently hung in the air, almost motionless.  They both stopped, standing still as a whining sound came from the corner of the room.  They looked at each other with surprise.

“Not sure I want to know what that is,” Skylar whispered as she looked to exit the door.  He grabbed her arm and walked them slowly to the corner of the room.  Silence.

“It knows we’re here,” Jeff said quietly as he looked curiously at a red and black tartan blanket that had been slung into the corner of the room.

“That wasn't there last night,” he whispered.  “Whatever it is, it’s under that blanket.”  Jeff gave Skylar a nudge towards the blanket.

“No, you,” she whispered.  Jeff looked at the blanket for a few moments, took a deep breath and grabbed the crumpled top, gripping it firmly.  Skylar held her hand over her mouth wide-eyed as he pulled it up quickly, the airborne dust swirling violently in the air.  There in the corner of the room was an upside down cardboard box.  They both exhaled momentarily with relief before looking at each other as their tensions began to rise again, neither knowing what was there, inside the box.  Jeff then looked back to the box, eyeing it nervously, his adrenaline rising as he anticipated picking it up. 

Skylar nodded, “Go on,” she whispered.  Jeff scowled at her before slowly leaning down, the dust still swirling around him in the Sun’s morning rays.  He grabbed either side and lifted the box up, daring to look at what lied underneath as he did so.  Jeff jumped out of his skin as a sudden yelp broke the tense silence, dropping the box back onto the floor in terror. Before he knew it, he felt warm paws rubbing down his shins as he screamed, stumbling backwards in fright, the yelping following him back across the room as he fell onto his back.  Skylar opened her mouth in awe and then burst out into hysterical laughter.  Standing on Jeff’s stomach, looking down at his face with cute curiosity was a black puppy with his tongue hanging from its mouth, panting happily.  It barked as Jeff raised his head from the floor, dazed, looking back into its affectionate big, brown eyes.  The dog barked again before licking Jeff’s face.

“No, please,” Jeff pleaded, giggling with relief as he grabbed the dog by its flanks, lifting it into the air and giving it a friendly shake.

“I always wanted a cat,” he said, looking up at the dog as it stared back down with its innocent face.

“How did it get here?” Skylar asked as she lifted the dog from Jeff’s hands, looking at its cute face as it attempted to lick hers.

“How in hells bells did you get here?” she asked.  The dog barked again as she put it down on the table.  It looked excitedly towards Jeff as he struggled up from the floor, barking incessantly.

“I think you’ve made a friend there,” Skylar said.  “You’re his hero,” as she stroked the dog’s back.  Jeff gave the dog a smile as it continued to give him friendly little barks.

“That blanket, that box, and certainly you, my new little friend, were not here last night!” he gently exclaimed.  Otherwise, I think we would have heard your little yelps and pants.  Skylar quickly walked across to the back window, looking out across the prairie.

“Then how did he get here?” Skylar suddenly asked, her voice beginning to sound worried.  Jeff looked across to the window, peering out also across the dusty plains.  He glanced back at the dog, shrugging his shoulders.

“Hey dog, what’s the story?” Jeff asked.  “You can’t just turn up like this.”  The dog turned its head, ignoring Jeff and jumped off the table, running eagerly towards his rucksack.

“Hey!” Jeff shouted as the dog nuzzled its nose deep into the contents of his bag.

“Hey, now!  Hey!” Jeff repeated as the dog dragged a can out onto the floor, looking up at Jeff, barking.

“Poor thing.  He’s hungry,” Skylar said, forgetting who may be lurking out on the prairies.

“Me too!  Everyone is hungry,” Jeff said.

“Your golden chance to do some good,” Skylar said.

“Wait, I didn’t mean helping little, abandoned dogs,” Jeff quickly replied.  “They can help themselves as you can clearly see,” Jeff continued as they both looked down as the dog rolled the can towards Jeff.  It glanced up at Jeff and barked again.

“You help a friend, and he will help you back, you’ll see,” Skylar said.

Jeff looked at Skylar and smiled.

“We share,” Jeff said.  “The portions decided by me.”

Back into the Prairie

We’re like three desperate mice, running north through the plains and storms, living off the scraps of those who have perished, our only inheritance their rotting flesh and clothes. Their possessions now covered in dust and strewn across the desert, having endured the test of time better than themselves,
Kyla thought as they walked back to the buggy, through the once again deserted streets.  The air was clearing as the storm moved northwards, the setting Sun in the East disappearing with a flash of golden light as the winds died to a gentle stir.

“Can’t trust anyone these days, “Demelza said nervously, still shaking as she looked around with paranoia written across her eyes.  Kyla and Hayley said nothing, still deeply reminiscing the day’s events.  “I mean, what was he hoping to gain?” she continued.

Apart from instant gratification, not a lot,
Kyla thought as she saw his dark staring eyes in her mind. 
That madness was beyond repair.  There was no soul, no life in those eyes.  He was already dead; his soul had jumped ship, petrified by the insanity of the captain.

“What will become of us?  Will we become madmen also?” Demelza continued to rant.

Yes, what will become of us indeed as we wander north, not knowing what is around the next corner, every nerve constantly on edge.  Is this what they call freedom? 
Kyla thought solemnly,
are we experiencing bare reality as the animals do?

There were flashes of purple and blue across the North as lightning split the sky, the dry storm rumbling ever northwards.

“No one will protect us, Demelza,” Hayley said.  “Not even God.  We have to look out for ourselves, be wary, every step of the way.”

Yes, but wary makes us weary, until one day we will be so tired, so numb, that we want know who, or what is creeping up behind us, and then there will be nothing.  Death will set us free. 
Kyla looked around thinking she had spoken out her feelings, but the others seemed oblivious to her thoughts. 
Until then, we must play every roll of the dice, like pawns of chance, but can we break its mighty will, to forge our own destiny, spit in the face of death and construct our own freedom?

“We have to have faith in ourselves,” Kyla said.  “We have to believe there is a future, a good future waiting for us.”

“And if there’s not?” Demelza anxiously asked.

The poor girl looks so tired like she’s ready to give up,
Kyla thought before speaking again.

“Then we will have to create our own future.  It sounds hard, but a little belief in ourselves can go a long way.”

“And what of the hoards and rapists, the faceless souls who want no future.”

“Then, they are lost.  They think of themselves only. That is why they are afraid.  The fools will defeat only themselves eventually, like weeds dying back from overgrowth.”

Hayley hugged Demelza, “Come on, we got one, he wasn’t too difficult, was he?”

“I guess not,” Demelza replied, not looking too convinced.

“Be strong, be positive, have faith and everything will come our way, I promise,” Kyla said, also not too convinced, at least of her own philosophy. 
So easy to be the victim of your own delusions, merely being wishful when your blindly positive.  There has to be some self-reflection, some cynicism, but then your left where you started, riddled with doubt and fear.

“We’re warriors now,” Hayley said, throwing her fist in the air.  “Sovereign and strong.”

“Think of how much we can learn from their mistakes,” Kyla said, her eyes lighting up.  “A constant reminder not to be like them, a boundary to bounce off, a way to keep our own sanity.”

“Yes!” Hayley exclaimed.  “We don’t need to make apologies or feel guilty about these guys.  If they want to take, then they need to go, plain and simple!”  Demelza started to laugh, “Ok, I guess that’s our inevitable path, let’s see where it leads.”

There were still the distant rumblings of thunder as they walked back into the parking lot, its grey walls still stinking of stale piss.

“There’s our sleeping beauty, looking relaxed and innocent, blind to our crimes,” Kyla said, relieved that the buggy hadn’t been stolen.

“I’ll drive,” Hayley said as they threw their booty onto the back seats.”

“I could do with letting off some steam,” she continued.

“Does this mean a journey of petrol-powered debauchery, then?” Kyla asked playfully.

“My foot, it’s just too heavy, it can’t be helped,” Hayley replied with a smirk.  “Anyhow, the engine doesn’t settle in properly unless you’re doing at least 80.”

Kyla nodded, “It’s true, so true.  She was made for speed.”

“Indeed, she was, and she’s not happy otherwise,” Hayley added.  Hayley hit the ignition and released the clutch, the tyres squealing on the smooth concrete surface as she turned for the exit ramp.

“Not bad for a day’s work,” Kyla said as the buggy accelerated up the ramp, “a nice day out at the shops.”

“Indeed, perhaps we will get some bonus points for expiring the weirdo,” Hayley replied.

“The world is certainly a safer place without him,” Demelza added.  Hayley exited the ramp and shifted up a gear as she headed out onto the road, blissfully listening to the engine begin to purr as it gained speed.  The buggy etched two lines through the sand-covered streets as it headed for the city limits.

“Sh…it,” Hayley stuttered as a body slammed into the buggies bonnet and up the windscreen, his terrified face sliding back down the glass, his wide and startled eyes empty of comprehension.  The buggy wavered violently as the man fell under the tyres with two dull thuds.

“Who the fuck was that!” Hayley exclaimed, looking in her mirrors at the lifeless lump in the road behind her.

“How do I know; he didn’t introduce himself?”  Kyla replied, looking shocked as she turned to check on Hayley.

“How rude,” Hayley laughed.

“How can you laugh,” Demelza cried out.

Hayley shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know, his face, he looked more surprised than us.”

“Surprised, didn’t you see him in the road?” Demelza responded as she leaned angrily towards Hayley.

“No, did you?”

“Well no, I’m not driving, though.”

“Maybe he was pushed, I think there were others,” Kyla said.

“Others?” Demelza shouted from the back.

“Perhaps, it happened so fast, like he was pushed from a ledge or something,” Kyla added.

“He wasn’t on the road, I would have seen him,” Hayley insisted.  “The first thing I knew was his face rudely appearing on the windscreen,” Kyla sniggered, holding her mouth to her hand in the hope that Demelza wouldn’t hear.

“Not you as well!” Demelza cried out furiously as she kicked the back of Kyla’s seat. Kyla continued to snigger, feeling like a naughty student trying to hold back her laughter in class, Hayley appearing to do the same.  They dared not look at each other in fear of aggravating the situation.  Their mirth was soon extinguished as a rain of bullet fire exploded into their ears, all three ducking as the buggy glanced off the central reservation in a shower of sparks.  Hayley struggled to stop the car from going sideways as it’s back end wavered and screeched uncontrollably across the dusty road.  Hayley looked across to Kyla stunned, seeing the shock in her eyes.  She gulped and hit the accelerator harder as she looked nervously in the mirror.

Be wary?  It’s just luck so far,
Kyla thought,
and there’s only so much of it.  We are still under the power of the rolling dice.

“Any more surprises to come today?” Demelza asked irritably as she looked behind her.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I could answer that one,” Hayley hit back as she thundered the buggy out of the city limits and onto the highway north.

“It should be safer out here in the wilderness,” Kyla said calmly.

“I hope so,” Hayley sighed, “my right ear has gone deaf from the gunfire.  Kyla sniggered again.

“How can you two be so calm about it all,” Demelza asked, raising her hand annoyed.

Kyla turned around to Demelza and widened her eyes slowly, “It’s called a macabre sense of humour,” she said as she playfully slithered her tongue in and out of her mouth.

“You’re weird,” Demelza said.

“Gets me through my busy day,” Kyla replied, turning back to look at the road ahead.  Hayley checked her mirror to see if anybody was following, but just saw darkness.

“Ah, we’ve hit the sweet spot,” Hayley said contentedly as she saw the dial on the speedometer touch the 80 mark.  “Listen to our baby purr.”

“Sounds like a faulty moped,” Demelza said bitterly as she curled up on the back seat amongst the shopping bags.  Kyla put her finger to her mouth, turning to look at Demelza and shook her head.

“Ssssshh,” Kyla said, “she’d be very upset if she heard you say that.”  Demelza crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

Kyla slumped back in her seat and looked up at the supernova above her, it's brilliant ring of colours looking like an explosion frozen in time, millions of light years across.

If we’re so insignificant, why should anything matter?
she pondered.
We’re just like the sand, blowing in the wind
, here
today and gone tomorrow.  What are we working towards, if anything at all?  Like a computer game, and when the game is over, the computer gets switched off.  It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, because when the light gets turned off, we all disappear back into the darkness. 
Demelza was already asleep when Hayley noticed Kyla fall away into a slumber, her chest breathing deeply.  She floored the accelerator savouring the cool breeze in her face, leaving the city of surprises behind them.