Chapter Ten

I've got a lot of editing to do on this..but..you'll get the main idea of it.

    We hiked silently until we reached the edge of where the red rocks began, that's when Alec paused. I glanced over at him, bewildered. "Alec, what is it?" I asked, worry began to spread through me again. I tried to push it away, but it began to sink in.
    Alec rose his arm so it was level with the sunset and his finger extended ahead. He did not take his gaze off of whatever he was seeing. I turned my head slowly from him to the direction he was pointing. I placed my hand on my forehead to block most of the suns rays and searched the area hesitantly. Then, seconds later, I saw it. Something unnatural was bulging up from the desert's ground. It looked like a school's flag pole, but there was no flag fluttering in the wind attached to it on the top. The pole was a solid white, and it seemed to be only a few feet taller than Alec. There was a small black plaque located on the center of it; something was written in gold letters on the sign. I strained my eyes to try to read it, but to no avail. Beneath the pole's unusual plaque was something that looked like a cup holder, but instead of a cup, there was a skinny silver tube in its place.   
    "What do you think it is?"Alec asked, still examining the object I guessed. I took my eyes off of the new discovery we had made and glanced at Alec to see if I was correct. I WAS right. He was squinting his eyes together and trying not to look directly at the sun. Although that was rather hard to do, the pole was only a few feet away from it.             
    "I have no idea," I said honestly. "But I want to find out. Do you think we should?" I stared at him anxiously. I was scared of what his answer might be, not wanting to find out what it was exactly. Yet, I was very curious to see what the odd object in the distance was. His answer would certian me of what we should do.
             He did not take his eyes off the mysterious abnormal pole as he answered me. "Yes, but we should keep our distance. I don't trust anything here anymore. Everything is just too complicated."
             I chuckled. "That makes two of us. But I thought you said that this place was 'unharmful', though." I shook my head from side to side and tried to look shocked. "I'm with you on keeping our distance, though. Before we go, do you think we could take a rest? My leg isn't feeling too well." I began to sit down slowly.
             Alec shifted his vision to look at my scabbing leg. He then nodded slowly. "Are you sure you're alright? Your leg looks...horrible." He recoiled a bit.
    "I already told you, I'm fine.  It only hurts a tiny bit, really." I sat down completely then, my legs were arched a bit. I threw my arms around my knees and rested my head on them. I was careful to not put too much pressure where my wound began.
    Alec came and sat next to me, his legs crossed. He began tracing just below the red line on his palm with his finger tip. He was staring at it with an unreadable expression on his face. I sat wondering what he was thinking for a few long moment and then asked, "Are YOU okay, Alec?"
    His face changed to something more understandable, it looked like he knew something I did not. "I'll be alright." He began to state, "It's just a cut. It'll heal and then I'll have a cool scar to show off at home." Alec grinned.
    'Home', I thought, 'home..if we ever can find our way back...Home..' I smiled at him, but it was not a real smile. It was too shaky, I could feel the tears begin to grow heavier in my eyes. My vision became one great blur. The tears were going to fall! I quickly turned my head away a wiped the salty water drops from my eyes.  I kept my face hidden from him for a moment, and tried to regain what little mental strength I had left. 'Calm down!' I told myself, 'It's going to be fine! Alec said to trust him, and you said you did, so..why don't you?' I wanted to scream at the little voice in my head. I wanted to tell it to shut up and go away, but I knew it was right. I took in a deep breath and twisted my head around to face Alec. He was looking at me apprehensively, waiting for me to speak what was on my mind. "Alec, I'm fine. Stop looking at me like that."
    His eyes turned from me to the ground in an instant. "Sorry.."He mumbled, trying to apologize. "I just--I don't know what else to say to reassure you that everything is going to be alright. You need to not worry so much. We're going to find answers, we're going to get out of here, we're going to GO HOME. Calm down, breath, trust me." His eyes looked up and searched mine.
    I wanted to say that I did trust him, that I did understand one hundred percent completely, but I was tired of hearing myself lie; to both him and myself. I was trying to make myself think encouraging thoughts, I was trying to comfort myself, but it wasn't working. I tried harder; I thought about going home, seeing my family again, seeing my friends again, seeing..my home again. It began to slowly work. The more I thought about what life was like before, the more determined I began to get; the more intent I was on finding a way out of this place. For the first time in a while, I was somewhat happy. I smiled, and this time it actually reached my eyes. I wasn't sure why I was so blissful at the moment--maybe it was because I knew what I had to do, and I was going to do it--but I was now sure of myself. I was sure that I was going to get out of this, sure that WE were going to get out of this.
    "That's more like it!" I heard Alec exclaim. He had broken the cheerful daydream I had  entered. "I knew you would come around! I told you everything was going to be ok! I know we're not out yet..but you seem happy." He smiled, pleased with himself.
    I looked up at his awkward smile and laughed. "I am. I am happy. I'm happy I'm not here alone. I'm happy that you're here with me, and that we're going to get out." I smiled warmly, and he grinned back. We sat there for a moment, and then he rose up and extended his hand toward me. I took it, still smiling, and pulled myself upright. I brushed some sand off of me, and we both started walking again. This time it felt much easier for some reason. I think it may have been because this time I was sure we were going to go home. I was positive that we would live to see tomorrow, and I was glad.
    This time as we were walking, it was not the awkward, uneasy silence that we had previously shared. We began telling stories of things that had occurred before and after we met each other. We laughed almost the whole time, reminiscing on silly occasions. Not before long, I had almost forgotten the situation we were in. But even when reality hit, I wasn't scared. I was sure about something, I was sure about leaving this place and going home. I was sure that we were going to be...fearless. That whatever this place was going to throw at us, we would throw something even bigger back at it.

Author's Note

Ignore grammar and stuff..I have to go over that later..

Reviews

[Nazarea]

good work...I'm sorry it took me so long...I thought I'd read it and I hadn't....don't hate me...Again, all I saw were a few gramatical errors. I'm intrigued though, and looking forward to what happens next. *I wanna know about the pole*
Love it, as alawys.
N~

[Forist.johnston]

Very cool. Can't wait to read Chapter 11.