Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“We can never go back, Duncan. We can never go back home.”

 

I wrapped Matt in my arms to ease the wild blow of the sandy wind. “I know, buddy. I know.”

 

These were the first words my brother had said to me out here, in the middle of the burning desert. We were under a roof made purely of cloth and once again battling the elements to survive. Despite being several years younger than me when we were abandoned here and left to fend for ourselves I had noticed an unexpected, growing confidence in him.

 

That first day we found ourselves surrounded by miles upon miles of sand, a psychological nightmare had begun; one which would continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

             

We grew up out here, the two of us; our best friend becoming a water hole we started calling “The Atlantic.” We would walk to the Atlantic and replenish our flattened, thirsty tummies with its cold water. Matt remained strong through it all, and he kept me going, times I felt my life was bound by darkness and bent by misfortune.

 

A small wide and bright green tree stood beside our Atlantic and I would often rest against its cushioned bark, feeling the leaves tickle my back as I listened to the Atlantic’s silent song. I understood, during those moments what silence truly sounded like; a silence never before felt across the vast expanse of Earth.

 

I wished I could be sitting by the deep blue sea instead, hearing its roar. I wished I could feel the pleasure of walking a pathless wood, I wished I could go where no one intruded and no one was disturbed. I wished for change; for the concept of life to be lit up like a beacon so I could discover why we were really here…

 

It was evening, and I found myself gazing deep into the dark sky, ever so lightly tinted by the last light of day. The Atlantic remained silent; the serene water now sharing the colour of the sky - black and misty. I felt myself personified as a part of this nature, yet opposite to it as well - personified by the actions of myself, and of all humanity. The night finally beckoned me to sleep, and my predicament was forgotten, if only for that while.

 

“Helloo, sir.”

 

“What? Who -” I opened my eyes, seeing two small confusing creatures standing over me; their metal, human-like faces displaying no emotion. They looked like robots, but where they hailed from, I couldn’t possibly imagine.

 

“It is absolutely fantastic to finally come across a life form in this hazardous land,” I heard one of them say. “I call myself Scuttle, and this is my companion, Skim.”

 

I stared blankly into its face, my eyes blurred by the early morning, the sun barely peaking over the dusty mountains.

 

“Well, nice to meet you, guys, but I’m afraid I can’t be of much help to you. I’m just out here awaiting Death. Whenever Death decides to take me, I’ll be here, near the Atlantic. I won’t give a crap.”

“Wait, sir! You mean to say... this is the Atlantic?” The robot thing quickly stared at the other one. “We’ve found it Skim! Perhaps Earth isn’t as large as we’d presumed. The Atlantic looks much larger from up there.”

 

A screeching buzz echoed in my head and ricocheted down my body as if I was a deep dark chasm, echoing. I glanced up at the sky where a few stars were still visibly twinkling. Could Scuttle and Skim have come from one of those trillions of stars stretching to the ends of the universe?

 

I focused on the robots next, eyeing them from top to bottom. Scuttle looked creamy, like a piece of off-white paper, a blue light glowing from his sides. Skim was taller, the colour of a bronze medal, although a slightly lighter shade.

 

“Well, lads... I guess you’d better come with me. I can’t provide much, but you are welcome to stay with me and my brother for a little while…” I paused as the two robots stared at me unblinking. 

“And guys, this isn’t the real Atlantic Ocean; it’s just a name we gave this water hole. But you can imagine that it is though, I guess. You can imagine this is a bigger part of the world; with a grander purpose; with a location visible from the stars watching over us each night…”  

Reviews

[Lyn Anderson]

It feels like you need some more connecting threads as you work through. The overall ideas are good, but require some tweaking. My comments would be similar to my last ones with regard to spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Also, clash amongst the elements doesn't have a clear meaning. I assume the character is trying to protect from the wind, rather than penetrate it -- penetrate the wind is kind of poetic, but not really suited to the story.

[Stars and Whales]

Ok, thanks man for the reviews! This helps me out a lot! I don't believe there were any spelling issues, but if you could point them out individually that would be great! Anyway, I appreciate it buddy

[Brenden Brown]

Chapter 4 is really good so far :)