Xay
12-19-2010, 07:39 PM
I wrote this in a very short amount of time, just to take a break from other projects. I might go somewhere with it, but you tell me what you think.
The Sands
I kept trudging through the sand, every step getting more difficult. The sun was ferocious today, sending wave after wave of blistering heat down to me. I glanced upwards; the sun was beginning to fall. “Thank god”. I mumbled to myself. After a few more steps I collapsed on the ground, I could walk no more today. As I lay in the warm sand I noticed that I could see buildings in the distance, they were about 3 miles off, as far as I could tell. Was this the city I needed to get to? I didn’t care at this point, any civilization would be welcome. After a long day of shambling through this massive desert, sleep came easily.
I woke up to screaming; a terrible wail coming from underneath me. At first I thought I was dreaming, but it soon became apparent that I wasn’t. I looked up to the sky, black save for the shining moon. As I sat up, I felt the sand shifting under me. I jumped upwards at once, the screaming never faltering. “What kind of peril must this person be in!?” I tried to say, but my words were drowned in the wail. The sand began to shift under me again, out of curiosity I stood still. I was suddenly jerked downwards; I was up to my hips in sand. As I struggled to get up, I could almost feel something stroking my leg. I got a sudden surge in energy from my fright, and quickly pulled myself out of the hole. Sand instantly went to fill the spot my body was just in. The screaming had stopped for the moment, replaced by a very faint mumbling of some sort.
Despite it being dark, I decided to make it to the city as soon as possible. Whatever was under the sands frightened me to my core. After an hour of hiking, the buildings seemed no closer. Though it seemed I had gotten rid of the creature that lurked under the sands. There was a particularly large sand dune in my path, too large to walk around. With a grunt, I began to make my way up it. I had to resort to getting on my hands and knees to get up the massive dune. During my ascent I began to hear the faint mumbling again, coming from inside the dune. I decided it was just my mind tricking me, and continued to climb. I was almost at the top of the dune when my right arm was tugged, from inside the dune. I tried to pull my arm out, to no avail. That’s when the screaming started again. I pulled harder on my arm, and yet it still didn’t budge. It felt as though something was breathing on my arm… the heat of breath forming moisture on my hand. Just when I started to pull again, I felt a sharp pain in my hand, adding my own scream to the wail.
I ripped my arm out of the dune, and began tumbling down it. My white cloak getting stained with red and orange. My hand was covered with blood, coming from a gash on the side of my thumb. As sand sunk into my wound, I never stopped screaming. The sand was abnormally sharp, cutting into my face. As I was tumbling, and screaming; I could almost make out a large shape racing towards me from the top of the dune. I finally hit the bottom of the dune with a thud. I got up, despite my pain, and began to run as fast as I could away from the dune. I ran and ran until I could taste blood in my throat. Not ever looking back, out of fear I would slip and fall. I ran until the sun showed its face above the sand.
As I slowed, I listened for the slightest mumble, but it seemed the beast only came out at night. I looked at the wound on my hand; it was covered in sand and stung even when I moved slightly. I tore a part of my cloak, and wrapped it around my hand. I searched for the city on the horizon; I was closer now, barely 2 miles. The city looked even more magnificent from here, the buildings plated with gold and silver, shimmering in the sunlight. The more I looked at it the more I was drawn to it. I knew that this city was my salvation; I just had to make it before the darkness consumed the landscape.
I walked as quickly as I could, which was more of a shamble. And much to my horror, the sun was beginning its journey downwards. And it seemed I was no closer to the city. I began to run, but my legs refused; and I slowed to a walk again. “No, no no” I mumbled to myself. If I had to stay out here one more night, surely I would die by the hands of this abomination. I walked until I collapsed to the sand. I could do no more today. As I embraced the warm sand, the sun disappeared behind a particularly large sand dune. I tried my hardest to stay awake, but eventually I surrendered to the urge.
I woke up; as I feared I would. But not to screaming, I woke up to a large black shape shifting in the distance. I tried to stay as still as I could as I observed the beast. It wasn’t very large, about 6 feet. As I continued to look at it, not daring to move, it turned its head in my direction. The inhuman screaming began to assault my ears. It then began to take very long strides towards me, its arms swinging as it did. I shot up instantly, and began to run. After a couple of minutes dealing with the screaming, I turned to see how long I had before my life was cut. And to my surprise it was nowhere to be seen. The screaming was still present however, only muffled. I continued to search for the beast as I backed up. To my horror, I saw the sand in front of me shifting and turning. I turned away from the twisting sand, and ran towards the city. I was almost to it! It was less than a mile away, and even in the darkness it looked magnificent. I tried to scream to the inhabitants of it, but my scream was far weaker than that of the beasts.
Abruptly the screaming stopped, and I saw that the sun was crawling up from its slumber. “Thank you… thank you…” I said to myself, grateful for whatever god protected me. I approached the magnificent city, gleaming and shimmering in the morning sun. As I got closer, I passed through the shadow of a particularly large dune, but I paid it no mind. I began to see tracks from a human; this must mean I should see people soon! And finally, at long last I made it to this awe inspiring city. I stepped onto the road, and thanked my god. Though as I walked through the city, something became more and more apparent; this city was empty.
I kept searching franticly for someone, anyone but I couldn’t find anyone. “Who would abandon such a magnificent city?” I asked myself. I kept walking towards the town center, the sun drooping low behind the shimmering buildings. And that’s when I realized that the buildings weren’t casting shadows. I thought this strange, but continued to the cities center.
Finally, just as the sun disappeared, replaced by the moon, I reached the center. And in the center of this city, was a particularly large dune. This is when the city vanished, replaced by miles and miles of sand. I saw my tracks, I saw several sets of my tracks… traveling in a large circle around this monstrous dune. The sand below me began to shift, and a abominable wail sounded again. “No!” I screamed, I screamed as loud as I could. I was pulled downwards to my hips, screaming still. Then I was pulled down to my neck. My screaming cut short by gasps, as I felt pain throughout my torso. And in one final pull, I was consumed by the sands, my screams becoming faint mumbles.
The Sands
I kept trudging through the sand, every step getting more difficult. The sun was ferocious today, sending wave after wave of blistering heat down to me. I glanced upwards; the sun was beginning to fall. “Thank god”. I mumbled to myself. After a few more steps I collapsed on the ground, I could walk no more today. As I lay in the warm sand I noticed that I could see buildings in the distance, they were about 3 miles off, as far as I could tell. Was this the city I needed to get to? I didn’t care at this point, any civilization would be welcome. After a long day of shambling through this massive desert, sleep came easily.
I woke up to screaming; a terrible wail coming from underneath me. At first I thought I was dreaming, but it soon became apparent that I wasn’t. I looked up to the sky, black save for the shining moon. As I sat up, I felt the sand shifting under me. I jumped upwards at once, the screaming never faltering. “What kind of peril must this person be in!?” I tried to say, but my words were drowned in the wail. The sand began to shift under me again, out of curiosity I stood still. I was suddenly jerked downwards; I was up to my hips in sand. As I struggled to get up, I could almost feel something stroking my leg. I got a sudden surge in energy from my fright, and quickly pulled myself out of the hole. Sand instantly went to fill the spot my body was just in. The screaming had stopped for the moment, replaced by a very faint mumbling of some sort.
Despite it being dark, I decided to make it to the city as soon as possible. Whatever was under the sands frightened me to my core. After an hour of hiking, the buildings seemed no closer. Though it seemed I had gotten rid of the creature that lurked under the sands. There was a particularly large sand dune in my path, too large to walk around. With a grunt, I began to make my way up it. I had to resort to getting on my hands and knees to get up the massive dune. During my ascent I began to hear the faint mumbling again, coming from inside the dune. I decided it was just my mind tricking me, and continued to climb. I was almost at the top of the dune when my right arm was tugged, from inside the dune. I tried to pull my arm out, to no avail. That’s when the screaming started again. I pulled harder on my arm, and yet it still didn’t budge. It felt as though something was breathing on my arm… the heat of breath forming moisture on my hand. Just when I started to pull again, I felt a sharp pain in my hand, adding my own scream to the wail.
I ripped my arm out of the dune, and began tumbling down it. My white cloak getting stained with red and orange. My hand was covered with blood, coming from a gash on the side of my thumb. As sand sunk into my wound, I never stopped screaming. The sand was abnormally sharp, cutting into my face. As I was tumbling, and screaming; I could almost make out a large shape racing towards me from the top of the dune. I finally hit the bottom of the dune with a thud. I got up, despite my pain, and began to run as fast as I could away from the dune. I ran and ran until I could taste blood in my throat. Not ever looking back, out of fear I would slip and fall. I ran until the sun showed its face above the sand.
As I slowed, I listened for the slightest mumble, but it seemed the beast only came out at night. I looked at the wound on my hand; it was covered in sand and stung even when I moved slightly. I tore a part of my cloak, and wrapped it around my hand. I searched for the city on the horizon; I was closer now, barely 2 miles. The city looked even more magnificent from here, the buildings plated with gold and silver, shimmering in the sunlight. The more I looked at it the more I was drawn to it. I knew that this city was my salvation; I just had to make it before the darkness consumed the landscape.
I walked as quickly as I could, which was more of a shamble. And much to my horror, the sun was beginning its journey downwards. And it seemed I was no closer to the city. I began to run, but my legs refused; and I slowed to a walk again. “No, no no” I mumbled to myself. If I had to stay out here one more night, surely I would die by the hands of this abomination. I walked until I collapsed to the sand. I could do no more today. As I embraced the warm sand, the sun disappeared behind a particularly large sand dune. I tried my hardest to stay awake, but eventually I surrendered to the urge.
I woke up; as I feared I would. But not to screaming, I woke up to a large black shape shifting in the distance. I tried to stay as still as I could as I observed the beast. It wasn’t very large, about 6 feet. As I continued to look at it, not daring to move, it turned its head in my direction. The inhuman screaming began to assault my ears. It then began to take very long strides towards me, its arms swinging as it did. I shot up instantly, and began to run. After a couple of minutes dealing with the screaming, I turned to see how long I had before my life was cut. And to my surprise it was nowhere to be seen. The screaming was still present however, only muffled. I continued to search for the beast as I backed up. To my horror, I saw the sand in front of me shifting and turning. I turned away from the twisting sand, and ran towards the city. I was almost to it! It was less than a mile away, and even in the darkness it looked magnificent. I tried to scream to the inhabitants of it, but my scream was far weaker than that of the beasts.
Abruptly the screaming stopped, and I saw that the sun was crawling up from its slumber. “Thank you… thank you…” I said to myself, grateful for whatever god protected me. I approached the magnificent city, gleaming and shimmering in the morning sun. As I got closer, I passed through the shadow of a particularly large dune, but I paid it no mind. I began to see tracks from a human; this must mean I should see people soon! And finally, at long last I made it to this awe inspiring city. I stepped onto the road, and thanked my god. Though as I walked through the city, something became more and more apparent; this city was empty.
I kept searching franticly for someone, anyone but I couldn’t find anyone. “Who would abandon such a magnificent city?” I asked myself. I kept walking towards the town center, the sun drooping low behind the shimmering buildings. And that’s when I realized that the buildings weren’t casting shadows. I thought this strange, but continued to the cities center.
Finally, just as the sun disappeared, replaced by the moon, I reached the center. And in the center of this city, was a particularly large dune. This is when the city vanished, replaced by miles and miles of sand. I saw my tracks, I saw several sets of my tracks… traveling in a large circle around this monstrous dune. The sand below me began to shift, and a abominable wail sounded again. “No!” I screamed, I screamed as loud as I could. I was pulled downwards to my hips, screaming still. Then I was pulled down to my neck. My screaming cut short by gasps, as I felt pain throughout my torso. And in one final pull, I was consumed by the sands, my screams becoming faint mumbles.