earth

Chapter 7

The waves of heat rise up, visible in the shimmering air. They stretch so high that they seem to reach up into the clouds, although they are hard to see. As I walk down the long, hot road, I can feel the waves surrounding me, closing in with each step. The sun is slowly setting, painting the sky orange and casting long shadows across the road. The clouds are like waves frozen in time, still and silent.

Suddenly, the unyielding road plays its cruel trick on me, and my journey is halted. The front of my shoe collides with a rock, sending me tumbling face-first onto the dusty ground. As I lay there, gasping for breath, my eyes fixate on the tiny army of ants marching past me. Little Riley's. My fingers curl into a fist and then crush them one by one, sending them into the dirt. They vanish, as if they never existed, lost in the waves of the earth.

"Shit, are you dead?" I jolted at the sound of the rough voice coming from the left. My head snapped in the direction of the noise and I spotted a giant roach, of all things, perched inside the truck with its window down. I squinted at the blur, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to consume me, fully aware that the grim reaper could be lurking around the corner. Summoning all my strength, I managed to push myself off the ground and stumbled to my feet.

"Can I trouble you for a ride?" I managed to rasp, my voice dry and hoarse. I swallowed what felt like a lump of sand in my throat, trying to ignore the parched feeling.

The roach leaned over, opening the passenger door of his car. I stumbled and awkwardly sat down, shutting the door behind me. "Sure, where are you headed?" he asked curiously.I took a closer look at him, and he looked no less peculiar than the roach. He had creamy brown skin, light black facial hair growing under his nose, and dreadlocks styled into a ponytail. His boring black eyes gave nothing away, leaving me feeling like I'd seen everything.

"Erso," I whispered, and his head snapped back in surprise.

"Erso?! That's a five-day walk!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Take me there," I croaked out, leaning my head back against the headrest. The cool air blasting in my face felt heavenly, providing an instant relief to my parched skin.

"I will, but are you in a hurry? I've got an errand to run," he said, revving his truck engine.

"No...I just have some family there- it didn't tell them I was coming to visit," he said in a gruff voice, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. My gaze drifted to the scenery outside, passing small trees and shrubs, each one disappearing behind us with a swish.

The truck's old engine hummed softly, occasionally punctuated by the odd clink and clunk as it hit a pothole. The silence was broken only by the soft chimes of his truck.

"Mind if I put on some music?" he asked, his voice bringing me back to the present."Go ahead," I replied, my eyes fixed on the side mirror.

With a press of a button, the truck was filled with the sweet sound of a woman's voice singing. I found myself swaying to the rhythm, and then I heard another sound - his beatboxing! I looked over at him, and there he was, bobbing his head and tapping the steering wheel with his fingers.

"Oh sorry," he said, spotting my amused expression.

"You know this song?" I asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, Man who doesn't know this song? Smooth Operators by-"

"Sade," I said, finishing his sentence. We both looked at each other and smiled, before I turned back to the window.

As the truck trundled along the road, the sun and the moon played their game of hide-and-seek. The sun finally got tired of the chase, fading into the distance, letting the C-shaped moon take over. We made a rough stop in a small-looking city on the outskirts.