The Half-Giant's Guide to Seeing the Future

The Day I Traveled With The Wardens

As it turned out, Sandbox 45 was about eighty miles from Las Vegas, in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Once Tres and I left the giant realm, we met up with Dylan on the ranch and one of the ground side associates, Phil, who was our helicopter pilot. We all piled into a state-of-the-art helicopter that was roomier than the one Emma flew us in when I came to the giant world for the first time and prepared for a long flight. 

Tres explained that the half-giants had essentially boltholes they called Sandboxes with supplies and places to keep giant prisoners all over the world. They were all numbered and there was a Sandbox in most major cities in the United States and others scattered across the rest of the globe. 

Sandbox 45 was one of Emma's most used bolt holes since she often chased giants as far as Las Vegas. Phil explained that giants preferred to blend in places with lots of people. Those who escaped Redwood often headed to places like Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the daring ones made it as far as Las Vegas. 

"Phil monitors channels of the unexplained and wild, as well as any hashtag that might help us find escaped giants," Dylan explained. "He often then gets that information to trackers and hunters like Vita or Emma and they scout and take care of the giants."

"How did you get involved with the halfants?" I asked since Phil was a small man and didn't have the height I expected of someone with giant blood. 

Phil wore a wide-brimmed baseball cap, a mullet, and a potbelly and could barely see over the helicopter's instruments. He wore a cut-off jean jacket with a bunch of pins and shorts. If I had seen him on the street, I might have thought he was a trucker or someone who spent a lot of time in trailer parks.  

"Funny thing, missy," Phil said. "Emma is my daughter. I met her mom as a casual acquaintance, and she stayed with me when she was in Las Vegas. Vita was a wild one, and I've never been able to pin her down, but we've co-parented a strong and independent girl."

The human had likely never been to the giant world. He was a part of it distantly through his daughter. I admired his willingness to help with something that had his life gone a different way that he'd have had no part of. He wasn't born into this like the rest of us. 

Phil chattered the entire way to Sandbox 45. He talked mostly talked about raising Emma and his life on the road as a trucker. Once we landed at the sandbox, he came out with us and swiped a card over the metal door, where a sensor beeped to life. 

"Greetings, Phil Warden," an automated voice said. "Password, please."

"Valentine's Sunday," Phil said. 

The doors opened like an elevator. Dylan led us inside, and we found a small room with a table and chairs. Emma was sitting with her feet kicked back, reading a romance novel. There were bags under her eyes and she set the book down when we entered. 

"I was wondering where y'all were," she said. 

"No love for your dad, sugar?" Phil asked. 

Emma stood and gave him a hug. "Course, Dad. Thanks for helping again. I hope he gave you the first-class treatment."

"Yeah," Dylan scratched the back of his neck and blushed. "Good to see you, Emma."

I looked at my cousin with a bit of surprise. I'd never seen him like this before. Emma seemed to tie his tongue, and his cheeks grew pink when she spoke to him directly. 

"I gave Gayle one tranquilizer after she gave the federal agents a fight," Emma said. "Apparently, she paid a little attention to training. Agent Willcox got a black eye for her troubles. It'll be bit before I ask her for a favor again."