Where the World Begins Again

The glimmer of the moon reflected off eyes, and the glare of the fire shimmered upon face, casting orange upon him. The desert was cold, piercing his bare skin, even as he sat in the warmth of the fire. His journey was long and a weary one, but after his youth had long past, it was ending; before the sun rose high, he would be home again.

"Hur!" his companion called loudly across the fire.

He raised his head and retorted, "Quiet you bloody-fool! You will awaken Them."

His companion raised his head toward the sky and laughed vehemently, as if mocking. "It has been over twenty-years, and we have never seen or heard that 'They' were ever alive. We have seen stranger and more dangerous things than ghost stories, but you walk about as if 'They' are around the corner."

"What do you want Gabe?"

Gabe stood up straight, the lines of his face turned from mocking to seriousness. He cleared his throat, then asked, "Do you think your wife has been faithful."

Hur's brow furrowed, displaying to Gabe to his agitation, "You ask me this every year."

"Every year your answer is different."

"Well, Gabe," he paused, staring intently at him, looking for a reason he asked him such, again and again, "I do not know. We told them that we would be gone a year. Likely they think we are dead."

"What about your son?"

"Has my son been faithful?"

"That's not what I meant."

After a pause and fire between them, Hur answered, "He does not know who I am, and I don't know him. I don't know his name. I do not think he will care much of me."

Gabe remained strangely silent, then turned away, laying down again, as if disappointment.

In turn, after his confusion, Hur laid down likewise, turning toward the cliff that he laid next to. His ancient home was in the distance, there lights shining through their windows, with a desert between them.

After a time, just as he dozed, Gabe spoke again, waking him out his slumber, "Hur."

"What is it, Gabe?!"

Gabe paused, as if debating whether to continue after being yelled at, "Did you read the book?"

He opened his eyes, and though he was not facing the fire, he perceived it dying. "Yes."

He placed his hands over a bulge in a separate blanket, and clenched it tightly, bringing it closer to him again.

With a somber and timid tone, Gabe asked, "What does it say?"

"How to save the world."

" 'Save the world?' " Gabe repeated, "But the world was destroyed a thousand years ago. Does it say anything else?"

"How to resurrect the world."

Gabe remained silent, then after a moment, laid again on his bed. He had never liked Gabe, but after the years had passed between them, he was the only one he could call his friend. Hur remained silent, then fell again to sleep.

The moon moved across the sky, and fewer lights were in the village of his past. The clouds came and covered the air above. Hours passed upon hours before they awoke again.

Hur opened his eyes again, hearing Gabe speak to another.

He turned quickly back to the fire, seeing Gabe at the canyon at which they entered from, talking to three men in black garments, with hoods around their head. Immediately he feared.

When they saw him arise, they came forward, standing across the dead fire, with Gabe in their hands.

"Are you Hur?" the one in the middle asked, whom Hur presumed was the leader.

He nodded, glancing at Gabe, who was deeply struck by them in fear, then he turned back to the man, showing him nothing, though he was as equally as fearful as his 'friend.'

They sat down together, across from Hur, their bodies springing dust into the air and to their clothes.

"Your friend awoke us by his laughter," the leader said.

He glanced again to Gabe with no expression, but condemnation was in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hur replied, "He was never a quiet one. Whatever you want, you can have; we have little food, but that's fine, for he wont need it tomorrow; you may take our equipment; anything, anything at all, it is yours."

"Your are Hur, are you not? The one sent to retrieve the book."

A silence was between them, but then Hur nodded.

"Give us the book."

Hur sighed, looking toward the earth, then back again to the man, and sighed again, "I know who you are--"

"Good, now we don't have to wear these hoods in the dark," in unison, they uncovered their heads, showing their bronze skin, and bright blue eyes that seemed to glow.

Them. The inhabitants the world before, transformed when the world called Abva died.

"Give us the book, Hur."

"If I give it you, you will kill us anyway."

"Give us the book."

The ones that held Gabe, pressed tighter underneath their grip that was on his arms. He let out a yelp like a dog, and a scream that echoed across the gulf and canyon. But when Hur remained motionless, the leader pointed at the man in pain, and the man Gabe fell dead.

"You are a great liar," the leader praised, "You pretend to not be moved, but I have never seen a man more shaken."

The leader said again, with admiration and a voice that was more commanding then previously, "Give us the book, Hur."

"We can save this world."

"Ha. if only their were men like you In my time, then the world would have never died. If you knew what would happen if the world should turn again back to the past, you would have destroyed that book long ago.

His bright eyes turned to the bulge, then he arose, making toward it.

Underneath Hur's blanket, Hur pulled his knife then passed it into the man's chest. The man remained still, then turned down to Hur with a smile upon his face.

"You should know that we cannot be killed Hur." Then with his hand he raised him up, pulling the knife from his chest, and cast it to the ground.

Hur fought and struggled, but remained defenseless. Making toward the cliff, he held him high above. One of the men that crushed Gabe's hand, came and took the book from the blanket. Turning to empty fire, he pointed, then the fire arose higher than before.

Together the three laughed, as the book was cast into the fire, turning black and then into ash.

The leader stood straighter as he held Hur, then said, "O Hur, let the world die."

His gripped loosened, then Hur fell below.