Do You Trust Me?

Spitting Image

Alex continued around the dip, moving back and forth like a squirrel not quite sure whether or not to cross the road, mutter slightly to himself. Amy watched him, too mentally exhausted to bother keeping up with him.

"Perhaps it was filtered underground somehow..." he sat on his knees in the center of the dip and traced his finger through the sand. Bringing his hand closer to his face he studied the grains.

"What is it?" 

Alex held up a finger, silencing her. He ran his tongue over his fingertips, licking up the sand.

Amy stared at him. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to eat dirt? Or sand?" She shook her head at the crazy boy. He may have saved her, but that didn't make him any less of a lunatic.

He simply spat and quietly shook his head. "I was testing the sand for traces of - " he froze suddenly. Amy did too. The sandy glob of saliva was levitation away from where Alex had spat it onto the ground. It floated in a wobbling sphere, then stretched itself out, reaching for the sky. 

Alex watched it from his position on the ground, his galaxy colored eyes wide. "Well then." he murmered, scanning his surroundings for the cause.

Amy backed towards the edge of the dip, where the sand sloped to meet level ground. Suddenly she stumbled over her own feet, landing in the sand's warm embrace. "I don't know if physics are the same here as on earth or not, but that giant storm cloud may have something to do with it."

Finally taking his eyes from the ground, Alex followed Amy's pointed finger up into the sky. It was clear, all except for a bowl shaped cloud. Amy could only imagine what it contained, but based off of his expression, Alex already knew. He knew. 

Tension filled his eyes as they watched the saliva move up towards it, eventually fading from their vision. He turned. "Come on Amy, we have to get to a city, and quick."

She nodded and followed him up, sand trailing down behind them. "What's the deal with that cloud? What...What's in it?"

"Trouble."