CA[RAD: SKY-LINE

Chapter Two

My eyes were broken. Shattered, but awoken.

As I felt the dirt roughly drag underneath me and then stone scraping my head, I knew someone or something was pulling me along. I panicked, but was too dozy to do anything just yet. My brain wasn't functioning correctly, and it felt like it was leaking blood. It wasn't, I mean, but my head in-fact was.

My eyes fully opened wide to see the trail of blood on the stone behind. I started kicking, and then suddenly my legs, which I felt were up in the air, then dropped. I lifted my body with the support of my hands, after rising half way I stopped to notice that Dot was the one who was dragging me. 'Phew...' I thought, that could have been worse.

"Sir, please! You've taken a blow to the head upon falling, let me hellple-ee-aass-E!!" 

Dot's voice was malfunctioning, something was wrong. I was now standing, with my hands on my knees, breathing heavily. We were at the entrance to a cave-like-overhang. It was dark inside, Dot would never bring me inside an unlit area without inspecting the place thoroughly. Maybe he already had, but when I looked behind I saw bag and the packed shelter. Dot must have dropped them there, but the point was, there were lanterns in those bags. Dot would and SHOULD  have lit the area, before dragging me in. 

After looking back and seeing the bags, I also saw something else. Out in the desert, were boats. most either on their sides or upright. Some looked harshly shoved into the sand. A lake of some sort must have been here before. But beyond, I saw a sandstorm. No wonder Dot was trying to get us inside, but still, lighting is too important. Anything could be in that cave, ever since the war, since the aftermath, the mutated have been quite a threat in isolated areas like these. Sand-worms, are a good example considering what previously happened. But there are other things, so many other WORSE things

"Dot your, voice? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Om-m. Oh sir, I must have damaged myself after the fall. As you have hurt yourself, it seems we both need to recover. That's why I was finding us a more prom-m-ising shelterrrr. That, and I don't think we want to bump into anymore sand worms, now, do we." 

"But what about the lights?" I exclaimed, as I turned around and reached for the bags. I also grabbed my shemagh and tied it around my neck in prep for the storm, in-case we wouldn't be able to stay here. 

"Ah, the lights! l-LET ME sirrrr". Said Dot, as I reached into the bag for the lanterns. They weren't there.

"What! Where are the lights?! Dot, where did you put them?!" I said in a frustrated tone. My head was killing me, and now no light... It was just, irritating. Especially under the circumstances.

"I don't know sir. They may have been lef-t-t-t Behind." 

I tossed the bag over to the wall, almost throwing it. I was keeping my cool, well, trying. I needed to think of a new plan. We couldn't stay in this cave without light. Heck, we couldn't be anywhere out here without light!

I forget to mention before, but, without light, comes death. Since not-so-recently, something has been in the darkness, kidnapping those who dare come into it. Some people believe it to be a creature, others believe they are demons punishing us because of the war. But seriously, I don't even know what to believe. A about since a month ago, anyone who was caught in an unlit room, or even just an unlit area, vanished along with vision and color. And once the light was returned, be it minutes or mere seconds later, with a shrieking sound they were gone. It just seemed crazy at first. But there were SO many reports of people vanishing right in front of others, just because they stepped out of the light of a street lamp. After all the missing persons reports within similar case scenarios were reported in just 24 hours, the whole town kept the lights on for all of the next night. It then turned into a story among the young, but we know it's something we must take seriously. NO ONE, must be caught in the darkness. Or they will NEVER, be seen again.

So yeah, unless we could find light, we could be doomed. Still, it was mid day now coming into evening. I was unconscious for morning and most of the day, but we still had time to sort some things out. Such as, Dot's wiring. Something wasn't right in that head. We also needed water, we were running low. But still, a source of light would be the number one priority. There was no way were gonna be able to light a fire out here. As I looked outside again, pondering, I thought that maybe our last hope might be at getting to one of those boats out there that I could see. There could be something worth taking, like a lantern... If we were so lucky... But it was still our best shot, and I was willing to take it.