The War of Sand

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

1345

The Great Mines

New London

Alyce felt like she was floating on a cloud of the softest silk. Everything was warm and friendly. She couldn't see anything, but she felt wonderful. Her body hummed with the force of a powerful, sweet song that filled her brain, racing down her veins and out through the pores of her skin. She tingled everywhere; it wasn't unpleasant. She actually welcomed it. She was filled with calm and happiness, warmth and love. 

For a second, she thought- But wait, no. There was no need for thoughts here. She shouldn't think. And Alyce was content with that. She was just supposed to exist. Just be, enjoying nothing and everything. Because that is what she was: nothing and everything. She had no beginning and no end. She was the wind that rustled through the trees, she was the rain that soaked the parched earth. She was the sun that warmed the skins of children, and the flowers that brought happiness to husband's wives. 

She was everything and nothing.

Yet. Surely that wasn't correct. Alyce struggled to think, but the sweet song kept trying to push her back into her oblivious state of nothingness. She fought it. She pushed against the sweetness and the warmth, which now felt like it was suffocating her. It was a strong web, molding over her body like a blanket of wet, sticky sand. She pushed against it, stretching it until, finally, it broke. And when it did, so did the dream, shattering away with a flash of purple.

The soft silk turned into a hard, cold ground. There was a pounding in her head and a ringing in her ears instead of the sweet melody. She was covered in grime. Her body was filled with pain, so much pain. 

It was also dark. The darkness triggered a wave of memories, making her cry. The center. The bomb. It didn't work, the shelter failed. Cameron!

She was lying on her back. She didn't know where she was, but it was definitely not the learning center. She also didn't know why she was alive. This cold, damp place was most certainly not heaven, so she wasn't dead.  But why not? Hadn't  the bomb landed right on them? She should be dead, her body exploded inside the gravtube. But she wasn't.

She pushed herself up with her elbows, but when she used her hand to sit up, she slipped back, hitting her head hard. She groaned for a moment, lying still as she felt the shock of the impact. She brought her hands up to her face; she had slipped on something wet and now she tried to make out what it was, but she couldn't see. The substance on her hands was warm and wet. She felt around her, noting that it was nearly everywhere.

This time, she carefully attempted to sit up and she didn't fall. Blindly, she felt around the room until she touched a wall. She leaned against it, pressing her ear on the rough, stone wall. She listened, hoping to hear something that would indicate where she was or if there were any people around, but all she heard was the sound of the wind. 

"Hello?" She called out. It echoed and brought back no reply. "Is anyone there?"

Again, no answer.

She stumbled forward, a sharp pain in her side. Had she actually been injured? But she couldn't find any wound. Probably just bruised. Hopefully. She grimaced, squeezing her eyes closed. She was a bit surprised at herself. Usually, she'd be having a full blown anxiety attack by now, but she felt just fine. Sure, she felt a twinge of fear and worry, but not as bad as it tended to get. Like at the center. 

She lifted her face. The wind. Yes, that was it. She could feel the breeze on her face. If there was a breeze, then there was an exit. All she had to do was follow the wind.