The Dome

The Oasis

   As the five traveled through the deep forest, they were met with an more difficult challenge. Ahead of them rested an everlasting desert. Rona stopped the group just before their first steps into the sand. She was hit with a vision, a vision of another survivor. She saw a boy, resting under a palm tree. He laid still on the sand, peaceful and quiet.
"Someone's out there.." She looked off at the sand dunes, viewing them as grand mountains.
"Out there?" Gil whined "But that's so hot and far"
"Well we have to find all the people we can Gil...no matter where they may be" Madison stated.
   Gil rolled his eyes and looked at holly, her standing quietly.
"Holly what do you think?"
   Holly stood staring at the blade on Rona's belt. It dripped blood down onto the grass beneath her, each drop mesmerizing her.
"Holly?" Gil repeated "What do you think?!"
   She snapped out of the trance and looked at Gil, her eyes blank.
"Huh..oh uh..we can go. It's not too far of a walk is it Rona?" she turned and looked back at the blade.
   Rona nodded.
"He shouldn't be too far. Don't worry Gil we'll be in and out." She stated as she looked back at him.
   He sighed and walked off into the sand, mimicking them.
"Don't worry Gil, we'll be in and out."
   Rona threw a rock and hit him in the back of the head. Madison and Holly laughed as it hit him perfectly. He yelped.
"REALLY?" he turned to face them all, furious about the attack. Rona and the rest of them shrugged. He rolled his eyes and looked at butterscotch.
"What about you? Did you do it?"
   Butterscotch stood beside Rona, looking up at Gil. She tilted her head a bit in confusion and crept back behind her owner. Rona laughed and knelt down petting her.
"Don't blame my poor baby okay...she did nothing wrong" Rona told Gil.
   After a small discussion, the five set a course out into the desert. They scaled each sand dunes with ease..unlike Gil.
"UGHHH RONA I DON'T LIKE THIS"
   Rona grew furious with Gil and his constant whining. She looked at him and tightened her fist.
"Gil hun, if you don't stop with the complaining i will have Holly chop you up into tiny pieces." she stated with a soft voice. He froze and shut his mouth, Holly laughing at his silence. Madison rolled her eyes and spun around. Gil kicked the sand at his feet and stayed silent.
   The five traveled across the empty desert before finally arriving at the Oasis. The boy beneath the palm tree laid quiet and still as the group hurried to the water. Madison drank calmly as she cupped the water in her hands, lifting it to her mouth. Gil and Holly dove into the crystal clear waters, drinking and swimming around. Rona and Butterscotch sat at the bank of the oasis, sharing the water together. Gil swam up from the water and gasped for air.
"WOOOO" He cheered.
   The boy awoken and sat upward, looking at the group. He stared quietly until Rona became aware of his consciousness. She called out.
"Guys! He's awake!"
   Holly and Gil got out of the water, drying off by the Sun's graze. Madison and Butterscotch looked both curious and innocent. Rona arose from her position as they all watched.
"Hi!" she called out to the mysterious person.
   The boy sat still and waved. He got up from his position and walked over. The group greeted him with a friendly wave and he stood just beside them.
"Who are you?" Madison asked.
"My name is Hunter" He responded, smiling down at Madison.
"Well Hunter" Rona entered "We're trying to look for any survivors we can find out here and i just had a hunch that you were here."
"Huh? Survivor? Oh no no no...i'm no survivor. I've been living just fine out here."
   Gil looked at the oasis and the three palm trees surrounding it. He turned back looking at Hunter.
"That" he pointed "ain't look like living to me."
   Hunter shook his head and turned to face the waters. He whistled and the water rose up in a grand spiral, swirling around before flowing like a stream passed the group. It passed their faces as they watched in awe. He guided the stream with his pointer finger and brought it back to the small hole in which the oasis laid. Rona nodded in understanding and grew slightly upset.
"Well i still suggest that you come with us...considering the dangers that lurk this... this uhh.."
"Dome?" Hunter stated.
    Rona nodded and the group came closer together. She stared at the slender boy.
"You must come with us alright? It'll be much safer if you just come with us okay? We came all this way for you and we're not leaving empty handed."
   Hunter stood still thinking for a few moments before finally agreeing.
"I shall tag along" he lifted his hand and guided the water from the oasis into his satchel. He shut it and smiled at the group. "I hope i could be an asset to this..." He tilted his head. "Uhhh"
"GANG" Gil shouted.
Rona turned back at Gil with the most disappointed glare. He bounced slightly up and down in his place, smiling right at her. Madison laughed at the two and turned to face Hunter.
"Gang" She cleared up with a sigh.
"YES!" Gil cheered as the girls rolled their eyes. Butterscotch looked at Gil and her bell chimed. A bit of sand splashed up into his mouth as he cheered. The heat of it burned his tongue a bit and he coughed it all out. Everyone laughed at him as he struggled to get each grain out.
"WHO DID THAT?" He demanded "IM SERIOUS."
   Rona, still laughing, knelt down and stroked Butterscotch's fur gently. She whispered into her ear.
"Good baby" She then snickered.
   Gil rolled his eyes and spit out the last  of the burning sand.
   The six headed in the same direction they took, climbing and descending each dune. The desert seemed like a never ending carpet of fire. Butterscotch was carried by Rona, seeing as though the sand harmed her.
   Day turned into night, leaving the group no shelter. They stopped their journey to take a break and rest up for the next day. Hunter, who had brought cocoanuts along with him, shared with everyone. He laid quietly in the sand enjoying the stars and his refreshing drink. Gil and Holly fell asleep as they were exhausted from all the walking. Madison stayed up, sipping away at her portion. Rona laid on her side, dragging her fingers along the sand. Butterscotch quietly enjoyed her cocoanut, her tail wagging as she drank. The group remained silent and calm, not a sound to be heard. Hunter fell into a deep sleep soon after he had finished. Rona, shivering, snuggled with Butterscotch in an attempt to stay warm. However Madison stayed wide awake, gazing at the stars and dreaming of what's to come. She sipped her final bit of cocoa juice before placing it down away from her.
   Entering her view she saw a large figure soaring in the sky. She squinted and tried to make out the silhouette. It's wings were large and tail as long as a bus. It then vanished into the darkness of the night. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, believing that it was only a hallucination.
"Nothing to be afraid of Madison" she spoke quietly to herself "you have all you need right here." She smiled slightly and laid back, closing her eyes and falling asleep.
   A tall, mysterious creature watched from a distance.
"These newcomers...they don't belong."
   It pulled its wretched arm out from within its robe, a capsule in its hand. It looked down at it quickly moved its hand back.
"Not yet...i must let them know. He'll figure this out..."
   The figure disappeared into a shroud of smoke and scattered off into the darkness. 
___________________________

   The figure then recollected itself, appearing in front of a large cave. Torches stood at the entrance and lit up the path inside. Skeletons laid flat on the ground along with pieces of armor and swords.
"Hmph..." it snickered. "Oh how excited they'll both be when they hear this."
    The figure then made it's way down the poorly lit pathway and into the cave.