Princess of AMBER

Chapter 29

      The thought of staying in Amber was frightening. Some crazy man have decided to take over a power. Who is he? The voice was oddly familiar, but I could not remember, who it belonged to. I certainly don't know anyone, who looks like that. No one in my group of 'friends' has a stile of him.

     I have to get moving. I do not want to experience the wrath of E-Ono and other people in Amber anymore. With no one close to me left in this city, I have nothing that keeps me here. Only Bryce.... But I have no idea, where he is or is he even here. 

It is too dangerous for me to stay. If I do.... I will not see another day to come.

     The desert sun is hot and I am already sweating. Inside the domes of Amber, ventilation protects us from scorching heat and no one has to think about the discomfort, that sun gives. I feel little bit uncertain of venturing out in the open desert, well aware, that life in dunes is much harder, than in civilized area. I just need to reach nearest city or settlement. Will I even survive that long? Water and food I packed, will be enough only for few days.

      My mind goes back to the jellies in my bag and sickening feeling fills my gut. I will have to survive on them, when my organic supplies run out. Clothes on my back stick to my skin and I start to question myself, if I took too many. Maybe I will never use them, feeling the unpleasant height of temperature.

My feet sinks in to the dunes on each step I make, filling my boots with grains of sand. I desperately want to free my legs from weight and suffocating footwear, but if I do, my skin will burn off, touching the hot ground.

***

    I see the sun setting and the temperature around the dunes feels less deathly, than hours ago. Everywhere I look, I see sand, nothing else pops up in my vision. Am I going in right direction? What if I got lost? I see no landmark to even navigate my way back to Amber, if I change my mind. The farther I look, the slimmer my hopes get, seeing only the same scenery for miles ahead. My legs start to feel weak. I had not experienced such physical activities before, which makes my muscles stiff and powerless. I need to rest. The night is coming and I am planning to walk through darkness in hopes to cover the miles and avoid the burning sun in daytime, if I manage to find a cover or resting place.

****

     I don't know for how long I have walked, but at this point, I am unable to feel my legs. The night air is colder than I previously thought. I have all my shirts on, but the chilling air still gets through to my skin. I have reached a part of desert with more hard ground, than always shifting sand. Rock formations around gives me hope to find some shelter and take so needed rest. I can't go on for much longer. Moon is high up in the sky, giving the surroundings an icy blue look. I always admired this view from top of my apartment building, seeing it, as beauty of nature, but in reality it is nothing like that. 

Desert is no place for human nor any other life form.

     I am getting closer to rocks that reach meters up from the ground, looming over me. I shudder of thought, what might be living between them, but remember, that in fact – nothing. My imagination makes me fear of things, that are not actually real and here. 

        After settling down on a flat slab of rock, I take a rest. Me feet are killing me and I decide to remove my boots, which feels like glued to my leg. Taking one off, I see sores formed on my fingers and on the base of my feet. I cannot see the full damage, because of absence of light, but I can still feel every part, what's injured. Grains of sand are stuck on my sweaty skin, making sores burn in pain even more. I wish I could walk with naked feet from now on, but I cannot, remembering the heated sand in daytime.

     Tears start to form, realizing I am not fit to live outside my pampered life. I wished to escape death from Amber, but feel that I will meet my ends in here – alone in a lonely desert.

     I lay down on the same rock and curl in a ball to keep my body warm. The night is getting colder and colder. I just need to pass the dark hours and will be welcomed by the warm sun in the morning.

***

   Two days have passed in the desert. Still nothing. No sign of any life or human presence. My organic food supplies have run out and water too. My feet are still sore, nearly raw, from friction between my boots, sand and my skin. I can barely walk. I want to cry, but there is not enough water in my body to even make few tears. My head hurts, from the heating sun as well as my throat. I need to stop and get some nutrients, if I want to last longer. Nutrients - jellies. 

     I stop and swoop some sand away to make a resting place, which does not make me burn in agony. Opening a bag, my stomach churns in disgust. Jellies. A rainbow of colors stabs my eyes. I close my bag, as fast as I opened it, still thinking of consuming this disgusting 'food'. I take one, keeping my bag still closed, avoiding the sight of them. Peaking at it, I shudder. Taking it out of the package, my fingers get little bit slimy. Color of it is pink, making it look the most tastiest thing in the world.... I open my mouth and trow it right in. Jelly does not get far. After some attempted bites, it comes out, making me vomit all the nonexistent contents of my stomach. Bits of it falls in to the sand and losses it's marvelous appearance. Not even my brain can take it, but my body too. I need real food – organic. I scan the surrounding dead soil and see nothing in sight. I wish that lash forest would appear in front of me, full with edible fruits and what else not.

I have to get the jellies inside by body, somehow. It is not only the source of nutrients, but water too and lots of it.

     I take another try and manage to keep one of them inside of me, but the aftertaste stays in my mouth for couple of minutes, making me suppress the need to vomit everything out again.

       Next couple of hours are painful as ever. Heat is making me dizzy and the supplements taken earlier have lost effect. I have exhausted all the energy, that it gave me. My vision starts to blur and I feel that any moment I will loose consciousness. I lift my eyes at the horizon and see something in the sand. Three round balls, in a size of human head. Looks like a plant. Plant? What am I thinking? It is my imagination, a mirage. I stumble closer to it, so close, as it's wines nearly touch my feet. Three large fruits are attached to each stem. I smile, half asleep, half dazed off. My knees give in and I collapse on the sand in front of them, my hands reaching to touch them and prove to myself, it is not real.

     My fingers connects with it's rough texture. Real.... it feels so real. IT IS REAL! My eyes snap open and I take another blink to make sure I am seeing right. It is. I inspect it a bit more and come to conclusion, that it is some kind of melon. A MELON! FOOD! WATER! My mind screams in excitement. I find my knife and slice through it's tough skin, revealing it's yellow flesh. It smells so refreshing and..... bitter, I realize after taking a piece of it in my mouth. I am willing to spit it back out, but it would be such a waste of REAL food and so much needed water. I eat one whole with difficulty, but my mind is happy to have found a real food, a plant, a life.

***

My found melons lasted for three days, but have passed four. Today I am without water and left only with jellies. I feel odd. My stomach hurts little bit and my head is dizzy for couple of hours already. At this moment I am not sure of the causes. Is it desert sun or bitter melon, that gives me this sickening feeling?

     My mind gives up and I feel myself collapse on the ground, still feeling the sand burning my skin. My eyelids feel heavy and I slowly loose the sight in front of me. Long minutes pass and my eyes close completely, before a dark shadow appears in front of me.