Sahara: The Second Journey {LEGACY}

New Beginnings

*Pitt*

In horror, Pitt watches his friend, Ajar, get carried away by the storm.  "Ajar!" he yells.  He leaps out, trying to grab Ajar's tail.  Out of nowhere, a flash of silver slammed him back into the canyon, causing him to sting himself.

[Some time later]

"Pitt, are you alright?"  Pitt opened his eyes and saw Emily's worried melt into relief.  "You're ok!" she cheers.  Pitt yawns and looks around for Ajar, realizing he isn't there.  "Where's Ajar?" he asks, something tugging at his memory.  "I don't know, I thought he was with you," she answers.  "Yeah, he was just before-" Pitt stops as everything rushes back.  "Ajar!  He got swept away in the storm!" he exclaims, scrambling to get up.  "Whoa, whoa, slow down, what storm?" Emily asks, a confused look on her face.  "The sandstorm that just came through, you didn't see or hear it?" Pitt asked, amazed.  "No, there was no storm."  How does a storm like that pass through without anyone other than Ajar and me noticing? he thought, perplexed.  "Ok, Emily, I'm telling you, a strange snake named...named..." he tries to say Strikeout but it keeps getting stuck in his throat.  "Ok, for some reason I can't say his name, but he left and a sandstorm came in and swept Ajar away and something hit me..." Pitt stops, remembering the flash of silver that hit him.  What was that? he wondered.  "Ok, I think you took a hit to the head," Emily says in a worried voice.  "No, I know what happened, come on, we've got to find Eva," he says and takes off, heading to the boulder.  "Wait, there's a stream  too deep for us to cross, remember?" Emily says.  Pitt stops and curses.  "Ok, we better get Pietra to do it then."

They rush to Ajar's den, where Pietra was lounging in the sun.  "Pietra, we need you to go through the secret tunnel and tell Eva that Ajar was swept away in a sandstorm," Pitt pants.  Pietra raises her head and looks at them in confusion.  "What? There wasn't a st-" Pietra starts but Emily cuts her off, "There was a storm but for some reason only Ajar and Pitt experienced it."  Pietra thinks for a bit before responding, "Ok, I'll go get Eva."  The trio hurries to the boulder that hides the tunnel.  Pietra puts her head against it and pushed, but the boulder doesn't even budge.  "I can't move it," she pants after a moment.  "What, how?  Ajar and Gary were able to move it like it weighed nothing!" Pitt exclaims.

Pietra opens her mouth to respond when the rock started rolling.  Gary's head pops out from behind it.  "Whoa, I was just coming to look for you guys," he says, a look of surprise on his face.  "How in the great snakes did you move that?!" Emily asks with amazement.  Gary looks at the boulder, then at Emily confused.  "What do you mean, it's extremely easy."  "But- never mind, that's not important, what's important is that Ajar's missing," Pitt says.  "Really?  I was just coming to tell you our father disappeared, he got swept away by that weird sandstorm that no one but Eva and me remember," Gary says, shocked.  "What, that's the exact same thing that happened over here!" Pietra exclaims, shocked as well.

"Alright, so something weird is going on here.  First that weird snake, now this, a sandstorm that no one else has a recollection of," Pitt ponders.  "Alright, tomorrow, lets meet up at the cave where Ajar and Eva spoke face-to-face for the first time."

*Michael*

Michael looks at all the sand around them.  "So, how are we going to get back?" he asks the Dustie, Ajar, next to him.  "The Oasis is that way," Ajar replied, pointing with his tail.  Michael looks where he's pointing and sees nothing but sand.  "How do you know that?" he asks.  "We just came out of a sandstorm and the dunes point in the direction the sandstorm was traveling.  So, we just go in the opposite direction," Ajar replies simply.  "How do you know that?"  "I live in the desert, remember?  There's a few advantages to being a Dustie," Ajar answers again and starts slithering in the direction he had indicated.  "Why should I believe you?  You are a Dustie after all," Michael says snidely.  "Because I want to survive just as much as you do," Ajar shoots back.  Michael sighs and follows Ajar.  "Alright, just as long as I get to see my family again."  Ajar glances at him and asks "You have a family?"  "Yeah, my wife, my son and daughter, and me; do you have someone you want to get back to?" Michael asks.  Ajar looks ahead for a moment before speaking, "Yeah, I have a...girlfriend...back home."  Michael looks at him in surprise, then back at the path.  "Well, guess we both have something to go home to, but don't think that means we're friends," he says.  Ajar replies by sighing.  Michael rolls his eyes and focuses on the path.  I'm coming Eva he thinks.