The Trail of Mysteries

Chapter 5

The

Trail

of

Meetings

A cool breeze blew through the campsite rustling leaves and the gold, amber hair of both sleeping forms laying against each other on the log, breathing softly.

A leaf blew into the hair of one of the two sleeping forms. After a moment, a slow lethargic hand slowly removed the leaf from its entanglement. The dry leaf crackled when the hand closed around it, reducing it to small fragments and shards of red and brown.

At the sound, a pair of blue eyes flecked with gold opened slowly, methodically taking in the surroundings. They noticed the sun low against the skyline of the distant mountains. The campsite was bathed in the orange hues of the setting sun.

"Ohhhhhhhhh! I feel so relaxed. The setting sunlight feels so good on my fa...!"

Ty opened his eyes and sat up quickly as Liv's voice broke off. His head swished from side to side as he looked around the campsite for any disturbance.

"What's the matter Liv? I don't see any...." Ty's voice trailed off as he too caught the last rays of the setting sun. He turned around slowly, surveying the surrounding area stopping abruptly when he reached one hundred eighty degrees, directly behind their campsite.

What was once a shoreline with breaking waves was now a completely dry desert with no indication of ever having water! A wisp of acrid wind drifted by lifting a thin layer of fine dust particles high into the air traveling with the gust as it sped off to the south.

"Wow! If it wasn't for the fact that was just ate that salt fish I'd doubt if there was any water here at all. What a strange place."

A grunt answered Ty's question from behind him. He turned to see Liv pull on her dry jacket and stretch as she stood up.

"Nothing seems to amaze me anymore," Liv replied as a matter of fact.

"Let's pick up the pace. I want to get to that shelter in the jungle before nightfall, which isn't that far away. I don't want to be caught out here at night in the open."

"I agree. Let's jog," Liv replied.

The two set off at a steady pace across the low grassy boulder-strewn field with Ty checking his compass every few minutes as a heavy grey fog weaved its way through the valley to cloak it in mist. The compass would be the only way of finding the jungle, with everything shrouded in a shadowy haze.

As darkness slowly covered the sky, the boulders became increasingly harder to see. Every few minutes one or both joggers would stumble to bruise a knee or an elbow. After a mile of the boulder-strewn obstacle course, Ty and Liv slowed for a quick rest. Night was falling all around them, throwing every dim image into shadow.

Panting and exhausted, Ty and Liv stopped to sit on a wide smooth rock. They took a few sips of water before contemplating the remainder of their journey ahead. A mile or so lay before them as the waxing crescent moon rose above the rim of the mountains to the north throwing dim shadows around the two still forms of the siblings.

The partial moon illuminated the jungle from half a mile away. It sparkled in some patches. But in other areas there was only blackness. As the wind blew through the dark areas, a low rumbling sound could be heard, faint but detectable to their ears. Then when the wind swirled through the sparkly areas, a high but faint trill echoed over the light soft hiss of wind-blown grass as the weary pair walked closer and closer.