DUMBSTRUCK

CRASH LANDING

In the time of nomads there were none as dumbstruck as Suclese. Her crash landing onlyfortified a theory she concocted before venturing into the nearby woods for a walk. Anentire galaxy is against her. 

"Owe! My freaking head!" Suclese shouts. 

Rubbing her noggin while rising up on her feet, "New Hampshire sure looks different." 

Wrapping her head around at the desert she awoke in. Touching sandstone behind herfeaturing oblong engravings. 

"Feels cool but the Sunlight is piercing hot. I should get a move on," she decides. 

Step by step on a vaguely visible cobblestone path. Two miles from where Suclese standsis the nearest civilization. 

"Definitely not New Hampshire." 

Attempting to place a call on her cellphone, "No signal. Great! Not what I wanted tofreaking deal with today! Ugh!" she stammers. 

On each side of the path junk, debris, and rubble lay scattered, "Glad to see littering isstill virtuous." 

Covering ground fast, "Eeee!" a screech rings out. 

"You have to be kidding me!" Suclese shouts. 

A monstrous creature rumbles toward her. Silver with black eyes. A mechanical body,legs and arms. A bear head with fangs for teeth. Vicious and ferociously zeroing in onSuclese. Running for her life. Knowing Suclese will not make it to the town she stops toface her pursuer. 

The wild mechanical machine moves to finish Suclese off. Leaping toward her, "Argh!" sheshrieks. 

Suddenly speared by a sabretooth designed mechanical robot a bit smaller than the megabear machine robot. 

"Woah!" Suclese relinquishes. 

Taking cover behind a makeshift bunker. Metal sheets with cut outs lined along sandbagsthat idle down the path into town. 

The machine bear tumbles as sparks fly. A tougher mechanical freak raging. Suclese isfrightened. Sand and parts of scrap are flying through the air. The vicious sabretoothshreds the guts of the grizzly bear mecha assault. 

Turning to run before the vicious monster notices her. She bumps right into someone. 

A lanky man sporting a funny yellow hat stands in front of her, "What do you think ofSparx?" 

Frozen in place, "What ... Sparx?" she asks, dumbstruck. 

Standing behind her is the sabretooth monster that destroyed her assailant. 

"Don't be afraid my dear. This is Sparx behind you," he says. 

Sparx looks down at Suclese. 

"Thanks for saving me," Suclese trembles. 

Sparx nods in approval of Suclese's modesty. 

"Sparx, shrink down please, you're intimidating the poor girl," he commands. 

Sparx shrinks down from his colossal size into a regular sabretooth size. Big but notnearly as gigantic. 

"Who are you two?" 

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Roman the Wizard and this is Sparx the Sabre. Short forsabretooth. He asked for the nickname." 

"I understand. So ... are you willing to help me return home?" 

"Oh, my ...," scratching his red goatee, "I know someone who may take pity on us," Romanoffers. 

"Beats frying out here in the wasteland," Suclese replies. 

"I agree. The only reason Sparx and I are out here is so he can exercise," Roman details. 

Suclese nods, "Which way to see your friend," she persists. 

"Follow me," Roman says. 

Entering the bustling magnificent gleaming town. Passing chrome magnolia trees stationedalong the streets. Automated streetsweepers chug by, cars fly and drive on fresh pavement.Bright red trolly cars wiz by. Luscious green grass lines the outside of businesses andhomes. Flower baskets droop, and flags with a planet similar to Earth embroidered on hangeverywhere. A humungous billboard lights up with the words welcome to Magnoliatropolis.