oblivion [druig]

19

PRESENT DAY

IRAQ

AURORA

I watch from beside him as his eyes flash bright gold.

On the outside of the car I can see the geologists drop their tools, all of them possessed by Druig. They stand up from their crouching positions, making beelines for their own cars and leaving the compound in a trance.

We exit the car silently, with me pulling out my sunglasses and putting my hair into a high ponytail to avoid getting it tangled in the desert wind.

Druig stands beside me, waiting for me to close the car door. He'd put on his leather jacket, though why I don't know, because it was boiling hot out here.

While he was wearing all black, I was sporting mostly beige and lighter colors. It amazed me how even though we seemed to be polar opposites, we still fit almost perfectly.

I had beige belled jeans, paired with a loose white t-shirt. I didn't really care if it got dirty at some point, I liked it and so that was that.

"Don't you want to take off your jacket?" I voice my confusion as I look at him up and down.

He smiles, shaking his head. "I'm good, Rory"

We follow Phastos, sticking to the back of the group as he finally comes to a stop and pulls out his device. He turns it on and then finally looks in front of him.

For a moment, nothing happens.

And then the ground shakes, and the dirt a couple of meters in front of us sinks, shaking and disappearing to reveal a slick black surface engraved with golden spirals.

I can't hold off a smile as I see the Domo rise so majestically into the sky.

The air ruffles my ponytail, and I'm grateful I tied it up.

From beside me, Karun stares at the Domo in awe, looking up at it with his video camera as if it were a phenomenon.

"The Domo" He whispers in amazement.

I chuckle, digging my hands into the back of my jeans.

"Wait until you see it from the inside, Karun. It's even better" I answer, turning to him.

His eyes go wide, and he smiles giddily, the camera still high in the air.

"Come on, Karun!" Kingo yells, making a motion for him to follow. Karun springs into action, jogging to catch up to Kingo as all of us file into the entrance of the ship.

I take a final look, Druig waiting beside me. Then I turn, ruffling his hair out of habit and laughing.

"it's good to be home, isn't it?" I ask. The Domo brought thousands of memories. Memories with all the team. Of the first time Druig and I had met. Of us hating each other through the years.

He smiles back, chuckling faintly. It makes my heart do summersaults.

"It sure is" He takes a few steps forward before stopping, hesitating for a moment before going in, looking back at me.

Then he holds out his hand, waiting for me to take it.

I stand still for a moment, not really sure as to what to do.

Sure, I'd forgiven him, and he'd been there all the time for me since I'd gone back to the Amazon, but that didn't mean we were back together. We hadn't even talked about what was going to happen. About where we stood.