Techno

Chapter 16

     A 17-year-old boy stepped through the grass with his younger sister. They were a part of the town that was located a few miles south, and having a walk in the desert was a favorite pastime of the two. Life was always stressful, taking more than it ever gave, and having a moment with nature soothed the two siblings. The older boy, Merlin, checked his watch to make sure it wasn't getting too late.

     "What time is it?" asked the younger sister, wiping her sweaty brow with her arm.

     The old watch had used to belong to his father, and the slightly-cracked face boasted its great age. Merlin looked up and pointed to a high ridge before them while saying:

     "It's not that late, but we should be getting home soon," Merlin pointed up the ridge. "How about we hike to the top of that ridge before heading home?"

     His younger sister nodded her head, and the two started to walk forward. The dry earth crunched under the feet as they made their way to the top of the ridge and looked out upon the vast desert. Merlin pulled out some water, offered it to his sister, and then took a long drink from it. The liquid, precious in those parts of the world, seemed to pour new life into him.

     Waves of heat radiated off of the overlying terrain as Merlin and his sister stood in silence for a moment. The desert was especially beautiful at night when the the millions of stars could be seen in the night sky. It made one feel daringly small when compared to the rest of existence.

     "Merlin," the younger sister started, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun, "what's that?"

     She pointed, and Merlin followed her gesture. It was to a location of the sky where a glinting object of some sort resonated. The object reflected the glare of the sun, and as it got closer some of the fine details could be made out.

     "Nina..." Merlin began, backing up and shielding his sister.

     Nina tilted her head, "What is it?"

     The object got closer with every second, and the glint on its shining surface faded somewhat. Merlin's jaw dropped as he gazed at the thick, smoldering, smoke billowing out of various sections of whatever the object was. It tumbled through the sky like a star that had fallen from its place among the heavens. The surrounding heat seemed to increase as the mysterious 'craft' got closer...

     "Merlin?" asked Nina.

     Merlin nodded, "Let's go, now!"

     The two turned, but not before the craft collided with the cracked desert just on the other side of the ridge. A deafening blast interrupted the stillness of the environment, and a cloud of dust tossed itself into the air. Merlin threw his body over his sister's, a shock wave pulsating throughout the region and flicking their bodies off of the ground.

     "Merlin!!!" Nina screamed, as she was effortlessly tossed away.

     Merlin fell to the ground and rolled in the dirt, coughing as some of it made its way into his mouth. He immediately got up, but the surrounding dust disoriented his perception.

     "Nina?" he asked, into the fog-like smoke.

**

Merlin

     Merlin faltered in his story, awaiting a response from Ellie. It was a story so outrageous, so unworldly, that he doubted that she'd believe. Several agonizing seconds rolled by as Merlin waited, but just as he started to think he'd lost her Ellie spoke up.