Ash And Dust

Signs

Many people of the group left to go back to camp Jaha, leaving only a remaining few.

"It'd sure be nice to have some sign that we're not just marching to our own deaths." Richards said.

"We're not." Jaha said calmly.

"Hey, tell me if you know this one." Harris started bugging John once again.

"Not again, please." John said annoyed.

I laughed a them and John send me a pleading look to get him to shut up.

"A Grounder and a Reaper walk into a bar. The bartender looks to the Grounder, he says, "We dont't serve your kind around here." The reapers get up and leave." Harris laughed, "You get it? Reapers eat grounders."

"I will take Jaha's staff and beat you to death with it." John warned.

"Beat him with the Moses stick." I encouraged.

"John. Alex." Jaha stopped us.

"Or this one. Uh, an Arker, a Grounder and a Mountain Man walk into a bar. The Arker says "Ill take some moonshine." Grounder says "Ill take some too." The Mountain Man, he says-" Harris was cut off.

A click went off from beneath Harris' foot and an explosion sent him flying. Everyone was knocked to the ground with the impact of the explosion. A girl screamed and started backing away from where her friends boot fell. She too exploded. My ears didn't stop ringing for a few minutes. Blood splatters littered my body, soaking my hair. In front of me part of an arm fell from the sky.

Jaha and John said something that I couldn't hear.

"What?" I said very loudly.

"Don't move!" John yelled into my ear.

"Okay!" I yelled back.

We all stayed still for the rest of the night. The night passed by slowly. The sand storm prevented us from opening our eyes.

"It's clearing." Someone said from their seat.

We all looked up and saw that the storm had passed and the sun was beginning to come out.

"There. We have the light and, oh, look. Footprints are gone. Sand. It blows." John said with sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Do you see that?" Jaha pointed to the sand dunes in the distance, "The City of Light." Light lingered over the top of the dunes, creating a rainbow effect.

"Emori was telling the truth." John realized.

"We are so close. You wanted a sign? There is it. We have to push forward." Jaha said.

"And the mines?" I asked.

"We were meant to be here. These mines, they're just another test of our faith." Jaha stared into the distance.

"Yeah, well, I was always crap at tests, so uh...please. After you Chancellor." John waved his hand out.

I smiled at his joke.

Jaha lead the pack, using his Moses stick to search for mines. We followed behind him, careful to step only where he stepped. I stood between John and Richards. Jaha had already found four mines within the time we were walking. We decided it would be best if we kept a safe distance from Jaha, just incase he got blown to bits.

"Don't trip. Don't trip." Richards repeated behind me.

"It's four mines down, infinity to go, Jaha." John stopped.

"We will make it, John." Jaha called back.

"I can't do this anymore." Richards said behind me.

"Calm down." I told him when I saw him fidgeting.

"What do you think it is anyway? It must have power. A shower would be nice right about now. Wash off the rest of Harris." John looked at the blood splattered on his clothes.

Something stuck to Johns jacket caught my eye. I reached up and grabbed it. A piece of skin. An ear to be exact.

"Hey John, I don't think he can hear you." I handed him the ear.

He gave a disgusted look and dropped it to his feet. I laughed at his actions. Richards started groaning from behind me, someone was getting annoyed.

"Sienna said it's a place where everyone is welcome." Jaha told us all.

"That'd be a first, wouldn't it?" John said.

"I cant take this! It's right there!" Richards yelled and took off running off the path.

I watched him run on the unmarked path. I didn't dare move. Jaha yelled for him to stop, but he didn't listen. Jaha ran towards the boy and tackled him to the ground. We all watched seeing if they were about to explode or not. They didn't.

We all got back in the normal line and continued walking. This time no one ran. Jaha stopped when he got to a sign at the edge of the desert. We joined him and read the sign.

"Another test passed. We made it. Come on." jaha motioned for the sand dune.

We ran as fast as we could. Wanting to catch a glimpse of the city of light. The dune was hard to climb, with each step the sand beneath our feet moved. We finally reached the top and stopped.

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? This is it? This is what we crossed a desert to find?" John stared out.

Covering the ground was a bunch of solar panels, reflecting the light off.

"It can't be." Jaha said beside me.

"Well guess what? Your enlightened society? It's not a city. It's nothing."

"At least we have water, we can use it to get back to the Ark." I pointed to the ocean.

"I flew down from space. I defied death. It was all for a reason. It has to be." Jaha spoke.

I walked ahead of the group, wanting to see the ocean. I could see it in the distance, reflecting the sky above it. Creating a double appearance.

"What a joke." John said behind me.

I turned around to see they all stopped.

"It doesn't make any sense. The rest of the world is broken, but these panels are intact." Jaha looked at the panel in front of him.

"Well, we can fix that." John picked up a rock and threw it at the panel.

"John." Jaha scolded.

When the rock hit the panel something flew out of the top of it. It wavered in front of the group then turned and flew toward the ocean. I had to duck to avoid it colliding with my face. We all chased after it. We stopped at the waters edge, by a boat. The drone continued flying out past the edge.

"Where's it going?" John asked.

"I don't know... but we're gonna follow it. In this." Jaha touched the boat.

"Tell me, what level of crazy is too much for you? I'm just curious." John shrugged.

Jaha gave him a funny look before responding, "We need a boat...and a boat appears. This is our destiny. The City of Light is out there and we are gonna find it. Now, get in the boat." Jaha hopped in it and took the front seat.

"You heard the man." John ushered us forward.

John took the back seat, Jaha took the front and the two boys sat in the middle seat. I took the free seat in front of John. I stared out over the vast water that seemed to never end. The two boys rowed us along. Eventually I took a seat in the floor of the boat, hoping to fall asleep for a little while. I stretched out my legs in front of me, weaving them between the others. I leaned my back against the board and wrapped my arms around myself for warmth. Eventually falling asleep to the sound of water splashing against the paddles.