She Stood Still

It was the last day. The immortal sun slowly rising above the horizon. Flat. There were no rolling hills or cracks of mountain splendor rising from the earth. Not in this wasteland. There were a few trees rooted in rank soil, leafless and dying. And that blazing blurry zone just above the line where soil meets air. Dreamy and blurry. Or it was just her weakened eyes struggling to take in light after a night so dark. Last night had been without stars. A simple void. It was more than surreal. It was nothingness. And in that nothingness, her companion had mis-stepped. In that one slight there was an unforgiving sound of blade striking bone. The sound that came after that was haunting as it hung in a brief whisper of seconds and then just “thunk.”

She had become still. Not moving until the sun slit across the horizon and cruelly exposed a perfect slice severing the head (the thunk). She cursed in a voice that was wildly angry at the sun, and mustered all brute force within to slam her fist into the air aimed at its blazing core.

She realized the futility of her action while her fist was still raised. The hot wind blew her hair and she gazed at the roundness of her clenched hand. What a weak attempt. There was no strength left in her fight. The anger flowed like seething lava but it was heavy. So heavy to be carrying for much too long. Her hand came down to her chest and she clutched the gold heart-shaped locket once again. Her symbol of remorse. It had burned a scar into her skin from the constant heat and a shadow appeared there now. She never opened it anymore. It was a useless act. The tiny photos were gone, grit had sanded them into oblivion. Crusted slivers of paper. In her mind's eye were faces that still smiled. For a second, the thought made her eyes crinkle in that old way, ever so slight. Amusement. The ornamental shape should be a brain instead of heart. The pain comes from the mental images still trapped there. The heart became empty eons ago.

"Empty Eons," now there's a good band name, she thought. Perfect for this decrepit world of dust, heat, stone and death. And with that thought, she released the symbol in her tight grasp and let it fall against her breast. A slight sting to the skin she deliberately let that travel into her core. And a heave of breath, she walked forward to the rattle trap of a vehicle, what once was called a Gator, and she slid into the weathered seat under a tarp canopy and pressed the button igniting the engine's whirl. She pressed the pedal and it jerked into action. She left the carcass behind without a second thought. What the animals didn't eat would be digested by the sun and sand. Her loyal canine companion would be disintegrated like everything that ever was. Rover had been by her side for 5 years. He was still a domestic and not a wild beast and that was always dangerous in this God-Forsaken land. She might not make it a day without his instinctual guidance. But then, that would be okay too.

As she rode away from the scene, a slight glimmer could be seen from the symbol hanging heavy on her chest. And above in a ship stealthily flying above, it was enough to aim at. And the creature had it in the cylindrical sites and pressed it lightly. From the far away ship came a laser light as fast as a lightening strike. And the Gator stopped. Only smoke and ash were left on the seat. The sun rose a bit higher in the sky as if in defiance. The hot wind caught the small cloud of sand and ash and it was swept away.