A. L. Kaplan

Tag: desert

  • Mirage

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    “Damn it, Joe. We’ve been searching for hours. That pet of yours could be anywhere.”

    Joe bit his lip as he scanned the landscape. “She’s just playing hide and seek. We’ll find her.”

    Billy wiped the sweat from his face. “No we won’t. That chameleon could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t see it. You should never have let it outside.”

    “Wasn’t right to keep her locked up. Creature like that needs to fly.”

    “Well it flew alright, probably into the next county. Let them deal with it.”

    “I’m not giving up.”

    “Well I’m hot, tired, and I’ve seen at least four disappearing ponds. I need a drink.”

    “Let’s just check the next few sand dunes. She’s got to be close.” He gave a shrill whistle and trudged up the next sandy slope. “Come on baby, where are you? Come to papa.”

    “Get real, Joe. It’s a bloody reptile, not a dog.”

    Joe felt heat flush his face. He glared at Billy. “She’s smarter than any dog.”

    “Not even close. My…what the….”

    Sand shifted under Billy’s feet, and he tumbled down the dune. A pair of fist sized golden orbs peered at Joe, then Billy’s prone figure. Rows of jagged teeth appeared and a rumbling laugh filled the air.

    “There’s my little Mirage,” said Joe. Her tail thrashed back and forth as he scratched behind her leathery wing. “You showed him who’s smarter. Great camouflage.”

    Billy sighed. “You win, but you’re concept of size is really skewed.”

  • SENTRY

    Sentry Devil’s tongue hung down, heat from the midday sun scorched the lookout rock. In the canyon below a small band of humans struggled through the twists and turns, heading straight for the Black Canyon pack’s den. The scent of dry death hung in the air. How could they not smell the spring only a few hundred yards away? Despite obvious need, the humans stumbled away from the only source of water for miles.

    Humans were food to the Black Canyon leader, but Devil remembered his old human pack. Food had been plentiful, members full of love and kindness. They were gone, killed by the sky fire.

    One of the human pups stumbled, then curled on the ground, whimpering. She was so like his little human. Devil reach the bottom of the canyon before he realized he had left his sentry post. The pack leader wouldn’t be happy.

    Devil approached the humans cautiously, circling around until he stood between them and the spring. The scent of fear was strong, but they didn’t attack. One of the men moved toward him. Devil sprung back, toward the spring, then waited. Bit by bit he drew them closer to the spring, then sat several yards away as they drank their fill. He liked this pack. They felt right and the dried meat they tossed him was good.

    Devil spun around as the Black Canyon leader approached. It was time to oust the real devil and return the Black Canyon pack to humans.

  • Death March

    Three planes had left the war torn airport yesterday with high hopes of a new life in a new land. At least one had been shot down. Jim wasn’t sure about the other. He had veered off course to keep from taking fire. The maneuver had worked, but the ancient engine seized up only an hour into the flight. He wasn’t sure if landing the plane safely was a miracle or a curse. No one knew where they were and they were miles away from even the smallest town. All they had now were sand and burning sun.

    Jim looked back at the line of survivors. Even the animals were struggling. It was unlikely any of them would survive long enough to reach the hazy line of mountains on the horizon that had been taunting them for the past nine hours. They couldn’t go back and the future was dim, but no one complained anymore. They were too tired, too exhausted. The next person to fall would be left behind.

    Just as Jim resumed shuffling across the sandy ground, one of the dogs cried out and sank to its knees. It lay on the hot sand, eyes closed, tongue hanging limp and dry. Everyone stopped and stared at its labored breathing. Twenty survivors, no food, no water. One dog on death’s door. Jim glanced at the other survivors. No one spoke as he pulled out his utility knife. At least now they had some food.

  • Nowhere

    Jackie squinted at the distant red cliffs through dry sun-strained eyes trying not to think about the blisters that already covered her skin. There was no place to hide from the blazing heat and no signs of life. The animals knew better. Jackie wished she could find a rock to burrow under, but that wasn’t her mission.

    If only she could remember what that mission was. She’d been trudging for hours and could barely think with her pounding head. Every beat echoed in her ears like a drum. Clouds of dust swirled around her and Jackie sank to her knees, choking on dust. Unbearable heat, no shade, no water, and now a sandstorm?

    “Stop it!” she said, barely getting a sound past her parched lips.

    Abruptly the wind and stinging cloud of sand stopped. Jackie blinked in surprise.

    “I’m looking for water!” she said, finally remembering her task.

    A trickle of water bubbled up from the ground at her feet and Jackie eagerly reached for a handful…and got hit by a torrent that knocked her down in a rapidly growing pool.

    “Crap. None of this is real,” she said, and opened her eyes. Jackie scowled at the man sitting next to her.

    “Even a dream can be deadly,” he said. “Check out the news.”

    Jackie looked at the newscaster who stood next to a small lake.

    “We bring you a special report from southern Nevada. A previously unknown natural spring just surfaced, flooding out a section of route 50…”