Chapter Eleven : Desert

Aiden emerged violently from the dark silence, slamming face first into a bed of scorching sand. He gasped for breath in the sudden heat, blinking against the glare of full daylight. His chest protested, lungs squeezing against the moisture theft every intake caused. He forced himself to roll over to relieve the pain of the hard edge of the prize digging into his ribs. His first instinct was to case his surroundings to make sure he was safe, but he was so weak and disoriented he had trouble focusing.

The sudden and oppressive heat was more than he was prepared for. Considering everything he had been through in the past two days it was understandable he felt utterly lost and totally alone. Not to mention the fact he was out of his element. His parents had prepared him for the city, for technology and security and dealing with officials and documents. The desert, on the other hand, was so alien he found himself gaping in shock as he pulled himself upright and looked out across the wasted land in which he had so abruptly found himself.

He blinked over and over again as the bright sun reflecting from the golden sand bounced back into his face. This sun felt foreign, far brighter than the one he was used to. That and the empty, open landscape proved to him he was at least very far from home if not in another world.

He shied away from the thought, unable and unwilling to deal with it until he took stock of his situation. His training kicked in as he forced himself to pull it together.

His first task was to put the stone away, noticing the hairline fracture as he did. What had been so subtle was wider and more jagged than before. Aiden's thoughts went immediately to the old woman and her pain.

She said she was the Portal Key. His Portal Key. He weighed the stone in his hand, knowing it was crazy, but understanding finally, or perhaps just admitting to himself, somehow the prize was alive.

It was then he realized the damage was the very reason he was in this horrible place. She'd said she tried but she couldn't. He'd heard the pain in her voice. She was injured, damaged obviously and that damage had to be affecting how she worked.

"Can you hear me?" No reply. She seemed to only speak to him when she glowed. As difficult as it was to think the hunk of rock in his hand was a living thing, it was even harder, now that he knew, to not think of her as a she.

Trusting his instincts on the matter, he wrapped the stone in a spare t-shirt he took from the apartment and stored it deep inside the backpack, padded by the rest of the contents.

Not that there were many contents, he noted with disgust at himself and his lack of foresight. Not that he could have foreseen his present position, but his parents taught him to be more careful.

A well-prepared thief is a safe and sound thief, Eric said.

Aiden was the proud owner of extra clothing, three granola bars, three sticks of peppermint gum, a lock pick kit, a compass (one good boon), a watch and a bottle of rapidly warming water.

Which, he knew, was the first problem. He shaded his eyes again, turning all the way around from his crouch to survey the horizon. He was not encouraged by what he saw. The entire place looked the same. Bare, wasted, flat. Empty. No trees, no mountains, nothing. Not a hint of civilization where he could get more food and water or even shelter from the driving heat.

He tried to judge the time by the position of the sun, but when he used the compass it went wild. He was sure there was a north and south, that was physics, wasn't it? For some reason, however, his compass didn't want to give up the secret. He shook his head in disgust and stored it away. Either the damned thing was broken or he really was in another dimension and this planet had a different composition than Earth.

Without knowing which direction the sun was moving, Aiden had no idea where he was in the day. He also had no clue as to length of day for that matter. His watch was still working, at least. He huddled with his back to the sun, after lining it up with a shadow on the horizon, and waited for the minute hand to pass a half hour. He was pleased to see the sun was closer to the horizon than it had been. However, he now knew by rough calculation he had several hours to wait before darkness fell.

He couldn't start walking in the oppressive heat. Any activity in such temperatures would drain his precious water supply, both from the bottle if he was forced to drink and from his body. He didn't know how long he could survive without water in the heat of the desert wasteland, but he knew he had a better chance at success if he took his chances at night.

He used the time to formulate a plan and make a best guess at which direction to head in. He chose the opposite of the sunrise. That way he would be able to set out a little earlier as the sun went down. It would then be to his back as it rose. It wasn't based on any logic, really. Just that he had to pick something and his orderly mind, so well versed in making plans, needed a final say.

Besides, his parent's voices were in his head and kept him on track.

Don't panic, ever, Antoinette said. Fear never tells you the truth.

Do your best, make a plan and stick to it until a better idea presents itself, Eric said. And be prepared for anything.

Identify danger and move away from it, Antoinette went on.

Keep moving and never give up! Eric said.

They didn't say, you're crazy, this can't be happening, you must be dead or worse. They were great like that.

It was a long, miserable wait for dark. Aiden knew he was sweating. He could feel it beading on his skin, precious moisture evaporating with every breath. His body stayed dry, however, the super-heated air stealing away every last scrap of water his body released. He took to breathing through the collar of his t-shirt in a vain attempt to hang on to a modicum of wetness. It didn't work, but he continued the practice out of spite.

So exhausted from the heat by the time the sun hit the horizon, he wasn't sure he could even stand. He managed to pull himself to his feet, the skin of his face and arms tight. He cursed himself as he realized he had done nothing to prevent sunburn and worried about the severity of the injury.

Aiden breathed a sigh of relief as evening eased over the desert. The temperature dropped, cooling him off and bringing shade from the relentless sun. He even welcomed it, embraced it.

Until his body adjusted to it. The cold continued to deepen until he was shivering and hugging himself to stay warm.

He emptied his pack and bundled himself up in his extra clothes, using his spare socks for gloves before devouring half a granola bar and a gulp of water. It took tremendous effort to drag himself to his feet and continue on.

He had never felt as alone as he did that first night in the alien desert. The place was silent, not a hint of breeze or a call of a wild animal. The stars above him shone bright and close. Rather than make him feel welcome, the huge expanse of sky from horizon to horizon pressed down on his shoulders. He almost cried out when he saw a glow appear behind him and turned to see a giant moon rising. It had to be forty times the size of Earth's companion. He was glad he had his back to it. Every time he turned to look at it, he experienced a panicked moment thinking it was falling on him.

There weren't even any insects, he discovered. Nothing lived in the massive expanse, nothing but Aiden. He might not live there much longer if he didn't find shelter or help.

Fighting despair and the urge to quit by clinging to his plan, he trudged forward into the freezing night.

***