Chapter 001: Tripped over

In a world identical to Earth, maybe a parallel world, in a vast golden expanse that would make one stomp their feet in regret wishing for it to have really been made of gold, a long black line could be seen moving determinedly in a direction. While marring the yellow canvas, it brought out a certain artistic contrast full of purpose and valor.

Taking a closer look, the said expanse could be identified as a sandy desert and the line, a caravan of people, beasts and vehicles that seemed to be migrating towards more welcoming places seeing how full of baggage the convoy was.

In spite of the sultry atmosphere, the people in the caravan almost totally covered themselves up with a scarf up to the nose and a turban or a veil on the head to protect themselves against the sand and the dry winds waltzing together between heaven and earth. They were also squinting their eyes to guard against the reflection of the merciless sun on the yellow sand.

Though most of the kids in the caravan were in the vehicles with the women, some of them were riding on the back of camels with adults or on the back of some of the cows leading a retinue of goats.

But, even with all those means of transportation, there were still some of the men of the tribe who were making the journey on foot. While it may not have been by choice, they did not seem bitter about it, or maybe they were used to it, since they could be seen talking and laughing from time to time.

Thus, braving the winds, the sun and other difficulties, while passing by a dune not dissimilar to any other commonly seen in the desert, one of the men on foot at the tail of the caravan almost sprawled himself on the sand abruptly, causing his companions to laugh at him after not seeing him in any danger before resuming their walk.

The unlucky fellow, having relied on his staff to avoid totally making a fool out of himself, gritted his teeth while searching the ground for the culprit of his misfortune to vent his anger at being mocked.

Using his staff to plow the sandy ground, he found something covered by a tissue. Unable to identify what it was, he bent down to take it out of the sand causing him to end up with a foot in boot and tattered pants. Now curious since he could still feel a weight at the other end, he dragged it to the side causing him to pull out an unmoving body out of the sand.

Startled, he took a moment to observe the result of his efforts, identifying the body as belonging to a male African with unclear skin tone given all the dirt but confirmed as not being charcoal dark.

It seemed a bit less than 6 ft tall and was full of wounds. Combined with the tattered clothes burned in some places, it should have been the consequences of an explosion. With the gun holstered on the side of the thigh, the tactical belt plus the bullet proof vest, the body certainly belonged to a soldier or maybe a terrorist since the desert didn't lack their kind.

Having confirmed the absence of life in the body, he proceeded to loot anything useful and salvageable. He first took the pistol and the combat boots. He found a combat knife, a watch and also took the tactical belt and the bullet proof vest. Given his enthusiasm, he would have certainly also taken the military fatigue if it was not so tattered.

After happily seeing his transient scavenging job through to the end, he hurriedly run to catch up to his companions in the caravan and started bragging about his haul. After all he should share his joy since he was not petty. He had certainly already forgotten the earlier mockeries, right ?

Anyway, with his loud voice and the envious cries of his companions bringing up the rear of the convoy, they continued on their way.

A few hours later, a stooped figure, with the winds pressing against his clothes showing how skinny he was beneath them, came beside the dune. Looking at the body that was almost covered by the sand once again, he draped it in a sheet he took out of the not so big cloth bag on his back and went back the way he came while dragging it, causing his already stooped figure to seem even more so.

All the traces left by all those activities beside the dune were soon erased by the winds, leaving a dune that has always been ordinary and keeping the desert in its pristine and inviolable state.