Post by Annasiel on Jan 13, 2016 4:53:55 GMT
"Let's skitter down to the watering hole, son. I want to show you something."
Cory looked up at his grizzled father, garbed in dusty khakis last washed in a bygone day, and frowned anxiously.
"A-are you sure I have to, d-d-dad? I... I... I d-don't wanna get in your way like last time..." the boy timidly replied. His father bellowed a rubious guffaw, his rock-hard jaw undulating with every exhalation.
"Of course, m'boy! My mates are all outta town, and besides, the old cook would have my clackers if you ended up hurt again. No hunting, something else."
The child was steered out of his sanctuary domicile, glasses glinting fiercely from the outraged sun above. He skirted away from anywhere roofless because of that horrible orb... it seemed every time he went outside, his milky skin would burn and black under its glare.
"Daddy? Are you... DADDY?" Panic. Tension. Chest. Hurts. Can't.
"Dad? What do you want... want me to see?"
"I think it'll be aces if you wait a bit, champ. You need the picture before you get the notes."
"Al...alright..."
Time passed, and so did the scenery. First the tall buildings of the main city, then the smaller huts and domes of the nomads on the skirts. The feet of the travelers kicked dust into the air, marking their voyage in a trail of yellowed clouds. The browning vegetation slowly began to turn verdant, a telltale sign of a nearby source of hydration in the dry expanse. The watering hole. Not much to see, at a measly 20 feet diameter, but a lifeline for all those who could not dig for reservoirs. This was a favorite spot for hunters to target their prey, before spooking them into a penultimate chase.
"Alrighty, champ. You see all the frazzled trails leading up to the pool?"
"Y-yes, dad."
"There's not much I can do, I'm afraid. I healed the lungs for the thousandth time, but new tears just keep forming. I've never seen anything like it." Breathing. Raspy. Pressure. Warmth. Love.
"Now, you know all those little critters have a purpose... to survive. And they do that by skittering down to the watering hole when they get thirsty."
"Y-yes, dad." The boy was evidently confused. Was his father intending to lecture him on elementary environmental science?
"But there are other ways, son. Other paths through the outback. The succulent pricklers hold water from the air, the snakes lick it from rocks, the mice and voles burrow into sand for little pockets of that sunken dew."
"I... I k-know this, dad."
"I know you know, but you don't know what I'm saying. Don't think I've not seen you busying your rear off to be like your mum and me. You see us going to the water hole, and you want to drink from it too. But your mum and me, we're lions. We can brave the openness of the pool, brave the risk of predators. You? You're a little, weak vole, and if you try and act like us, you're going to end up deader than a boulder."
"I..." His hands began to shake. "I see what... what y-y-y... but..."
"No buts, champ. The truth is hard, but failure's harder. You won't live up to us, you can't walk our walk. We... we just want you to be safe, son, and your dream is going to get you killed. You have to see that."
Killed. Dead. Am I dead? I am not dead. I feel. I hear. I smell. I dream.
"I..." There was no use arguing. "I understand, d-d-dad."
I used to dream. But then I stopped. But then I found it again, in another night of sleep. Sleep? I can't sleep yet. It's not even close to evening.
Cory opened his eyes.
"Laniz?" he rasped, his speech the fire of Den himself. God, it burned, but the burning brought relief. He was not dead yet.
Cory looked up at his grizzled father, garbed in dusty khakis last washed in a bygone day, and frowned anxiously.
"A-are you sure I have to, d-d-dad? I... I... I d-don't wanna get in your way like last time..." the boy timidly replied. His father bellowed a rubious guffaw, his rock-hard jaw undulating with every exhalation.
"Of course, m'boy! My mates are all outta town, and besides, the old cook would have my clackers if you ended up hurt again. No hunting, something else."
The child was steered out of his sanctuary domicile, glasses glinting fiercely from the outraged sun above. He skirted away from anywhere roofless because of that horrible orb... it seemed every time he went outside, his milky skin would burn and black under its glare.
"Daddy? Are you... DADDY?" Panic. Tension. Chest. Hurts. Can't.
"Dad? What do you want... want me to see?"
"I think it'll be aces if you wait a bit, champ. You need the picture before you get the notes."
"Al...alright..."
Time passed, and so did the scenery. First the tall buildings of the main city, then the smaller huts and domes of the nomads on the skirts. The feet of the travelers kicked dust into the air, marking their voyage in a trail of yellowed clouds. The browning vegetation slowly began to turn verdant, a telltale sign of a nearby source of hydration in the dry expanse. The watering hole. Not much to see, at a measly 20 feet diameter, but a lifeline for all those who could not dig for reservoirs. This was a favorite spot for hunters to target their prey, before spooking them into a penultimate chase.
"Alrighty, champ. You see all the frazzled trails leading up to the pool?"
"Y-yes, dad."
"There's not much I can do, I'm afraid. I healed the lungs for the thousandth time, but new tears just keep forming. I've never seen anything like it." Breathing. Raspy. Pressure. Warmth. Love.
"Now, you know all those little critters have a purpose... to survive. And they do that by skittering down to the watering hole when they get thirsty."
"Y-yes, dad." The boy was evidently confused. Was his father intending to lecture him on elementary environmental science?
"But there are other ways, son. Other paths through the outback. The succulent pricklers hold water from the air, the snakes lick it from rocks, the mice and voles burrow into sand for little pockets of that sunken dew."
"I... I k-know this, dad."
"I know you know, but you don't know what I'm saying. Don't think I've not seen you busying your rear off to be like your mum and me. You see us going to the water hole, and you want to drink from it too. But your mum and me, we're lions. We can brave the openness of the pool, brave the risk of predators. You? You're a little, weak vole, and if you try and act like us, you're going to end up deader than a boulder."
"I..." His hands began to shake. "I see what... what y-y-y... but..."
"No buts, champ. The truth is hard, but failure's harder. You won't live up to us, you can't walk our walk. We... we just want you to be safe, son, and your dream is going to get you killed. You have to see that."
Killed. Dead. Am I dead? I am not dead. I feel. I hear. I smell. I dream.
"I..." There was no use arguing. "I understand, d-d-dad."
I used to dream. But then I stopped. But then I found it again, in another night of sleep. Sleep? I can't sleep yet. It's not even close to evening.
Cory opened his eyes.
"Laniz?" he rasped, his speech the fire of Den himself. God, it burned, but the burning brought relief. He was not dead yet.