The Sands of Borrowed Time

by Jeffry Winters

  “Pretty certain it’s them,” she said. “Let’s put an end to this once and for all.”

  “What do you mean?” Demelza asked worriedly as she watched Kyla dig deep into her bag.

  “I shoot while you direct me with the binoculars,” Kyla said without emotion, looking at Hayley as she assembled parts of her rifle together. “The scope on this baby is not too good.” Hayley said nothing as Kyla threw her the binoculars. She followed her to the top of the ridge, looking back at Demelza. “Make sure no one creeps up from behind us, up the hill.”

  As they peered over the ridge, Hayley looked through the scope seeing the figures silhouetted against the morning sky. They appeared to be arguing, the woman having her arm raised, taking frantically, the men standing boldly upright with their arms folded across their chests, one shaking his head, the other looking down to the ground. Kyla placed the barrel of the rifle down on a groove between some rocks. She looked through its scope, her finger firmly against the trigger, squeezing it playfully, just beyond the trigger point.

  “You mean business,” Hayley said quietly.

  “Yes, let’s finish this little charade,” Kyla replied, watching the figures roam across the ridge, looking out across the plains as they searched for her. There was a loud crack as a cartridge fell from the rifle, bouncing down the ledge behind them, hitting the rocks with sonorous rings, Kyla feeling the recoil of the rifle dig deep into her shoulder. A burst of dust appeared in the view of Hayley’s scope as the bullet ricocheted off the opposite ridge. The figures looked around startled, before running behind a boulder for cover.

  “They’ve run behind the large boulder to the right,” Hayley said as she focused the scope again, daring not to blink. Kyla aimed in the direction of the boulder. Hayley could see someone’s head glance around its crooked stony sides. A hand appeared holding a gun and then a flash of light followed by a high-pitched ring as a bullet smashed into the ground a few feet away from them. Kyla could feel her heartbeat palpitating as her throat went bone dry.

  This is battle I need to win now, today, Kyla thought. I can’t run forever. I don’t want to be the prey all the time looking into the mouth of the wolf. There’s a man running from the boulder to the left,” Hayley said, Kyla responding, moving the gun slowly until she caught the figure in her scope, steadying her aim until the figure was in the crosshairs. She squeezed the trigger slowly but surely, Hayley seeing a burst of blood spray up into the air from the person's head as her ears ached from the crack of the rifle fire, the figure slumping to the ground then lying there motionlessly, his clothes flapping in the breeze like a discarded doll.

  “One man down,” Hayley said nervously as she saw two heads peer round the boulder, then two guns, then two flashes as a double explosion echoed across the valley, part of the ledge before them disintegrating sending dust and rocky fragments into their faces. Hayley quickly rubbed her eyes as Kyla coughed, the dust making their skin itch as the smell of clay filled the air. She looked again through the scope, seeing a gritty view of the boulder. Everything was quiet, the figures staying out of view as the Sun breached the horizon, its rays feeling hot on their skin.

  “Everything ok up there?” Demelza asked, breaking the tense silence, her voice sounding a little edgy.

  Hayley croaked, “Can you bring us some water?” she said as she continued to look intently through the scope at the boulder, the Sun’s rays starting to glare through the lens. Kyla heard the buzz of a fly, then feeling it crawl across her face, coming to rest on her cheek, daring not to move, focusing on the boulder, waiting as she felt the annoying tickle of the fly crawling across her skin. A fly, haven’t seen a fly for so long. There is life. We must be close, she thought, the air, the freshness. Normally I would squeeze you dead between my fingertips, but today, no, I will let you live, a thank you for your message that there is still life. Demelza crept up to the ledge, opened up a bottle and gave it to Hayley. She gasped with relief as she felt the water ease her dry throat, her eyes still fixed on the boulder. Demelza said nothing, seeing their focus, feeling the tension in the air as she went back down below the ledge and out of harm’s way.

  “To the left, there’s some movement,” Hayley said as she watched a figure crawl across the ground, “quick before…” There was a loud bang as the figure winced, rolling sideways, before lying there motionless like the other.

  “Good shot!” Hayley said, taking a deep breath, astounded at Kyla’s quick reflexes.

  “One to go,” Kyla said quietly. Cain? Bayliss? Carla? I bet it's Carla, has to be Carla. She would, of course, let the others do the dirty work first, take all the risks while she waited in the background. Can she fire a gun? Never seen her.

  “All we need to do is wait. Whoever it is, has to come out sooner or later,” Hayley said with a little cough.

  “Maybe we don’t have to,” Kyla replied, feeling a bit more relaxed.

  “What?” Hayley asked, sounding surprised.

  “The dead ones? Who do you think? Both male?

  “Not too sure.”

  “Skirt or jeans; remember, Carla was wearing a skirt on the ship?”

  “Both have jeans, Hayley said, looking back and forth at both bodies. “Don’t see the long, blonde hair either. What’s your point?”

  “Carla, she doesn’t know how to use a gun. I don’t think she would even have one on her.”

  “Then she is just sitting behind that rock, waiting, hoping, like a frightened little mouse.”

  “Yes, waiting, shitting her fine little panties.” Kyla looked up, the heat of the Sun starting to feel uncomfortable.

  “Let’s do it! Let’s run across, finish this,” Kyla said.

  “Really, I don’t know?” Hayley replied.

  “It’ll be fine, I promise, she’s a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered.”

  Both girls started to run down the ledge, across the plains and up towards the boulder, leaving fine billows of dust as they quickly hurried along. Kyla saw the bodies, Bayliss, Cain, their eyes looking lifelessly up towards the heavens. She felt no emotion, No bad feelings Cain, business is business, like life is life. Hayley bit into her lip as she anticipated their chances, running closer towards the boulder, This is suicidal, for sure. They kept running until they were yards from the boulder, both out of breath but deeply focused. Kyla raised the gun, hand on trigger as they both walked around the large desert rock.

  “Kyla, what a pleasant surprise,” Carla said, walking confidently into view from behind the boulder, sounding as if she had been inconvenienced. Kyla said nothing, simply looking at her down the barrel of the rifle.

  “What is this all about Kyla?” Carla asked. “We took you in when you had nowhere to go. Remember? We found you. Found you all alone in the desert. We brought you up, took care of you, and now you point a gun at me. It's a bit insulting,” she continued, looking at Kyla with an emotionless smile.

  “You never cared for me,” Kyla replied without hesitation, keeping the gun pointed at her head.

  “Kyla, you’re upset, I see. Put the gun down and let’s talk.”

  “There’ll be no talking.” Kyla could feel years of resent and hatred welling up inside of her, ready to explode down the barrel of the gun and into Carla’s head.

  “Kyla, put down the gun. I was like a mum to you. I was your mum.”

  “No, my mum is out there in the desert. Dead, alive, I don’t know.” Kyla started to cry.

  “That’s why I became your mum,” Carla said. She smiled and walked towards Kyla. “I am your mum, Kyla,” she continued, holding out her arms to embrace her, widening her phoney smile before it disappeared in a spray of blood, her body jerking backwards, her eyes full of disbelief as she toppled to the ground. Kyla looked downwards at Carla’s body, then turned to look at Cain, then Bayliss, feeling a great sense of relief. Carla, Cain, and Bayliss, the three titans, looking like broken soldiers, ready for the trash bin. Am I free at last?

  The Cottage

/>   “This is worse than those friggin’ sandstorms,” Kyla complained. “I won’t be able to keep this up for much longer, my eyes are screwed.” She leant closer to the windshield, struggling to see through the blizzard.

  “At least we can breathe, though,” Demelza added as Kyla slithered the buggy across the icy snow.

  “And drink,” Hayley stuttered through her chattering teeth. “There's no shortage of water. I mean look at it. There’s enough snow falling in this blizzard to quench a thirsty city. “

  “It tastes a bit sharp, though, don't you think?” Kyla asked as she stopped the buggy in the middle of the road. They had finally descended the steep hills they had been travelling through into a dense forest. The snow eased a little in the shelter of the trees, their branches drooping from the burden of the snow.

  “It’s the gamma rays,” Hayley said. “Turns the water bad.”

  “So, should we be drinking it?” Kyla asked worriedly.

  Hayley shrugged.

  “It's not going to make my hair fall out, is it?” Demelza asked.

  Hayley shook her head, “No, the gamma rays split the water molecules apart making it acidic.”

  They all looked at each other.

  “Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink,” Kyla laughed scornfully as she hit the accelerator. She felt the buggies wheels begin to grip dirt beneath the snow, slowly guiding the buggy along a road that pierced deep into the heart of the forest.

  “It's a bit spooky, don't you think guys?” Demelza asked as she peered through the trees, watching water drip from the snow-capped pine needles.

  Hayley and Kyla said nothing, as they too looked deep into the darkness of the forest, a light mist swirling through the falling snow. Hayley looked down at the snow melting on her hands.

  “It's not just the bitterness of the water we have to worry about,” Hayley said, holding up her hands. “Look, the sand has arrived, it's falling in the snow.” Demelza and Kyla looked at the fine specks of sand on Hayley's hand before looking at their own. Demelza’s eyes widened as the fine, golden grains smudged across her palms sparkled in the dying light of the day.

  “The storms,” Demelza said anxiously. “They’re not too far behind.” Hayley rubbed her palms together, feeling the gritty texture of the sand.

  “My hands feel like sandpaper,” she said annoyed. “You’re probably right, they won’t be too far behind, I guess.”

  Keep running my frightened little rabbit, ‘till you can run no more, Kyla thought, on and on, until one day you slip and fall, the wolf close behind, waiting till you do, and then...

  “Maybe we should stop running north,” Kyla suddenly said.

  “Give up?” Demelza asked confused.

  “No, no, not give up! Make a stand! I mean, it's just one thing after another.” Hayley frowned as Kyla continued, “Let’s adapt. Instead of running from our problems, let's do something to take advantage, turn it on its head. If we keep going north, we will freeze in its bitter ice.”

  Kyla suddenly stopped the buggy, its tyres sliding on the slushy road, raising her nose to the air, “You smell that?” she said.

  “Burnt diesel,” Hayley said, “the pistons are fucked again. Look how blue the exhaust fumes are,” she continued, looking in the mirror.

  “No, it's wood. Someone is burning wood,” Kyla replied.

  “She's right, I smell it too,” Demelza interrupted as she looked around for its source. Kyla jumped out of the buggy, kneeling down to see through and under the branches of the forest. She crept back towards the buggy, her jeans soaked from the wet snow.

  “There's a light,” she said quietly.

  “A fire?” Hayley asked. Kyla shook her head, “No, it looks like a house, a cottage.”

  “Wow, remember them,” Demelza laughed, “houses, where did they all go!”

  “Well, there's one, just over there,” Kyla replied with a nervous smile, pointing through the forest. Hayley and Demelza stepped out of the buggy and leant down following Kyla’s finger, looking towards the cottage. “Let's park the buggy up, hide it amongst the trees, and take a look,” Kyla said.

  “It looks so sweet,” Demelza said.

  “And comfy. I bet it's warm inside,” Hayley added as she watched grey smoke rise from its chimney.”

  Demelza and Hayley crept towards the cottage through the dense trees, bending back their prickly branches as Kyla took care of the buggy. Mist hung just above them as the snow slowly melted in the cool evening air. They could see the light flicker from the window, a deep amber at its core that faded to a dark red as it glowed through the windowpanes.

  “It's quiet?” Demelza whispered hopefully.

  “Too quiet,” Hayley replied suspiciously as they crept ever closer.

  “Wait,” Hayley said, “You hear that? Sounds like horses.”

  “Yes,” Demelza replied as they both saw several of them come into view from behind the cottage, commanded by a couple of men. The men pulled back on the reigns of their horses hard, the horses whining as they came to an abrupt stop, shaking their manes as their warm, steamy breaths rose up into the cool, evening mist.

  “What's going on?” Kyla asked as she caught up with them.

  “Horses, look!” Demelza eagerly said. They all watched as a boy, man and woman left the house and mounted the horses. They quickly galloped off as the fiery light inside the room died until it looked dark and empty.

  “They seem to be in a hurry,” Kyla said surprised.

  “Like we were,” Hayley pointed out.

  “In a hurry going nowhere,” Kyla sternly replied, looking troubled. Hayley shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

  “Whatever, let's take a look inside,” she replied as she began walking towards the cottage, the others soon following.

  The cottage stood proud in the middle of a large field, covered in slushy snow. A path led up towards the front door, white paint peeling off it in small curls, revealing fungus infested wood underneath. The windows were lowly set into the frame of the brickwork, suggesting that its inside was lower than the surrounding fields.

  “I love the smell of pine,” Demelza said as they swung back the last of the branches of the trees on the edge of the forest.

  “It's certainly refreshing,” Hayley added. “Come on, then, let's take a peek inside. It looks like everyone has left.” They hurried towards the side of the cottage, their boots squelching through the wet snow.

  “Take a look inside, through the window, just to be certain,” Hayley said, gently pushing Kyla towards the window. She leant down to look inside, rubbing the window free of melting ice as she did so. She peered into the dark room, seeing the dying embers in the fireplace and a couple of glasses on the table before it.

  “Nobody at home,” she whispered as she turned to look at Demelza and Hayley, “just a lonely, dying fire.”

  “Good,” Hayley said as she ushered Kyla eagerly towards the door. She turned the knob slowly, and gently pushed the door, cringing as it moaned and creaked as it slowly arced open.

  “It's not even locked,” Kyla said, looking amazed. “They're not expecting anybody soon.”

  “I think they've left for good, not just in a hurry,” Hayley added as they crept through the open doorway, stepping into the hallway. They walked down the passageway to enter the room with the open fireplace, the door already wide open.

  “Ah, it's so nice and warm in here,” Demelza said, her face brightening with a smile as they slowly explored the room.

  “Looks like they had a couple of farewell drinks,” Kyla remarked as she picked up one of the glasses from the table next to a half empty jug of water, curiously looking at the white sludge sliding down its sides.

  “Give me that,” Hayley said as she took the glass from Kyla’s hand. She put the glass to her nose before taking a sample of the sludge with her finger.

  “Careful!” Kyla quietly exclaimed as Hayley put her finger in her mouth to taste it.

  �
�Limestone,” she said with excitement. “It's fucking limestone, the clever rascals!” She looked at Kyla's and Demelza's confused faces before continuing, “Don't you get it, the limestone neutralises the acid in the water.”

  “Cool!” Kyla said.

  “It would make it fizzy as well,” Hayley added as she took the jug of water from the table and poured the water into the glass. They all watched as the water rose and fizzed before dying to a simmering hiss. Hayley took a gulp as the others looked apprehensively on. She smiled and gave the glass to Kyla, who took a nervous sip, looking at Hayley anxiously. She handed the glass to Demelza.

  “Perfect!” Kyla remarked, looking at Demelza, “Go on, drink up, get your mineral fix,” watching her slowly lift the glass to her lips, watching her face cringe as she parted her lips slowly and took a gulp.

  Demelza finally smiled.

  “Not bad, not bad at all,” she remarked.

  “We have to stay here,” Kyla said excitedly, pulling on Hayley's blouse.

  “What about those darn storms that are coming?” Hayley asked seriously. “They’ve almost had us once; I don't think they will be so forgiving the next time.

  “The sand is already falling in the snow,” Demelza added. “Look at my hands, they're covered in the stuff,” holding her palm to Kyla’s face. Kyla tugged at her tangled blonde hair in frustration.

  “Fuck the storms! We can make this work, find a solution,” she protested at her doubtful looking companions.

  “There's water, limestone to make it right, fire for warmth, there's life, so there must be food. For Christ sake, people have lived here in luxury!”

  “And now they're gone. Look at the other glass, it has sand on the outside,” Hayley remarked. “They have seen the sand on their own hands and have left because of it.”

  “And in a hurry as Hayley pointed out,” Demelza added. “They know what's coming.”

  “Come on, there must be a solution. We can't run forever. The storms will catch us sooner or later,” Kyla said with all her heart. “Can't you see that!” She sat down and held her head in her hands. “Sooner or later,” she repeated as she began to cry, “I'm tired of running.” Hayley sat down next to Kyla, rubbing her back.