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Khepria
My chest constrictedwith every harsh breath reminiscent of shattered glass down my throat. The dryness of the desert attacked my every pore and orifice despite my body’s perspiration challenging the threat of the heat. My muscles cried out with every forced use, every pump of my legs as I swiftly ran, fighting the resistance of the sand.
My arms and legs pumped faster. No longer able to breathe through simply my nostrils, I grimaced and roared as my muscles cried out with me. Running in the desert was short of the only thing that helped clear my mind of all the stresses of my torn life. The hot weight of the air oppressing my lungs concentrated me in the moment, forcing my mind away from thoughts that should have been buried so long ago.
The occasional cool breeze eased my tormented thoughts but it wasn’t enough. I needed more speed—more pain in my limbs and chest. Tears leaked out the corners of my eyes as a blast of hot air hit my face like a wall, making me gasp in surprise. Though I shouldn’t be. The desert was constantly drought with sudden sandstorms beneath the unmerciful sun.
Fluttering my eyes open, I skidded to a stop, kicking up sand in my wake, dry coughing as I bent over and tried to catch my breath. After a few deep intakes, I lifted my head toward the sky to curse the sun for making me falter when I noticed a sight unlike anything I had ever seen.
“A-Am I seeing things?” How long had I been out here? Was the sun making me lose brain cells?It couldn’t be…
A falling star descended at unfathomable speeds, destined to impact the earth straight ahead of me. Blinking a few times more, I rubbed my eyes and looked into the distance again. A stream of flame trailed behind it and my legs began to move, my curiosity getting the better of me.
How can a star fall in broad daylight? That wasn’t what they said in the books back at the library where I worked. Or perhaps, it was because the sun’s light drowned them out. That was more logical. Was I witnessing something unique then? I looked around and found no one else within the vicinity. It was just me and the sand. I cannot wait to tell Mr. Redding. He would know more than anyone, with his extensive knowledge of all the books we carried.
Covering a few more yards, my feet began to slow, wariness lacing itself around me like a serpent ready to strike. I stopped in my tracks, watching as the star descended faster and faster until the fiery ball slammed into the desert floor. The impact shook the ground beneath me, almost toppling me to my knees. I was taken aback, afraid of what it could be. Curiosity bit me like a scorpion's sting as I slowly got to my feet and moved forward to investigate the strange phenomenon.
As I cautiously approached the impact site, a wave of anticipation and dark awareness hit me all at once. The desert sand continued to settle around me, a cloud of dust still hanging in the air. With each step, my heart slammed into my chest.
When I finally approached close enough to the small crater in the ground, I stopped, stood and observed quietly. Scattered debris surrounded it, the intense heat radiating from the impact site forced me to take a step back, but my curiosity pushed me forward. I carefully examined the area, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
“Nothing can survive this, surely,” I whispered to myself as I took a few more cautious steps forward, my footsteps crunching over shattered glass. I bent at the waist to try and get a better look and in the next second, I was immediately hit with a strong, overwhelming smell of burning flesh. The air was thick with the acrid scent, making it difficult to breathe. The sight before me was equally disturbing.
The ground was scorched and blackened, with small fires still smoldering in the aftermath, reflecting on the fragments of glass surfaces. The remnants of what appeared to be a vehicle were scattered around the area, twisted and mangled. I felt sorry for whoever it belonged to, they were never going to be able to fix it.
As I surveyed the scene again, a wave of unease washed over me. The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air. My mind raced with questions, trying to make sense of the devastation before me.
I couldn't help but wonder who or what had been caught in the impact. The thought of lives lost and the pain and suffering that must have accompanied the event weighed heavily on my heart—I was reminded of the unpredictable nature of the world we live in.
As I stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of destruction, the smell—forever etched into my mind—served as a somber reminder of how fleeting our existence was and the need to cherish every moment we had.
I made a silent vow to honor the lives that had been lost, it was the least I could do. There must have been a reason for me to be the only witness to this tragedy. I needed to live my life with a greater purpose. The ache of my limbs twinged as I rolled my head and looked to the sky. I would strive to make a positive impact in the world, to bring light and hope to those who need it most. I needed to not get so lost in my own past demons.
To my surprise, nestled within the crater was some type of animal at first glance. I leaned in and squinted as if it would give me better clarity. “It almost looks human…” I whispered.
The body… gleamed as if from solar radiation—like it was a piece of the sun itself. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. When it spoke, I jumped back, my heart racing. I didn't understand its language as it groaned the same words over and over again.
"Βο?θησ? με, βο?θησ? με παρακαλ?, απλ? θ?λω να πεθ?νω."
I shakily pulled out my cell phone from one of my pockets and quickly tapped the screen to translate what it was saying. The app quickly scrolled through what felt like a million different languages until it slowly settled on one.
"Βο?θησ? με, βο?θησ? με παρακαλ?, απλ? θ?λω να πεθ?νω."
My phone roughly translated it to, "Help me, help me please I just want to die."
With a sharp inhale and without a second thought, I shoved my phone into my pocket and began to climb down into the crater. No, no, no. I was not going to be standing by while someone dies! Climbing over large debris and trying not to slip on the small ones, I kept moving forward. Without hesitation, I reached out to touch the creature, for that was what it had to be. It looked too inhuman to be anything else. The heat radiating from its body burned my skin. I quickly pulled it back to shake it with a little jump to my step—it had also singed some of my hairs.
How in the world was it possible? How could the creature still be alive under these conditions? I stopped jumping and grabbed my fingers in my other hand to stave off the ache of the burn when it looked into my eyes.
I couldn’t let it suffer or die in front of me, I couldn’t. I forced my hand through the heated barrier once again and reached out to him. As my hand made contact, a surge of energy coursed through my body, filling me with a sense of wonder and awe. It was as if the creature had chosen me, and I knew deep down that this encounter was no mere coincidence.
When it spoke again… I understood.
Touchinghim had somehow broken our language barrier.
"W-What or who are you?" I watched in horror as his sizzling body attempted to move. He slowly sat up, his body trembling from the trauma.
“I am what happens when you attempt to fly too close to the sun, only to realize you are nothing more than a small bubble on the water. The gods don't take kindly to blatant arrogance,” he sighed for a moment, and his bloodshot eyes locked with mine in an intense gaze. “I have been cursed.”
