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Finally, I rose. As nice as it was to lie here with her, our last day in this Game had begun.
“We need to finish this,” she said, her words echoing my thoughts. “I’m done playing games.”
“You are right. We are done with this. Today is the day. We’ll reach the island and create the sand house, then we will be sent to my home planet. Our new life will begin.”
“It sounds so simple and lovely.” She smiled up at me, but shadows lingered in her eyes. “I’m ready.”
We finished the last of the water and food, and I jumped up onto a boulder to look around. Seeing nothing of concern, I rolled a boulder out of the way, and she joined me.
We walked out into the desert, heading north.
“I don’t think it’s far,” I said. “I saw a structure when I stood on the tallest boulder.”
“How long do you think?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Half a day?”
“Then we have to build.”
I was at a loss for how we’d build a house out of a material that slipped through my fingers, but Summer said she had a plan, and I trusted it would work.
The lone monitor kept up with us, though it maintained its distance. I expected to see Burmoot, but he hadn’t appeared. It didn’t matter. We didn’t need a host. After today, I’d never see him again.
I wasn’t sure why that thought made me feel sad.
We were nearing our destination—a cluster of trees surrounded by a wall of boulders, with the smooth face of the dome beyond, when the wind picked up. It caught bits of sand and blasted us with grit.
Summer lifted Tumbles, and I moved in close, struggling to shelter them in my arms. Soon, the sting of sand hitting us from behind grew stronger.
The remaining monitor zipped near, and I swore I heard it cackle. No, it was the entire universe, laughing at our expense.
We turned.
Summer swore.
I gaped at the enormous sandstorm bearing down on us.
