Ch.4 Sand and Stone
I snuck back towards the nearest cave and peered in, hoping that the crazy woman wasn't hidden out inside of it. Ducking in, I was relieved to see it was clear of inhabitants, human or otherwise.
The dark was piercing me and the air was much chillier than what it was outside. Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed in puddles around the floor. My breath misted in front of me.
Colors blasted out at me, deep rusted reds and bright oranges. Whit mixed with drown patched the walls and clear stones littered the floor. Quartz of all colors protruded from the walls and danced the light from the entrance deeper, relieving the gloom slightly.
I watched as the rocks caught and threw the light, allowing the deepest holes to have a glimmer of hope. Walking past these seemingly bottomless holes was frightening, as I had no idea what would happen if I fell.
Below I could hear rushing water and the clatter of falling stones. I tuned these sounds out and walked deeper, around the first bend.
Ahead was dark. Pitch dark that held no trace of light. I stepped back and a ray of light fell past me, reflected from one of the stones behind. There, in the light, was what I had been looking for. Or at least close enough.
A perfect sphere of quartz glittered in the light and I rushed to pick it up. Purples and blues mixed evenly with the greens. A silver streak shot through the outside and seemed to dance across the surface in swirling patterns. It was perfect.
The walk home was quick as I ran my hands over the smooth sphere, finding no flaw to its form. I walked past people that were only shadows in my eyes, as everything else seemed to fade but the thought of sitting on the beach in the early afternoon, sand filling my grasp and warming in the sun.
Finally! I had made it to the beach to find it devoid of human life. I slipped down the way and stood in a small cove of sand that went into the cliff. The sun beat down on me and the stone. I lay and closed my eyes, letting the sound of the waves and the heat of the sun lull me.
A crackle went through me and I felt as if I was the sand. Waves washed over me relentlessly and pulled bits away before leaving me with new ones. Pressure from countless tons of water over me crushed me into rock which in turn was worn back to sand by the relentless waves. There were spaces of time without water, the sun baking down and warming me in the sea of sand. It seemed as if my mind was cleared by the wind, then blown together again.
Hello, listener of the earth! The voice startled me and I sat up quickly. There was no one around me and no one to have said the words that I had heard.
Of course there are no other people here! We are alone!
Who are you? I thought, finally realizing that the voice was in my head.
I am called Shift! Came the gleeful reply. Sand poured over my leg and then solidified, raising up out of the area around me. In front of me now – and resting on my legs – was a snake made of sand. Its scales looked soft but I felt that they were hard as stone and smooth as glass.
What are you?
I am a Sandling! Or a Sand Construst, Sand Golem, Sand Sprite, Or-my favorite-Sand Elemental!
An Elemental? You mean like in the myths!
Why, yes. And I thank you for saving me from the cave, Companion.
I now noticed that Shift's eyes were made from the now large marble sized hemispheres of what had been the sphere in the cave. The silver now formed pupils and held a deep intelligence that seemed to shine through. I felt his mind pressing against mine and opened to it.
Again I felt the sand, but this time I felt the years that churned it from magma to stone to sand. The countless years of weathering that seemed like the blink of an eye. At the surface was loose grains, shifting thoughts, and sun heated joy of life. Deeper I could feel the more solid layers that seemed to encompass a greater knowledge, a greater feeling. It felt like crumbling stone that solidified and loosened with the passing whims of thought.
Blinking, I raised my head from the whirlwind below.
Now you know me better and I know you better! Came Shift's cheerful mental voice that reminded me of sand pouring out and rocks clacking together. But it is strange that we are so very similar, is it not?
I think it's great! I smiled, running my hands across the smooth yet rough surface of Shift.
Someone is coming!
Before I could reply Shift had shrunk and lunged at my neck. I heard clinking and crackling. I felt a stone necklace loop around, and when I looked down the stone I had found in the cave was held in the grasp of a claw like thing in a sand colored, stone bead necklace.
Walking down the beach, from the direction of the cave I had found, was the group from earlier. They seemed much more cheerful then before and the boy mine and Connie's age was whistling. I watched carefully as they passed, noting how they didn't note me.
Just the way I liked.
Why do you like being unnoticed? Shift's voice made me jump.
I like not being made fun of for my eyes and my family. Almost everyone in my old city knew that I had two different colored eyes, a crazy Mom, and a forgetful Dad. Now I know that I caught Mom's craziness though.
What do you mean?
She said the trees called her and she ran away to live with them. Now I'm speaking to sand. The thing is, though, I like it and hope it doesn't end.
So you think I'm not real? Shift asked, sounding hurt. I cringed as I realized what had happened.
I think you are the realest thing ever! I assured quickly, trying to get the happy Shift back. It's just that nobody else will believe me.
That's great, Companion! I smiled, who knew it was so easy to make others happy?
Pleas, call me Daniel, that's my name.
Okay Com-Daniel! Shift said, slipping on his first try.
I smiled again and watched as the sun set. Time sure flies when you are delving into the minds of others! I stood and walked home, stroking a hand over Shift's eye marble and hearing a mental purr in response.
I may be going crazy, but at least I had someone to talk to when school started next week.