Desert for the Dead

„Come on, hurry up! I want to miss the afternoon heat wave!“ Sarah stood on the porch outside a large country house with her camping bag in her hand and a stuffed backpack on her shoulders. Her blue eyes searched for a familiar figure to finally come down the stairs with the rest of their things.

„Coming, coming…“ Blake said as he finally rushed down to Sarah. „I checked the batteries in our flashlights and also packed the knives because apparently somebody forgot.“ He said mockingly in a serious voice. Sarah rolled her eyes at him. „Now can we go?“

„What kind of a camping spirit is that? You got no adventurous soul. Who did I ask to marry?“

She smiled sheepishly at him and dropping the bags to the wooden floor she ran to him, swinging her arms around his neck before leaning in for a soft kiss. So light and so tender, she tippy toed to reach him and could feel him smiling into the kiss. „No take backs.“ She joked. After finally putting all the luggage into Blake’s old blue truck, the engine fired up and old black tires left a fine trail on the dusty ground as the two headed in for their weekend trip.

Pulling out a straw hat out of her bag, Sarah swung back her long blonde beach waves to place the hat on the top. „How do I look?“

„What the hell is that?“ Blake asked with a grossed out look on his face.

„It's a farmer’s hat! It'll protect from the sun.“ She pulled out another one to frame Blake's reluctant head.

„That's ugly. “ He said. „Like, really ugly.“

„You just say that because it makes your already burnt skin look even more red.“ She teased.

„Well excuuuuse me for not having a perfect California tan like you, missy.“

„It's fine. Nevada will permanently erase your pale New York shade in no time.“ She smirked.

After hours on the desert roads leading them into the heart of Nevada State, they finally realized how lonely the environment was. They hadn't seen another car for almost an hour, and landscape seemed exactly the same every ten feet. Just rocks, sand and a hot road leading them into emptiness and freedom from the everyday life. Occasionally, Blake would take a glance of his sleeping fiancé who seemed to find a proper sleeping position. He'd smile to himself every time he'd see her scrunch her nose. As their journey into Nevada got deeper and radio stations disappeared, Blake felt chills pass through his body when a figure appeared in the distance. It seemed like a man, standing in the middle of the road in a burning sun.

„Honey, wake up.“ Blake slightly tapped Sarah's shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes to him pointing in front of her. „There's someone in a middle of the road ahead.“

She adjusted herself and mumbled something while yawning. „Just pass around him.“

Blake slowed down his speed as they began approaching the said person. „What if it's a hitchhiker?“ He asked as the person began waving their hands, clearly asking for them to stop.

„It's… a child??“ She questioned her tired eyesight, rubbing her eyes to convince herself she's seeing correctly.

„You're right.“ Blake muttered. „He looks injured.“

„We need to stop, Blake. What if someone took him?“ They slowly stopped the car in the broad daylight in the middle of nowhere as they reached few feet away from the child. Taking a deep breath, Blake told Sarah to stay in the car while he reads the situation. He reluctantly got out of the car door and took a good look of the boy in front of them. He was very short and very thin, looking almost emaciated. His clothes were ripped and dirty. He was holding his arm tight as it was seemingly hurt.

„Hello. My name is Blake. What's your name?“

„Yiku.“ The small boy answered after a long period of silence, trying to decide whether he can trust the man standing in front of him.

„Yiku.“ Blake repeated after him. „Where's your home, Yiku? Are you lost?“

Yiku nodded. „My horse got scared and ran away.“

Blake widened his eyes. Who lets a small child to ride a horse unsupervised? He took a few steps closer to the child and tried to assure him with a soft face. „Do you need a help to get home, Yiku?“ The boy gave him a small nod.

„I have a friend with me in the car,“ said Blake, „would you like to meet her?“ He offered his hand to the lost kid who reluctantly reached out to him. He took him to the truck and seated him in a small space between and Sarah, who greeted the boy with a large smile to cover the genuine concern. „Can you tell us where your home is?“ She asked.

„It's behind the mountains.“ Yiku pointed to the right. He spoke so softly and quietly, almost whispering every syllable rolling of his tongue. The couple exchanged a look filled with doubt, but they were certain they couldn't leave the kid in the middle of the road for some lunatic to run over him or even worse if possible. Blake slowly turned right and left the road behind them which brought feelings of uneasiness to his fiancé.

„You must work in the sun a lot,“ Sarah asked, „you're very tan. Cute as a caramel piece.“ She pulled out a bag of candy she had in her bag. Yiku's eyes widened, taking more space on his face than any other feature. He tasted them by sticking out his tongue, carefully checking for the foul taste before gobbing it down. Blake and Sarah had never seen such behaviour. They were sure that whatever lied behind the mountain was cut far from the civilization.

After two hours of long and suspicious drive, the couple saw something in the distance. The wind carried sand in the air, making it harder to see through the bright sun rays. „There!“ Yiku pointed. „There!“ They arrived shortly, parking their car in front of large wooden welcome arch. Blake could hear Sarah gulping. He intertwined their fingers, telling her it's okay. „You can stay in the car if you'd like.“ She shook her head. „No, I don't want to be alone.“

They began walking through the town spreading infinitely in front of them, carefully holding Yiku's hands. The buildings seemed very different from anything they've ever seen. They were tall and wooden, and here and there you could find a masonry construction. All of them seemed abandoned as they could see the sand filling the house through open windows. The air seemed so heavy and so dry, slowing them down on each step they took. Like tired travellers looking for a mirage.

„Jesus Christ!“ Blake exclaimed as a crow flew right pass his shoulder. Checking his arm, he was surprised. He was sure the bird was going to tackle into him. Yiku began spitting out words the pair couldn't understand. It wasn't only that they couldn't understand it. They were sure no one could. It sounded like a foreign language and yet it was nothing alike to any language. Frowning upon it, Sarah asked him what's wrong.

Yiku's dark brown eyes met hers. „The crow pierced him.“ His voice dull and eyes empty. Upon hearing the sounds of horse neighing, Yiku began running. „Lipa! Lipa!“ He yelled.

„Are you okay?“ Sarah asked Blake. He nodded, but she could tell he wasn't sure anymore. „Come on,“ he said, „we should follow him.“

They followed the boy deeper and deeper into the town which Sarah later told Blake isn't mapped.

„What do you mean it isn't mapped?“ He looks at her.

„I'm telling you,“ she showed him the map of the state she pulled out of her backpack, “this should be a map of all places in Nevada State. There's nothing mapped beyond the mountains.“ She could feel sweet rolling down her neck and it wasn't just from the heat anymore. „I don't like this at all, Blake.“ He put his hand around her shoulders. „We'll just find his parents and see that he's okay and then we'll be immediately on our way. Okay?“ He fixed her farmer's hat. She nodded, not because she agreed but because she knew she didn't have a choice. „Even if it's weird, I'm glad we didn't just leave him there.“

Yiku called for them in the distance. „This is Lipa.“ He said when they came closer. „She was so scared before. She never ran off like that before.“ He petted his tall white horse. „That's my house.“ He pointed to the massive building, but it was unlike the others. Ivy decorated its outside walls and grass spread out all around it. A trail of grass led to a place behind the building the couple couldn't see. Their curiosity never felt so alive. In the building they saw twenty other children just like Yiku, kneeling and praying. They didn't pay attention to the couple observing them. They chanted together, a tongue Sarah and Blake could not understand. Then, one of the children yelled something. A word that got everyone on their feet and they rushed away from the building into the sand.

„The prayer is over.“ Yiku said. „Scavenger is here.“

„Scavenger? Who is scavenger?“ Sarah asked.

„Me.“ The boy answered as he led them to the other side of the building where another large door stood. They were wide open and they led to the trail of grass in the middle of the dessert. Blake took Sarah's shaky hand, noticing her body trembling in ways he didn't witness before. She was truly terrified.

When they stepped on the grassy trail, from their sides appeared two men. Men who were very tall, tanned and muscular. Their faces were hidden beneath crow masks and in their hands they each held one spear. They didn’t move. They didn’t even flinch. Sarah pressed her body against Blake’s in hopes the fear washes away in his presence.

“Please, follow me.” Yiku said as he led them onwards through rows of dead trees. Their naked branches held hundreds of crows sitting on them, resting before the next flight.

“What’s with all the crows here?” Sarah asked him.

“They show us the truth.” Yiku replied without looking back. “Please don’t speak while we walk the graveyard.”

Blake and Sarah exchanged an odd look. Graveyard? Miles of dead black rusty trees spread all around them. It wasn’t their idea of a graveyard. But then again, nothing seemed exactly alive. Blake squeezed on Sarah’s hand, holding it tightly. He put on a brave face, but she felt the fear coming down on him. His lips were shut thin, his skin seemed paler than ever. Sarah wondered about the sudden change. Every time he turned around to check on her, his eyes seemed more and more sunken into his skull. Her fingers reached for her own face, she began to feel her skin under them, checking whether she looked as sick as he did. She could still feel the fleshy plump fresh skin there where it’s supposed to be. She kept quiet about it, telling herself the creepy aura is just getting to her and clouding her judgement.

After some time, they reached a small lake which surrounded a single living tree in the middle of nothingness. Yiku finally turned around to face them and broke the silence upon meeting the horrifying looks of his companions. “It’s a fig tree.” He pointed his little finger to it. “Ages ago, when we wondered through the graveyard alone and fed the soil as carrion, a crow showed us a way to it to nourish us all.” They made their way across the small bridge, and there at the end of it a ripe fig tree stood tall. So tall the pair had never seen such a height for that species. “Please, pick a fig to eat.” Yiku told Sarah. She looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows. But in silence she reached her hand for it and took a reluctant bite. The sweetness melted in her mouth and the scent made a rush through her memory lane. She glanced at Blake as she pulled her hand from him. “You’re freezing cold.” That’s when she noticed his skeletal face starring empty back at her. She dropped the fig to the ground and she began to shake from head to toe. “B-Blake… What… What’s wrong? Yiku! What did you do?!” She began walking backwards from them.

“I’m a scavenger, Sarah.” Yiku said again. “I search for lost souls still wondering the Earth long after their death.” He admitted sympathetically to her. Blake seemed like he couldn’t talk anymore, even though he struggled to find the words to tell her so badly.

“Please search through your memory, Sarah.” Yiku pleaded her. “There was a day your partner died… Please remember it.”

Her eyes filled with tears searched for a track of hope and lies in Yiku’s face only to fail. She shut them deeply, letting the waterfalls drips down her red cheeks. That’s when she saw it. A flashing image of a car crash. Her breathing became irregular as her neck twitched. An image of a blue truck smashed to pieces on a highway. She began recalling seeing the news. They were dated 8 months ago. She opened her eyes which had a red tint to them. “Y-you died in a car accident. Last November… I… I remember it.” Her heartbeat rushed her entire body into overdrive. She couldn’t tell what was true and what was a cheap trick.

“We couldn’t properly even bury the body… It was… It was all in pieces…” She sobbed on her knees. “Please tell me this isn’t true, please, please!” Her cries echoed through the graveyard.

“Look at the mirror lake, Sarah.” Yiku told her. There’s only your reflection there.”

“How? How can this be? I’ve lived with him for the past 8 months!” She screamed in emotional agony.

“His spirit overstayed his welcome in the land of living. And you weren’t keen on letting him go. You couldn’t.” Yiku lifted her chin. “He was only a mirage.”

She gasped in disbelief. She watched the thinning figure behind the young boy, suddenly drowning in his clothes. His head and his hands were covered in scars. Wounds from the accident that never healed.

“How did I get here then? How is this real?” She searched for answers Yiku refused to give her. Perhaps even he didn’t fully understand the metaphysical lengths of their reality.

“Sarah… Return to your family.” Yiku begged her. “Choose what you know is the right thing to do. Please choose to go back to the land of living. Hug your parents again.” He helped her up. “Thank you for the candy. It was like nothing I’ve experienced before.” His words made her smile. He took her hand and led her back, away from the bridge. There stood Lipa in the graveyard. “She’ll take you back where you need to go.” Yiku said. Her eyes were locked on her fiancé. The one she used to know. “I love you, Blake.” She whispered before mounting the horse and riding away across the graveyard and across the mountains. Yiku took Blake’s hand and let him to the lake. “Rest now, my friend. You did well today.” He laid him slowly under the water, until his being ceased to exist and he belonged there to feed the tree of memories.

“There will be others like you.” Yiku whispered. “Many came already, and many still have a way to go. It’s a cruel life we live.”

Sarah couldn’t recall where Lipa took her. It was like she dozed off in the middle of her journey. But she woke up in her bed, like from a bad dream. She dialled her mum’s phone number as she wiped away her tears, trying to sound as collected as she possibly could.

“Hello?”

“Mum?” she raised her voice.

“Sarah? Sarah? Oh my God, Sarah, hi! Hi! How are you?” Woman on the sounded the happiest she’s ever been. Sarah could hear the joy in her voice.

“I’m okay, mum.”

“This is the first we’ve heard from you after the accident. We had no idea how you were. You just left. We’re so sorry, honey. What happened to Blake… It isn’t your fault.” The woman didn’t know how to word herself.

“I know mum.”

“Please come back home. California is just not the same without you. Please, Sarah, please… Don’t go away again.”

“I’m coming home, mum. I’m coming home.”