Hiraeth

11.

We had been driving for ages and still no one knew the time. The watch's broken hands were still spinning rapidly on its axis, and pieces of rusted glass fell and showered the trucks' floor. Suddenly we jolted to a halt and the trucks' back wheels screeched and spun in the sand. Everyone in the back of the truck toppled over each other and the sound of the airbags upfront echoed through the desert. There was a thick black smoke cloud spilling out the exhaust pipe and a couple grates of metal had slid off the side of the truck. We had hit something. Marcus jumped out of the driver's seat and walked over to the front of the truck. "What was that?!" said Akira. "An animal, maybe?" said mae. That would have been a good thought, however there hasn't been any movement within the dessert since we got here. I shrugged my shoulders and stood up in the trucks' trailer and leant against the cabin. Amora joined me. We all crowded around, but nothing was there. Marcus looked beneath the truck and all around the wheels. But still nothing was there. He held his hand up and pressed in forward. Slowly. Suddenly he pulled his hand back and stepped back. A triangle of glowing blue hexagons appeared right where Marcus had put his hand. They quickly closed up into a "V" formation and disappeared again.

A spark appeared in his eyes as he reached out to touch it again. "MARCUS, NO!"
ZAP. An electric charge was spiralling down Marcus' spine. His shoulders shudded up into his ears and his body slimmed itself till he was frozen up on his tiptoes. His body fell back and dented the bonnet of the truck. His body lay stiff on the ground. His eyes still open. I quickly jumped down off the truck and knelt beside him. I picked up his cold boney arm and placed two of my fingers upon it. No pulse. I leant over his lifeless body and held my ear close to his mouth. He wasn't breathing. I checked his pulse one more time. On his neck this time. No pulse. I looked up and saw blank faces all towering over me. "H-he's d-dead" My words hung inside my mouth as i stuttered. I felt a tear shed down my left cheek as i turned back to face him. I brushed my hand over his soft eyelids. Closing them. I stood up. Amora screamed and fell back onto the sand. Her face went white and paper like. Her hands slowly crawled up her face and covered her mouth while catching her tears. I turned to Endymion as he tucked my head into his chest. More tears rolled down my cheeks. Luke came out from the back seats of the truck with a lab coat. The white one from the offshore. He trembled over slowly and placed it over Marcus. Only his rugged trousers and ripped boots were to be seen now. Everyone (one by one) either bowed their heads or looked up to the sky. I did both, while Amora sat awkwardly on the ground with her head buried within her hands. Tris however placed two fingers on his lips and kissed them. He then looked up and held his arm proudly, in the air.

It was getting dark again, so we all decided to rest up. Endymion and the two new boys slept upfront. While me, Akira and Amora slept upon the backseats. Mae however didn't want to stay with us. She decided to sleep in the trailer. She played down upon a few bags and metal grates, adjusted her glasses and open her book to begin reading. Some time had passes and i still couldn't sleep. I sat up and everyone seemed to be asleep. I liked out the back and at Mae. She had wrapped herself in some old tatted cloth and an old coat. I smiled to myself, almost confused and turned background. I layed on my side, with my eyes wide open and singing a song in my head. It was the same song from before. The one we all sang when we got out of the offshore. When Marcus was driving us, and singing along too. I thought about Marcus quit a lot that night. I felt a tear every time i thought about how he saved me. He saved all of us.