𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙎𝙠𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 [𝙍.𝙎.]

8 Failed Attempts

     "Stay tight," James instructed. The group was back in a jungle sort of area. Sandra was right behind him again as they neared what seemed to be ruins of some sort.

James paused for a moment, as did the rest of the group as they took it in.

     "What the hell is this?" Nieves asked as if anyone could give him an answer other than the obvious one.

Sandra stared at it, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes at the ruins. James proceeded with caution, treading lightly and Sandra followed his lead, staying on high alert.

It seemed as if there had been a civilization here, ruins and words in a language Sandra had never seen before were drawn onto the stone walls in gold and blue paint.

The jungle was taking over once again and everything seemed to be crumbling around them, but what sort of creature could have built this?

The group advanced cautiously, Slivko and Sandra glancing at each other quickly, before looking back around. Mason's eyes were trained on James, who started ahead into the ruins as they entered.

Slivko shifted the weight of the gun in his hands out of nervousness, while Sandra's grip on her blade tightened, her knuckles turning white though she hardly noticed.

Everyone's guard let up when they stood in the center, just taking it in. They remained huddled, but no longer were on edge as they just absorbed its beauty.

Mason gasped suddenly, and the group saw what she did. People were camouflaged in with the ruins, advancing on the group.

Everybody readied their weapons as these new people advanced on them, holding their spears at the ready.

     "Everybody, stay calm. Stay calm" James instructed as the new people advanced.

     "Conrad" Mason started and Slivko could be heard breathing heavily in panic.

     "Stay back!" Brooks exclaimed as if it would do anything. Sandra briefly wondered if these people could understand English, but then realized how foolish it was to wonder that, as if they would know a language they had never heard before, who would've taught them?

     "Guys" Brooks called to the group.

     "Stop, stop" San demanded, though it was obvious neither had ever shot a gun and certainly not a person.

     "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" James tried

     "Stop!" Slivko demanded.

During everything, Sandra remained silent, just holding her blade in a similar fighting stance that they were using, knowing it would probably get the message across faster than babbling at them in a language they didn't know.

     "Nobody shoot!" James instructed the group, holding an arm in front of Mason as to protect her "Nobody shoot"

A group of older people came through the ruins, these ones not holding any weapons nore being covered in camouflage paint.

Sandra's heart raced as she tried to take in everything. She heard Brooks cock his gun and she prepared herself as well.

     "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa" A new person came in, pushing past the natives to stand in front of the group. "No, no, no. No need for that now" He gently chided "Come on now!"

The group slowly lowered their weapons as this new man held out his hands, all trying to process what was going on.

He wasn't wearing clothes of any resemblance to the other people surrounding them, it looked more like an old military uniform.

     "Everybody keep your wigs on now!" He called to all the people. This new man had quite an overgrown beard and stood out among the rest of the people.

Sandra eased up, tilting her head at the man and narrowing her eyes. That wasn't a phrase that people particularly used, at least to her knowledge.

     "What?" Slivko breathed, showing the same confusion that Sandra felt.

      "I didn't believe it when they said you were coming" The man breathed "I was up all night, just thinking about how me and Gunpei dreamed of this moment. And now here it is! 28 years, 11 months and 8 failed attempts to get back to the world and instead the world comes to me?" The man chuckled and Sandra briefly wondered what he was going on about "Ain't that a crack?"

He turned, looking to the people behind him, chuckling nervously.

     "They never smile" He explained in the same tone.

     "Did you crash here?" Mason inquired, catching on slowly.

     "Oh. Sorry, miss" The man reeled back, before snapping to a salut "Lieutenant Hank Marlow of the 45th. Put the old flight suit on for you" he chuckled again.

Sandra shook her head, not wanting to think of what he normally would wear. The rest of the group just seemed to try to take in his existence.

      "You" The man started again, pointing a finger at them "Are more beautiful than a hotdog and a beer, at Wrigley Field on opening day" His hands were cupped as if he were actually holding the things and his eyes trailed down to his hands in almost a longing manner. Sandra tipped her head to the side curiously as the man's lip trembled "But you're real. Right?"

The man turned to the people behind him.

     "I told you. Didn't I tell you? I said, 'It's fine'" He told the people behind him, who all seemed to reluctantly relax and point there weapons elsewhere "There we go"

       "There's something out there, man" Slivko told him, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

      "Oh, there's a lot out there," Marlow told him. "Now come on, we gotta get home. You don't wanna be out here at night" He chuckled.

The Conrad siblings looked at each other, both of their eyebrows furrowed, before slowly following the new man.

"I don't particularly like being out there doing the day either" Sandra muttered to her brother as she tucked her knives away and grasped onto his arm, scared to let go.