Curiosity kills but satisfaction resurrects

chapter 2

I have taken them to the end of town where there is little in sight. Just the hum of the wind and the rumble of cars behind us.

"My first thought was that we should look at the end of town here, where the Desert Road is. It reminds me of the stories of the Never Ending Road."

We stared down the once busy road. The sand blew across the broken and chipped tarmac. We could still see the stains on the concrete, showing oil leaks left behind from trucks. The scoldering sun glared down on us. It could make you blister in a second if you stood still for long enough. I turned to look at Vinny and Ryan.

"You guys are still okay doing this with me? Now is the time to back out. You can't once we start walking" I said it loudly so they could hear me over the wind. Ryan looks at me and nods and starts to walk while looking back at us, Vinny looks hesitant but starts to catch up with Ryan. I catch up with them and we just walk and make small talk about the good old days.

We walked for a few hours. It felt like we were crawling out of hell. The sun was so hot my hands started to crackle like a snake shedding its skin. We were breathing raggedly, our throats burning for water. I tried to keep my head up to make sure I didn't miss anything that could help us, or lead us to our goal. I heard dragging feet next to me and a few steps behind me, letting me know how close Ryan and Vinny were. I could tell Vinny was stumbling a bit. I looked back to check and see if she was alright. Her chest was heaving. Her hands were shaking. She started to sway. It looked like she would faint from heat stroke. I nodded my head at Ryan to keep going and slowed down to catch up with Vinny.

"Hey, Vinny, are you going okay? Do you need water? Want me to carry you for a bit?" I can barely say a sentence without it sounding like I have been smoking for most of my life. She just lifted her head to meet my eyes but they slightly shifted over my shoulder. Her eyes widened with such relief. I turned around, and saw an ancient tree that had lived through many years. It was bigger than any other tree I had ever seen. Vinny shoved my shoulder out of the way and limped towards the tree. She just wanted to feel the shade cool her skin like an ice pack. I saw Ryan already sprinting towards the tree - and was almost at the base.

I dragged my feet against the cracked ground. They felt like they were going to fall off. I had no clue what to do but try to reach the tree. Vinny and Ryan were both under the tree panting their hearts out, as if they just ran a marathon. I trudged over to them. I reach the base of the tree. A clean breeze of air wafted past, the smell of freshly rained on dirt and moist leaves lingered in the air. A shiver went down my spine, but not the good kind. I looked to my left. Ryan and Vinny looked as if they were about to pass out.

"Hey, Guys you are welcome to take a nap. I can take the first watch if you want."

They both looked so relieved and slumped down the trunk of the tree even more than I thought was possible.

The sun slowly descended in the distance, dragging out the night sky. The charcoal sky hung over us, the stars brighter than ever. I could hear the background music of Vinny and Ryan's, light breathing and wind brushing past us. It lulled me to sleep. Whispers woke me up from my slumber. Quiet and rusty voices, definitely not Ryan or Vinny's. 'Shit' I thought. I forced open my eyes to see who or what was making all this racket. What I saw was not at all what I was expecting to see.