Amelia

“Sye, did you just fucking see that?” I ask.

“I was just about to ask the same thing,” Sye responds.

“So either we’re both going crazy, or a gigantic lightning storm just happened,” I say. Sye and I both look at each other for a second, making sure we’re on the same page, before an explosion of sand erupts behind us.

“Was that…” Sye starts, refusing to break eye contact.

“We need to get the hell out of this desert.” We continue forward, the sun beating down harder than the day before.

“That lightning was really close,” Sye states.

“Yeah, I know. I’ve never heard of lightning striking in the desert though, is that even possible?” I ask.

“Probably, but that didn’t really feel like normal lightning. If it was, it had impeccable timing.”

“What, you think Zeus hurled a bolt of lightning at us?”

“I don’t know, if you believe in him then yes.”

“C’mon now, nobody knows we’re out here. That had to be random.”

“Ame, all I’m saying is it felt too convenient to be coincidence.”

“Whatever, let’s just focus on getting out of the fucking middle of nowhere before we start theorizing about nature.”

“Speaking of which, how long do you think it’s going to take?”

“Well a human can survive three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food, and we have air and water, so less than three weeks preferably.”

“And if we don’t make it out before then?”

“Then one of us is going to feed the other, but it won’t come to that. Relax Sye, we’ll get out of here today.”

“I don’t need copium right now, Ame.”

“Not copium, it’s confidence.”

“That’s just more copium.”

“Well if I learned anything from Mofu and Aku, it’s that without confidence, you have nothing.”

“How did you learn that from those two?”

“Well… when they do stuff they’re confident in it.”

“Amelia, what’s ‘stuff’?”

“You know…”

“No, no I don’t.”

“…stuff. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Well last time you had confidence you lost a fight, so.”

“Incorrect. I had confidence in Mofu and Amani once we got into the beyond, which I am completely regretting right now.”

“It’s fine, we’re about to get out of the desert right?”

“Wouldn’t be in this stupid desert if I stayed my happy ass in The Mesa…”

“But then you wouldn’t be with me!” Sye yells, throwing her arm around me.

“Get your arm off me, you reek!” I command, pushing Sye away.

“I want a hug though!” Sye responds, tackling me into the sand. We wrestle on the ground before it gives way, the sand carrying us down a steep slope, dunking us into an oasis. The cold water rips the sand from our bodies as we scramble to the surface, gasping for air.

“Is this real?!” I yell, looking over to Sye. Her face convey more words than her mouth ever could, her mouth opting for maniacal laughter before sucking up the water. I follow suit, the water cleansing two days worth of dry throats, swallowed sand, and extreme anxiety and fear.

“God is real!” Sye screams, splashing water into the air. I can feel a great weight be lifted off my shoulders as I float, a reassurance to all the things I told myself to hold back tears living in this one moment, slathering them with truth. “There’s even trees! Now we can eat!”

“You saved the monster's meat?!” I ask.

“Pfft, did I?!” Sye scoffs. She pulls out three slabs of meat from her gi. “This is why I smelt so bad!”

“Holy shit Sye you’re insane!” I yell, swimming over to her. We both get out of the water and immediately build a fire, our mouths salivating while the meat slowly cooks. “Why the fuck did you save slabs of meat?”

“I’d rather die by salmonella than by starvation, a spirit’s gotta eat,” Sye says.

“And you just weren’t going to tell me?”

“Relaaax, I told you now. And on top of that, we can cook the shit, and we have warmth!” Within a few minutes the meat is fully cooked, Sye devouring her piece with swiftness.

“Wait, where exactly did you keep this?” I question.

“The place isn’t really important, we can eat. And the fire already killed all the germs and bacteria,” Sye reassures.

“Sye, where the hell did you hide the meat?” I ask, a stern tone replacing my grateful one.

“Well, the only place you wouldn’t even think to check that would keep them the safest and the cleanest was my chest, so I did what I had to…” Sye informs

“The same chest that’s been profusely sweating and covered in sand Sye?” I yell.

“Well, they were horizontal, so they were less on my chest and more cupping my side under my arm…” Sye continues.

“Great, your armpit sweat and sand seasoned and marinated this food,” I say.

“Okay look, there was nowhere else to keep it. I don’t want to eat meat that was on my ass, and I was using my hands and legs, what was I supposed to do?”

“Tell me so I could carry some pieces, I’d rather taste my armpit sweat than yours!”

“Whatever, if you’re going to complain I just eat it all.’’ I swing my piece of meat away from Sye, not even giving her the chance.

“No way, it’s either this or sand.” I sink my teeth into the meat, the juices dripping down my chin as I tear it off from the rest of the chunk.

“Doesn’t my sweat make a damn good seasoning?” Sye asks, peering over my shoulder.

“No, I’m just hungry. If I had a choice, this would be Sye bodily fluid free thank you very much,” I respond. A long silence falls on us, both thoroughly enjoying the meal. “… thank you for saving the meat though.”

“What was that?” Sye asks, her mouth completely full.

“I said thank you for saving the meat, I’d still choose Sye flavored steak over sand.”

“Awww, that’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever gotten,” Sye says, touching her chest.

“It’s the weirdest one I’ve ever given, and this is the weirdest situation I’ve ever been in,” I respond, finishing the meal.

“I feel like we’re getting so much closer with each passing day,” Sye says.

“Same, I’m kind of glad I’m here with you.”

“Why, you couldn’t cuddle with the boys?”

“I’ve never tried to be fair. I just know I would be losing my shit with Aku.”

“And Mofu?”

“He’s younger than me, I don’t trust myself.”

“Why, are you some serial killer who only targets teens?”

“Nobody told you?”

“Don’t tell me I’m right.”

“No, it’s a running joke that I have a little brother fetish. Aku and I used to joke about it, but now I actually do, but I have an extremely specific taste. Mofu checks off literally everything on my list.”

“Amelia, what?”

“I wish I was joking.”

“So if I were Mofu you’d fuck me in a desert?”

“With consent of course.” Sye breaks out in laughter as I blush harder than I ever have before. Her laugh echoes through the desert, and weirdly only gets louder.

“Holy shit that is fantastic.”

“Shut up, it’s embarrassing.”

“At least you’ll ask for permission.”

“I’m not a monster, Sye.”

“You gonna confess next time you see him?”

“Confess what? He already knows about it.”

“And to think you two slept in the same room peacefully.”

“I can control myself, I’m not obsessing over sex every time I’m with him.”

“That’s kind of gross, I can’t lie.”

“Don’t kink shame. When you were alive people were barking at each other in bed, you have no room to talk.”

“I’d rather bark or be barked at then roleplay incest you weirdo.”

“It’s not roleplay or incest, and it’s not even that much of a sexual attraction under normal circumstances. Why are we even talking about this?”

“You’re the one who brought it up, don’t ask me.”

“Whatever, let’s just talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like what we’re going to do once we actually get out of this desert. What’s the plan?”

“Well it depends on where we’ll be, I guess. We could go to the nearest town and fully regroup there. Maybe get other people to help look for the others.”

“Ok but where would we even look?”

“I don’t know. We were all together when we fell, so I doubt they could have gone too far.”

“But the sky sent us all flying in different directions. Once it shattered, I didn’t see anybody around me.”

“Ok, then where do you think they could be?”

“I don’t know, anywhere, assuming they lived the fall.”

“Well we have to start somewhere.”

“Deserts are only in the south, so let’s say, best case scenario, we are at the bottom of Sipha. We can just work our way north.”

“And if we don’t find anything?”

“What happens to spirits if the person they’re bound to dies?”

“We’re sent back to the overside.”

“So as long as you’re here, we know Mofu is alive.”

“Ok, what about Aku?”

“He’s a fairy, and a destructive person. People will know if they’ve seen him, we just have to ask around.”

“And Amani?”

“Fuck Amani. We find her if we find her.”