Status: Updates Aug. 10 - Aug. 14
At the Edge
I Would Have Left by Now
Mary didn’t expect to have a shadow falling over her eyes when she woke up. Then again, she had never actually expected to fall asleep to begin with.
The shadow blocked the cold rays of the morning sun. She tried to swallow the sandy taste in her mouth and block out the already growing heat of the light that did reach her.
Arthur was always the first to wake, but Mary usually opened her eyes to the sight of him already walking on. Instead he was sitting on the sand, his eyes fixed painfully on the rising sun, legs pulled up, and arms crossed in front of him. Mary didn’t make any moves to speak—she wouldn’t have even if she could—or disturb the air around him.
He was the first to move and speak. His position shifted just as Mary sat up. She was combing her hands through her hair, pushing the sand out when he spoke up.
The sun was up, he informed her. Mary didn’t know why he was saying that. She lost sight of what the meaning could possibly be. Arthur, as far as she could tell, wasn’t one to state useless and obvious information. It wasn’t until he spoke again that she remembered what the importance of that statement was.
“You can go whenever you want,” he told her.
She didn’t know whether she should take comfort in his words or simply believe them to be a lie.
Her feet carried her north with him for another hour. When they had passed another expanse of rocks and snakes, she opened her mouth, licking them painfully. “Do you want to leave?”
Arthur didn’t respond for a long time. The rocks were out of sight and Mary was ready to collapse under the heat of the day when he did.
“I would have left by now,” he answered simply and that was enough for Mary.
They both fell into the sand and ignored the burning, scratching sensation. Arthur looked like he wanted to say more, like he wanted to ignore the blood dripping from his cracking lips and push an explanation out. Mary watched him stop and think it over.
“I would have left by now,” he repeated, this time gluing his eyes to hers.
It was enough for Mary.
They walked north.
The shadow blocked the cold rays of the morning sun. She tried to swallow the sandy taste in her mouth and block out the already growing heat of the light that did reach her.
Arthur was always the first to wake, but Mary usually opened her eyes to the sight of him already walking on. Instead he was sitting on the sand, his eyes fixed painfully on the rising sun, legs pulled up, and arms crossed in front of him. Mary didn’t make any moves to speak—she wouldn’t have even if she could—or disturb the air around him.
He was the first to move and speak. His position shifted just as Mary sat up. She was combing her hands through her hair, pushing the sand out when he spoke up.
The sun was up, he informed her. Mary didn’t know why he was saying that. She lost sight of what the meaning could possibly be. Arthur, as far as she could tell, wasn’t one to state useless and obvious information. It wasn’t until he spoke again that she remembered what the importance of that statement was.
“You can go whenever you want,” he told her.
She didn’t know whether she should take comfort in his words or simply believe them to be a lie.
Her feet carried her north with him for another hour. When they had passed another expanse of rocks and snakes, she opened her mouth, licking them painfully. “Do you want to leave?”
Arthur didn’t respond for a long time. The rocks were out of sight and Mary was ready to collapse under the heat of the day when he did.
“I would have left by now,” he answered simply and that was enough for Mary.
They both fell into the sand and ignored the burning, scratching sensation. Arthur looked like he wanted to say more, like he wanted to ignore the blood dripping from his cracking lips and push an explanation out. Mary watched him stop and think it over.
“I would have left by now,” he repeated, this time gluing his eyes to hers.
It was enough for Mary.
They walked north.