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freed the light trapped inside.
I slowly turned again, leaned my back against the dome. In front of me was a vast
expanse of darkness. On the horizon where the dome s light didn t light up the sky was
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Amy Redwood
a glittering display of stars. Somehow, I doubted Zyn had brought me here to gaze
romantically at the sky. I didn t know if it was the freezing cold air around me or my
own cowardly fear that made me shiver so hard my teeth clashed together.
Then Zyn s warm hand settled on my shoulder and I wanted to turn into his arms
and beg him to carry me inside again.
What are we doing here, I asked, embarrassed to hear fear so clearly reflected in
my voice. Where is the glider?
We are not taking a glider.
I knew I wasn t dreaming but it sure felt like it. I spun around, let my gaze wander,
trying to locate the seams of the door. There was nothing to open it again, no handle to
press, no button to push.
I looked at myself, my clothes, my shoes. Looked at Zyn, dressed in similar fashion,
also sporting a backpack. I couldn t believe it had taken me until now to figure out that
Zyn had royally fucked me over.
You knew I would demand that you take me along?
Yes.
Where are we going?
You ll see.
When will we be back?
Depends.
On what, Zyn?
On you.
What sense would it make to argue that he d tricked me? We both knew that. And
no amount of begging, pleading or crying would open the door again, of that I was
dead certain. Which direction?
South.
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Alien Surrender
There was absolutely nothing to the south, besides a whole lot of dirt. I knew the
topography. The days were short, cut by half compared to Earth days. Knowledge
gained in the confines of my temperature-controlled rooms. I d looked at files, clips and
dimensional renderings. Humans might, might, survive in the open when the sun stood
at its highest. They might survive the temperature drop at night.
Does Qay know I m here with you?
Even in the muted light I caught the flash of white from his teeth. Qay would
never let you walk a single step outside the dome.
Because it is dangerous, I whispered. Is this your punishment?
It s my gift to you.
I don t want it.
Do you think you re weak, Jana?
Yes! I yelled and kicked up sand. Do you think I will feel better about myself
when I m dead?
I ll show you that you re not weak, he said quietly. I ll show you that no one
cares more for you than me.
Funny way of showing that.
He hoisted his bag to resettle it on his back, turned away from me. I stared after him
as his long stride took him away from me and the light and deeper into the shade.
If I stayed outside the door, I d be in serious trouble once the sun rose. Maybe
someone would open the door for me. Maybe they wouldn t. It was a question of where
I wanted to place my trust. In luck or in Zyn s judgment? I started walking.
* * * * *
I d never felt less trapped in my life nothing but open, velvety-dark sky above me,
the crunch of sand beneath my feet and a vast emptiness stretching out all around me.
Behind me, I could still see the giant structure of the dome. But the distance was now so
great that I couldn t see any details anymore.
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Amy Redwood
Beside the sound of my footsteps, everything was quiet. Sometimes, I thought I
heard a rustle, a flittering motion that I could never quite make out. It was dark, too
dark to make out whatever wildlife lived in the desert.
I d stopped shivering with cold. I d long since stopped glaring at Zyn, walking in
front of me. There was no point. I d picked him to pour my heart out. Now I suffered
the consequences. Evidentially he thought a suicide mission across Dezra s desert
would cheer me up. I d told him I felt trapped. I d told him I felt weak.
In retrospect, I d told him a great many things I should have kept to myself. Maybe
this was my real punishment for trying to leave him. He d kill me slowly, torturously
beneath Dezra s open sky.
When I d tried to speed up my steps to catch up to his side, he d simply increased
his speed as well. After I d started gasping with the effort, I d slowed again, my heart
beating double-time in my chest. My backpack was heavy but not as bad as I d
imagined. The wide shoulder straps didn t cut into my flesh but I felt the strain in my
neck.
I hoped and prayed that he would stop and let me rest, yet he kept on walking.
When I stumbled I was rewarded with a mouthful of sand as I fell face first into the
sand, my backpack acting as a weight. The grains crunched between my teeth long after
I spit out most of it. From then on, I started to count my steps as a way to keep tabs on
the time. I gave up soon enough. Zyn kept on walking and walking. The sight of him in
front of me soon became as irritating as the last grains of sand I couldn t get out of my
mouth. I d stopped spitting, realizing I wasted fluids.
I stopped to search my bag for water, found it and took a few sips. It tasted funny,
too salty. Every muscle in my body hurt, the exhaustion holding my body captive like a
vise. I d never known feet could hurt that much. My spine felt stunted, as if I d
shrunken.
Finally, he stopped walking, shrugged off his backpack.
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Alien Surrender
I slumped down in the sand, watched how he pulled out something large and
wrapped from his backpack. He got to work with sure hands. The shelter he erected
was simple, made out of a thick fabric. It was like a miniature version of the dome
covering the city, but it wasn t transparent. From the outside, a metallic sheen
shimmered on a silvery surface. On the inside, it was a dull, even gray. The small
shelter he erected wasn t for his benefit. It was for mine.
I closed my lips, licked them. They were raw, felt cracked. I d never thought I d
missed the comforts of my quarters. But now I craved the food and drink that was so
readily available. The large vat of body cream in the washroom.
Zyn s movements were focused, unwavering. For a moment, he glanced into the
distance. Tendrils of light crept over the horizon. The sun was rising fast. For a moment,
I wished I could see him bathed in the light. Beams of sunlight touching his copper skin
until he shimmered with a copper sheen.
Warmth hit my skin suddenly, as bright, clear light inched its way over the horizon.
I closed my eyes, soaking in the heat. This was pure, heavenly bliss for my achy
muscles.
I peeled off the shirt I wore. I wanted to take as much of the sun s heat inside of me
as I could. I opened my boots, slowly pulled them away from my feet. I d imagined
them bloody and raw, but they weren t. They just felt as if a huge beast had chewed
them half off. My pants followed. I peeked open one eye, watched where I sat down on
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