Post by Pally on Dec 27, 2017 20:46:32 GMT
Once I was safely back at the jail, I began looking up the coordinates on the computer. I was surprised to see the location was the same as the Oasis of Portals, a strange lush pool in the middle of Murkland. I decided I was going to need help looking through that jungle and was on my way to recruit some friends when Mud dropped in. He was angry that I had been away from the jail for so long. "You are the mother to my children and I can't have you being away from them for so long!" He shouted at me. "I left them in good hands," I began, in a soft soothing voice,"and I love them too. I will always care for them. But..there is someone else I love and I have to find him." He didn't say anymore. He just sort of looked at me sadly and then left.
I was able to get the Freegans and Eli Thatcher to come and help me search around the Oasis of Portals. We searched the rest of that morning, all afternoon and into the evening. Behind every stone and in every bush, but we found nothing. We swam the pool and kept diving under to see if there was any sort of cave or clue to where he was, but there was nothing. "Maybe the coordinates were wrong," Willow said toward the end of our search, but I knew they were right. I checked them again and again.
By nightfall, the others had all left to go home. They were tired, sore and hungry from the search. I could tell a few of them didn't think we'd find him to begin with. I felt cold even though it was still warm out, so I lit a bonfire and sadly ate a trash fruit I had brought.
The fruit made me think back to when I had first come to Murkland and Sunshine let me have some of his trash fruit. I gazed into the fire, it's flames a strange blue. It reminded me of the other night when I had met Kiki, the Whisperer of the Sands, and suddenly her words echoed in my mind.
"You must see with your minds eye where you want to be. Picture yourself there. Make it real. Become one with the desert winds and they will take you there..." I closed my eyes. I didn't know for sure where I needed to go, just that I wanted to be with Sunshine. I could hear only the wind....my breathing....the beating of my heart....silence...
Then suddenly my skin felt damp and I felt my feet touch the cold almost slimy stone floor. I could hear the drip drip drip of water somewhere. The air smelled of dampness and reminded me of the oasis cave I often visited.
I thought that was where I was but when I opened my eyes couldn't believe where I had teleported! It was like a cave but the walls and floor were made of carved stones. Everywhere there were strange glowing crystals that seemed to put off warmth.
The strangest thing of all was the little bubbles that seemed to rise from the ground and float to the ceiling. It was strangely beautiful. I was caught in a trance like state, looking around in amazment and awe, until I heard what sounded like someone softly singing.
I looked around some more and then started to follow the sound of the voice. As I got closer I could hear the words to a song I had wrote for Sunshine, "....and I'll love you forever, my murky one...". Then I saw a very familiar pair of big feet. I felt my heart beating faster.
As I made my way around the pillars, I saw his eyes grow wider and blink several times. As I got closer he rose from his seat and walked slowly toward me, "S..st..Styles!? Is it really you?!" His old pet name for me sounded so sweet to my ears.
"It's me," my voice squeaked. I was trying not to be emotional but I felt like I was going to burst into tears, tears of joy,"It's really me," I told him again. He was looking at me like I was some sort of spirit, something unreal. His eyes searched my face,"I thought I'd never see you again," he said softly. I could tell he was in the same emotional state I was.
Next thing I knew we were in each others arms. That same warmth we had shared so many times before was still there. I felt his arms grow tighter around me when I tried to pull away, so I gave in and we shared one of the longest embraces of my life.
When he finally settled and let go, we talked about how he came to be in this strange place. "The Mayor sent me out to do some work. I stopped for the night. I went to sleep in a bush and when I woke I was here," he told me. "I searched for a way out for days." I told him some of how I searched for him and how I finally found the CDC's computer and it led me to him.
He showed me around some of this cave like room he had called home for so long. He told me how he was provided with food and water and even a few things to keep his mind working. He was curious about how I was able to find a way in. I told him I had learned to teleport and that we would leave the same way. "Are you ready to leave this place?" I asked. He nodded and said,"I don't care where I am anymore, as long as I am with you." We hugged again.
Then we sat together on the floor and soon both began to hover in the air. During his time alone, Sunshine had learned to focus his mind, all that was left was to guide it to show him the way out. "Picture the sand.....a crystal clear lagoon....thick lushes vegetation...the cliffs near the old cave...imagine a warm breeze blowing across your skin..."
"Now, see yourself there....make it real in your mind....and see me there by your side." I could hear only the sound of the dripping water....of our breathing...of two hearts beating....silence...
Next thing I knew I was up in the fresh Murkland air, and Sunshine was with me. The silence was filled by the sounds of the desert night and the bubbling lagoon.
As our feet hit the ground we were both filled with a sense of accomplishment. I had found my dearest murky friend, my first love.
We held each other again. This was something I had only dreamed of for so long, even after everyone else had given up hope. I couldn't believe it was really happening. It was like a single perfect moment in time.
"Promise me you'll never leave me again," I whispered to him. "I'll try my best," he chuckled,"I know I never want to be apart again." We smiled at each other. But as he leaned closer to me for a kiss, I couldn't help but wondered if he would still feel that way after he knew what was waiting for him back at the jail.
