“So how do you think this works? We get to 9:58 a.m. and the sky falls in on us? Or maybe some rando YouTube prankster paraglides into the pool with a suitcase of money?”
“I hope he knows it’s empty.”
They both grinned and looked out across the desolate landscape. The mountains seemed to change color constantly. Right now, they were almost blue, merging into the sky. They seemed further away than they had yesterday, now that the white line lay starkly between them.
“Well, whatever happens, I really hope it involves food. I’m so hungry.” Raya resumed her fidgeting, taking out her hangry thoughts on the little lighter.Flick,flick,flick.
Ana sat forward, reaching her fingers out to the tiny flower—gently, almost tenderly touching the delicate white petals. The flower could survive against impossible odds. So could they.
“Raya.” Ana paused, trying to find the right words. “I know I’ve been…distant this past year. I’m so sorry. Really, I am. I just…I couldn’t…”
Raya reached over and took Ana’s hand.
“Again, you don’t have to apologize, doofus. You know I love you, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I love you too,” Ana said quietly. There was love and there waslove. What they shared fell between the two. Ana felt tears in her eyes. “I want you to know that whatever comes next, I won’t let you down. I promise. I will do whatever it takes to keep you and Alex safe…”
Raya pulled her hand away and turned to face the desert, her short hair falling across her face.
“It must be time.” There was a sharp edge to her voice that hadn’t been there before.
Ana looked at the screen:9:57 a.m.She held her breath.
Whatever was about to happen next was inevitable. Time was moving them towards their destiny—good or bad. They could only bear witness. They both watched in silence.
It seemed to take forever, and then suddenly, there it was.
The lock screen disappeared and a black screen with green numbers took its place. The numbers were counting down, the seconds racing backward.
59:59
It was at once terrifying and yet anticlimactic. No great bells and whistles, but real at the same time. The countdown had begun. The game had started. They had an hour before one of them had to cross the line.
Without saying a word, they both stood and turned to walk back to the reception area, back to face whatever came next.
At the corner, Ana paused on a whim. She turned to look at the curb, the crack, seeking out the little flower, the small hopeful survivor. But it was gone, crushed under Raya’s Docs. A few matted petals remained, ground into the concrete, its small, plucky fight for survival ended in one moment. Dead.
Despite the heat, Ana shivered.
12
Alex
42:17
A small, rusty windmill was propped crookedly on top of what might have once been a well. The blades spun loudly as they caught the wind, clacking and squeaking in a whirring burst of action, before falling silent, waiting for the next gust.
Alex stood, transfixed. There was music everywhere if you took the time to listen. The whirring started up, clacking rhythmically before fading. He thought he might record the sound; he’d been doing that a lot recently—listening, recording, sampling. It wasn’t the same as when he’d been in Trash Dogs and writing songs in every spare minute; that had been the best time of his life. But still, it was fun just to listen and play around with sounds. Music made him happy, however it came to him.
He pulled out his phone, intending to save an audio file, but when he saw the green countdown on the screen, he slipped it back into hispocket, changing his mind. He didn’t want to record this. He didn’t want to remember any of this.
They had decided to break up into groups and search the motel to see if they could find anything that might help them get out of this predicament—a weapon, a functioning landline, maybe a fully gassed-up, vintage convertible locked away in one of the random sheds (if they were really lucky). Alex was standing around the back of the reception building with his group: Jade and Jax. He’d rather have been with Ana, but Jade had grabbed him and hustled him out of the door before he could change his mind.
They hadn’t done much of anything useful. Mostly just kicking around and grumbling. Jax was filming what he called “transitional footage” that he could cut into the final edit. He said it made the product more professional. Jade wouldn’t leave the shade of the building, as she was worried about the UV. Which left Alex to wander around and look in a few random sheds. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but everything he came across seemed rusted beyond use.
He headed back to Jade, who was perched on top of an upside-down snack machine, drinking water. She patted the machine next to her.
“Hey, Alex. Come sit in the shade for a bit. It’s, like, seriously hot already.” She dropped her head to one side and peered up at him, squinting against the light; a curtain of platinum blonde hair fell across her face.
