It's been a few days since I had my little heat stroke incident, and I'm back to my usual self, pushing a rock back and forth in the hot sun, and not dying from heat stroke.
I've tried to figure out why it felt so urgent to push that rock.
But.
I'm not sure.
It's weird.
Sometimes it's almost like I can hear something whispering to me, and it's like.
I just feel like I have to obey that.
Like, I have to do it, right now, or else something terrible will happen to me. And my friends. And that quiet girl, and everyone I care about in the world.
...Well, I guess I'm being dramatic.
The truth is, it was probably just heat delirium.
I know hypothermia drives a person to do the thing that makes them freeze, so I don't see why hyperthermia wouldn't be the same.
But it's not like I'm a medical doctor, so I don't really know for sure.
I'm just a girl.
And a dumb one, at that.
My hands are sweaty.
Not just because of the heat.
It's really hard to keep my hands wrapped around this stupid stone for long. They get sweaty and slide.
I feel weak. My legs ache. My head aches.
My hands sting.
This is...
This rock is stupid.
Pushing this rock is stupid!
I can't-
I groan as the rock stops moving and I'm forced to a standstill. "Damn you."
The rock doesn't care about my feelings toward it.
I turn around and slump back against the rock, sitting down.
What are they going to do if I don't push it?
Shock me?
I get shocked every day because I'm apparently too stupid to learn this alien language.
So I'm going to take a damn break.
I sit on the ground for a few moments, catching my breath.
It's too hot for this.
It's always too hot.
There's no point.
What the hell am I doing...?
"Sarah!"
I lift my head and blink, looking at the source of the sound.
Mia.
I smile and wave.
I wonder why she sounds so alarmed.
It takes a moment to notice the two aliens - grey-furred, but one has horns - standing beside her.
...Oh.
"Hi."
I wave.
They both stare at me.
"...Hello?"
Mia shakes her head in disbelief, or amusement, or both. "You really don't have a fear of authority, huh?"
"I'm tired, Mia."
She nods. "I'm not surprised. But you can't take breaks, or you'll never finish on time."
"...On time?"
One of them - the one without horns - grabs my arm and hauls me up.
The other points to the sky and then gestures toward a distant building.
"Um." I squint.
The alien repeats the gestures.
"...I don't understand you."
They make some indiscernable noise.
Mia sighs and smiles, looking as exhausted as I feel. "Apparently they're upset we're lagging behind. There's supposed to be new...recruits...I guess...arriving."
I blink at her. "...What?"
The aliens look at each other, seeming to exchange exasperation with just that gesture.
One of them steps away, and the other puts its hand on my shoulder, guiding me away from my stupid stone and down the path, following its partner.
"Wait-!" I pull against its grip, and to my shock it lets me go. I stare at my hand, confused, but then shake my head and focus. I need to ask, not get distracted.
I turn and stare at Mia.
"What about the stupid rock thing!?" I point.
Mia shrugs helplessly.
The grey alien jabs me in the back, unkindly pushing me forward. I stumble forward, but catch myself before I fall.
"Okay okay!" I grumble, turning away from the rock to follow it.
This is weird.
They never just leave a job half done like this.
I mean.
The rock pushing is...
Pointless.
It's manifestly pointless, beyond maybe trying to make us get stronger.
But still.
Where...
Are these aliens leading me?
I have to admit I have absolutely no clue where they're leading me.
We've gone out of the training area, but instead of heading to the dormitories we've gone in the opposite direction.
The sun is high overhead.
The path is made of that cobblestone. We walk along it for some time.
The sun sinks a bit lower, and I realize it's probably getting closer to dinner.
But the aliens have no interest in slowing down, even though I feel myself sweating more than ever, my limbs becoming shaky.
The sun lowers.
And lowers.
We walk for a long, long time. I've no idea how far, or how long. All I know is that I'm exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, and the aliens are still walking at the same pace.
My own feet betray me, and I stumble over nothing, crashing to the ground with a speed that alarms me. My hands scrape the rough ground, and I'm too tired to even wince.
I feel hands grab my arms, someone tugging at my arm.
But I can't keep focused or conscious.
Everything blurs.
When I awake, it's dark.
Cold.
A little damp.
It's hard to breathe. There's a weight on my chest that's restraining me. And...
After a few blinks to clear my vision, that weight is the girl, the quiet one, asleep with her head on my chest.
...It's not 'home'. We're in some kind of...
Cave?
The stone is smooth, and the light is low. A fire burns at one entrance, but it's not that big. There's some kind of bedding in the cave. The bed I'm on feels kind of like the cot in the dormitory.
But there's only one, not three.
Mia sits against the wall, staring out the cave entrance into the night.
She's silent, not moving, and...
"Mia..."
Her head turns, and her eyes are wet with tears.
She rushes forward. "Sarah!"
I gasp as she joins the girl on my chest. "M-Mia!"
"Idiot!" Mia snaps at me, her arms wrapping tight around the both of us.
The quiet girl groans and stirs at the movement and sound.
I shift and wince.
It didn't hurt when I fell, but it sure as hell does now. Everywhere.
"What. Happened. Where-"
Mia straightens and shakes her head. Her hand quickly wipes at her eyes ."If I understood correctly, we're being moved to a different stage of training."
The girl wakes up, blinking blearily, but when her gaze meets mine, she jolts upright and grabs me, pressing herself to me.
I wince, because that hurts too.
"Where-?"
Mia shakes her head. "Not a clue. I just know it's got something to do with the new shipment of people."
"Oh. Right." I frown. "That's what you said before I passed out."
Mia nods, looking down. "But they haven't said what that means yet."
I sigh. "Maybe it'll mean no more shocking lessons..." I groan. I don't feel optimistic about that, but it would be nice.
Mia sighs. "But if that were the case, I think we'd be split up, since you still can't speak it, right?"
I look away.
Of course that's true. She's the smartest one of all of us, of course that's true.
I can't do anything.
Can't understand anything.
If we really were moving on to another level of training, I'd still be stuck in that starter place.
But Mia and Eric would move on, because they're smart and talented and-
"Hey."
I look back at Mia.
"Whatever's happening next, we're still all together. Okay? That's what's important."
I purse my lips. "...Where is Eric?"
She shakes her head, "A different alcove. He's around."
"Oh." I'm quiet.
The girl shifts and sits up. She's quiet too, but she's always quiet. She just stares at the ceiling of this place.
...I don't even know what the hell I'm supposed to do.
It feels like a waste, not going to that pointless training, and it feels pointless to just sit here and wait. But what else can I do?
There's not much that can be said not to be a waste here.
I blink slowly.
And...
"Hey. You can see the stars."