- K. A. Meng
- Apr 1, 2018
- 2 min read
Like I did last month, here is the complete #TwitterTales for me based on this image:
Being the last lawmen in these parts, Gray kept the peace and listened carefully. A rumor floated around that a light could be spotted at the top of the Crooked Mountain after dark. No one dared to go there in years. The Wastelands surrounded it.
Gray decided to check this out for himself, and sure enough the light was on. Who could be there? Why would they cross the desolated Wastelands every night? He’d have his answers tomorrow. He packed his bag and waited for morning.
The sun was rising when Gray stepped near the edge of the Wastelands with his deputy, a falcon. He threw a satchel onto the barren ground, and the soil disintegrated the material in seconds. A body would disappear in minutes.
Gray wore a solid pair of boots he had lifted off a dead man weeks ago. He stepped over the divide and nothing happened. The ground was safe to walk across. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he turned to his partner, saying, “Wait here.”
The falcon screeched at him like it understood.
Gray tipped his hat, and he shuffled into the Wastelands. After a few miles, the sun shinned down on him and sweat pooled along his back. He wiped at it with an old handkerchief.
Opening his canteen, he sipped on dirty water. He would have to ration himself. Walking to the Crooked Mountain would take a day and returning would take another. He doubted he’d find anything drinkable along the way that wouldn’t kill him.
By the time Gray arrived, he was exhausted. The heat had zapped his energy. At least the air cooled when night fell. He stared at the side of the mountain, noticing strange metal pieces sticking out like someone had made handles to climb.
A light above his head flicked on. Gray checked his gun. He grabbed the first rung, pulling himself up. He climbed until he reached a ledge at the top. The ground was metal, something he didn’t expect. The material looked like stone.
Removing his gun from the holster, Gray crept along until he entered a chamber. No one was here. The light had come from a bulb above his head. He touched it and pulled his hand back from the hot object. He hadn’t seen one since he was a boy.
Gray yelled in the next room, “Hands up."
“If I do, this spaceship will lift off. It's not ready," the guy said.
"Why is this here?"
"Humanity fled to the stars. This craft was left behind and it poisoned the Earth."
"Get it fixed to leave."
For those who want to know more about #TwitterTales check out #TwitterTales @kamengauthor on twitter. My publisher came up with this great idea for monthly stories based on a single image. Look for a new post every Thursday and Friday by me and several other authors. Here is a sneak peak of my next one:
“Should we be doing this?” Gretchen asked. Her lower lip quivered, and her grip tightened on the lantern.
“Don’t be scared. We have nothing to fear here,” Eliza whispered.
“Why aren’t you talking louder then? What about the witch?”
