Adam and his family were hopelessly lost. They had been on their way towards the mountains for a scenic dimmer trip but had run into a detour sign. While his mother had tried to use a map to find the way around, Adam’s stubborn father decided he’d go the way he though.
With Adam and his younger sister Liz sitting quietly in the back, the parents argued over the validity of the situation. Soon the rounded a corner and peered at a large sign reading:
Welcome to the Desert of Badili!
The family saw a large stretch of rode that seemed to go on for forever. On either side we’re vast endless swaths of desert as far as the eye could see. However, at the very end of the road appeared to be the mountains, and therefore they continued.
“Ain’t this something?” Adam’s father said staring around at the near barren desert.
“Yeah,” Liz said softly. “It’s pretty hot though.”
“We could turn aroun-" their mother started but as she stared back, she could not see the exit sign anymore. In fact, she could swear she saw mountains in the distance in the opposite direction.
“Matt,” she said turning towards her husband. She pointed backwards towards the direction they came in. “Do you see that?”
Matt, Liz, and Adam turned around. Indeed they also saw the apparent mountain. They turned forward again to see an identical object in front.
“W-we’ll just keep going straight then,” Matt said. His hands were shaking slightly, and Adam’s mother began to nervously look out the window.
*****
An hour passed and they appeared no closer not farther away from either side. Adam stared out the side window and looked into the distant sand.
There was something out there. Something big and swirling.
“Dad?” Adam asked. “What’s that out there?”
Matt looked over and swore.
“Kim!” Matt shouted pointing at the storm. It was a very large dust storm and it was coming directly for the car. Unlike the rest of the environment, this object moved. It moved so fast that in a moment the car was beaten against the side by a large force.
Liz was thrown into Adam and Adam thrown against the window. The car toppled over and the storm intensified. Adam felt himself being pulled up as if by a strange force, but he could barely see. He heard a scream before he suddenly felt himself fly up into the air.
*****
Adam woke up on the ground. The storm was gone, but the desert was not. He looked around and failed to stand up, his bones and muscles aching with pain. He could vaguely see a shadow hanging over his face. He looked up, his eyes blinking to see a rather strange sight.