The Story of the Sand

Colloquial Mage tells a story and Secret Owl Society puts music behind it. By the time you see this, Colloquial Mage will be in Taiwan, a ghost until 2010.

the story of the sand
I went to the coast for a short while before Music Camp. It was there that the adventure unfolded.

When I entered the sand, I became a different person...or creature. I felt like the sand was a long lost relative, or an old can of grape soda found in the fridge! For awhile all I could do was lay on the sand, in a sort of strange embrace, and whisper sweet nothings into its depths. Soon, Andy and I were sitting on a dune having quiet conversation. We were both sleepy, he more so than I, and after I showed him a sanctuary from the wind, Andy simply drifted into (what I imagine) was one of the most satisfying naps of his life.

But I was awake.
Very much awake.
And I had adventuring to do.

I climbed to the top of my current sand dune, scanning the sea and surrounding area. To the right, there was several miles of flat beach leading up to a grim looking hotel with a shoddy paint job. To the left, the dunes stretched for miles to what appeared to be another beach. I could see little dots weaving in the sky, and knew they must be kites riding the wind.
I decided to make for the kites. I started through the sand dunes, leaving my sandals behind. I no longer had need for them. At the top of every dune, I would look back to see Andy still nestled in the sand, and I would look forward to see the kites waving vigorously. I marched onward.

Covering many of the dunes was a splattering of beach grass. It waved in the wind too, and it looked friendly. The running up and down through the sand had taken a small toll, and so I decided to rest for a few minutes. And what better place than in the friendly beach grass? With its little green smile. So I plopped down. AND AAAAH! The beach grass betrayed me! It was not soft, as I had supposed! It was sharp, it was cutting me! I was already moving too fast to stop, and I toppled into the killer beach grass. What a tricky fiend! It had snared me! I lay on my back, feeling the grass cutting me anywhere my bare skin was exposed and even stabbing through my shirt! Any movement produced pain. But I knew I had to escape. I took several breaths. This was going to hurt...I let out a low growl that grew into a sort of roar, and I jumped up and out of the killer grass as fast as I could!

I landed on the sand again, panting. Oh sand! Lovely sand! You would never betray me. I stood, and it felt as if I was covered in papercuts. I merely grit my teeth and started to the top of the nearest dune. I was a sand creature now. I could bear the pain. I looked back from the top of the dune. I could no longer see Andy, and the kites didn't seem any closer. I had much farther to go.

"SOPHIA!" It was a voice I did not recognize, coming from a dune to my left.

"SOPHIA," it came again, "SOPHIA?" It sounded wispy and half-hearted, like the voice had been yelling the name for a good while. Quickly I ducked into a dip in my dune, right as a figure emerged on the top of the dune opposite me. It called for Sophia again. I heard new voices now, and the first figure was joined by two others. There were three of them, and I didn't like it. I had been happy with the sand being undisturbed by unknowns.

The first figure was obviously a fairly young child. I would guess between the ages of 9 or 10. He wore a deep black jacket with a matching black hat. The second figure wore a coat of red, and seemed to be a bit younger than the first. The last figure was the most formidable, and the one I disliked the most. He was dressed entirely in tan, and he seemed to be the oldest and leader of this small band. The other two were only his minions. I quickly gave him a name: The Man in Tan. I didn't know who he was, only that he was invading the sand that had been mine only a short time ago. I glared over the top of my dune, but ducked again when they started heading down.

They ended up down in the valley between our two dunes. They continued calling for their Sophia, and casting their eyes round about. I happend to be wearing a light button down shirt over my t-shirt, and I silently took it off and put it over my head, only my eyes peering through. Then I snuck another peek at the unknowns.

I looked for too long. The red coated lackey saw me, and alerted the others with a whoop. I had been spotted! I quickly ran down the back side of my dune, and circled around to the next. I climbed up and peered over, but was again spotted, this time by the black coat. The man in tan shouted his orders, and I knew it was on. They were coming for me!

I ran! I ran as fast as I could, over a dune then down it and up the next! My feet were leaving little smudgy footprints behind. They would be able to follow! I knew my only option was speed. I raced over another dune, and when I reached the top, felt it was safe to look back. Almost at the same time, the man in tan and company reached the peak of a dune that was nearly three away from mine. I stared at the man in tan, and our eyes met. I unraveled my button down shirt from around my head, and held it above me. The wind whipped it into the iar like a flag, MY flag. The flag of the sand creature. I stared at him, and slowly mouthed the words "Come and get me". He accepted my challenge, and started running towards my dune. I bent down and wrote a large M in the sand at the crest of the dune. It was my mark, almost like I was now sand zorro. I made the mark, then ran.

At the top of every dune, I left an M for the man in tan to find. A little memento for him. I saw them come to the top of a dune again. I saw them angrily destroy the M I had drawn in the sand. They kicked it and spit at it, and I held up my shirt, my flag, taunting them once again. They saw it, and with a command from their leader, all were after me once again. Thus began a repeating cycle. I drew M's, they destroyed M's, I taunted, they followed. Time crawled by, this epic duel known only to the seagulls circling overhead.

I felt it was safe to rest, and necessary. The sand had aided me, it was on my side, but I couldn't run forever. As I sat, I wondered why the unknowns wanted me. What would they say, if our paths crossed? I thought they meant me some sort of harm......but I couldn't be sure. Then it hit me: Did they think I was Sophia? The one they had been calling for? The Sophia they must have lost, maybe long ago? I suddenly felt a miniscule wave of sympathy for my pursuers. They might be peaceful, but I could not take the chance. The sand creature would live to see tomorrow.

After several more cycles of M building and destroying, I knew the man in tan was faltering. He was weary. He and his small band walked out of the dunes, onto the open sand and towards the sea. I quickly emerged from the dunes as well, quite far away. They all three turned toward me, and I met the eyes of the man in tan once again. He gave a slight nod, and a slight wave, which I interpreted as the sign of victory. I had won! They were giving up, and moving slowly back from whence they had come. I held up my flag to them for the last time, and I knew the sands were mine once more.

THE MAN IN TAN HAD FALLEN! I laughed aloud and slowly walked back to the dunes. Back to my new home.

I remembered my original objective before the attack. The kites! Were they there? YES! I could see them, so close I felt as if I could reach up and poke one as it quivered on its leash. I could see the people flying the kites, standing on a small rocky peninsula jutting into the sea. As I neared the top of the last dune, I saw a shack made entirely of driftwood. It looked quite abandoned, and after testing how stable it was, I knew this is where I would take refuge and rest. I tied my flag to the tallest piece of driftwood I could find and stuck it in the sand in front of the hut. And there I lay for some time, watching the kites.

Later that day, when we left, I felt myself change back when we drove out of sight of the dunes. Civilization returned. Andy had slept well, and we soon were gone from the coast. In my pockets, and in my hair, and my shirt, I had some of the sand. I felt it packed tight in my pocket and was able to drift to sleep.

But some part of me was left there, to sleep in the sand forever.