Mars on Earth by Clayton Fehr - HTML preview

The Way Things Are

Staying at the current location for a few days, helps Sara to calm down. Alex manages to talk her into thinking that they may not be the only humans left alive.

He didn’t like lying to her, but felt she wouldn’t take it any other way. When she finds out for sure that they are alone, with just each other, Alex is hoping that she’ll be stronger then.

Alex hopes he is ready for such a thing and also has feelings for Sara, but from the start has never known how to express his innermost hopes and dreams to her.

For when he had bared a little of just how he felt, well she might as well have slapped him in the face. Rejection from the only woman left on earth. It sure wasn’t doing his ego any good.

At times he wondered why he was doing this, but as he kept telling himself life must go on.

They went on their way, finally. Not talking much for fear that just about anything might send her off again.

To Alex it was like walking on egg shells, not knowing if this or that would send her off into a fit or an uncontrollable rage, or curl up into a ball of tears.

The next few weeks went by slowly, but they made good time getting closer to the green on the screen every day. And making sure not to say anything wrong to Sara.

They were about two days from the location on the map and Alex had the computer stop and tries to get a better scan of what was ahead. Hopefully some life, but again the computer said nothing aside from the trees and other vegetation.

They continued on and the night before they arrived, Alex thought that he’d stop and make their way there in the morning, rather than late evening.

Alex sat next to Sara and asked, “How are you today?”

“I’m fine, Alex. Is there life ahead?”

“I’m not going to lie to you or try and get your hopes up. The only life ahead is vegetation. No animal life.”

“Well then we’ll go onto the next one then.”

“Sara, this is the biggest one. This one can support life.”

“So, we have to keep looking.”

“When we arrive tomorrow, I would like to set up camp and maybe build a home for us.”

“Well, you can do that. I’ll go on.”

Alex wondered how he was going to convince her that there might be no others to find.

“Sara you need some rest. When we get there tomorrow I’ll have you stay with me until I’ve built a shelter.”

“Alex, I’m going on.”

“Sara, I need the motor home until at least I’ve built myself a shelter.”

“Well … ok, but after the shelter, I’m on my way.”

Alex agreed with her hoping and wondering if she would change her mind.

The next morning came with wide eyes in both Alex’s case and Sara’s. They leave the rest area and continue on to their way to destiny. They arrive at the crest of a hill and the sensors show a green valley beyond, reaching out for miles. Climbing the hill they reach the top and Alex looks down at something that he believed was the most beautiful thing he had seen, all his life.

A forest of trees divided only by a small river running throw the center of it, a pictures perfect land untouched by man. There were no buildings anywhere to be seen, no gates or fences, no pavement, walkways, or signs saying do not walk on the grass, no swings or ropes on the trees to swing over the river.

He pulls out a set of binoculars and the first thing he sees are berry bushes everywhere and different trees full of fruit.

This reminds him of an old story, told to him when he was but a child. A story read from the bible about the Garden of Eden.

He turns and looks at Sara staring in amazement at something she had never seen before, a garden and flowers growing wild. Colors too numerous to describe and varied in shapes and sizes

“What do you think?” asks Alex.

“It’s breathtaking.” She replies and continues looking, as though she were already lost in it.

Alex pushes the controls on forward and the two of them continue to watch in amazement, as the vehicle gets closer and closer to the first blades of grass.

Just as they arrive on the edge of green Alex turns the motorhome doors toward the green and stops.

The two of them look at one another and then walk to the one door directly outside.

Alex reaches up and presses a button that reads the level of O2.

Sara, “Well, can we breathe it?”

Alex looks at her and smiles and then replies, “It’s almost the same as in here.”

Sara reaches down and turns the knob of the door that leads directly to the outside atmosphere. The door swings open and the smells and different scents fill their nostrils. One could only be described as honey suckle, yet so much more.

The smell was intoxicating and soon the two of them found themselves running for the trees, hopping and skipping as though they both were 13 again.

Alex jumping with joy falls in the grass and rolls laughing . He grabs a handful of grass and places it in his face and inhales deeply.

Sara soon follows and she finds that this is heaven on earth, with the sweet smells and the green grass. She soon finds herself lying face up staring at the blue, blue sky. Watching as small clouds slowly float on past.

Alex soon finds where some of the marvelous smells are coming from and picks a handful of them and mashes them into his mouth and onto his face. He lets the juices flow down his checks and laughs as he fills himself with all the different kinds of berries.

“Sara, Sara! You’ve got to come over here. These berries are oh so divine. Come and try some.”

Sara rolls onto her side and looks at him and begins to laugh, “What have you done? You’re purple and red all over your face and on your clothes.”

Alex laughs, “Come and taste these berries that are so sweet and heavenly, they awaken your taste buds. They are like nothing I’ve ever had before.”

Sara stands and runs for the bushes and then begins to pick and eat.

They both eat their fill and then continue on looking and studying the trees and the grass.

They soon find themselves in an orchard, the trees filled with apples, oranges, lemons and pears.

They pick a few and then continue on and soon find circles of corn. And not far from them a number of vines producing peas and beans.

Alex turns and looks at the oasis and then turns and looks at Sara. His thoughts of her leaving were now tearing him apart.

He feels that now is the time, the one and only chance he’ll ever get to tell her, “Sara, I love you.”

She looks at him and then says, “I love you too.”

Alex, “No, I mean I LOVE YOU.”

She looks into his eyes and sees he is about to tear up, she then says, “I know you do. Alex I’ve known for a long time. I just thought you’d never say anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had hoped you would for a very long time and when you didn’t I thought you had lost interest, until I came back. I seen you were glad that I hadn’t found someone, yet I was still not sure.”

“Why didn’t you say something, let me know, anything?”

“I guess.  I needed to hear you say it first.”

Alex looks into Sara’s eyes.

Sara looks into his

The two of them reach for one another, embrace and then kiss. They seem to float to the ground in each other’s arms fearing that if one lets go now this moment will never return.

Hours seem like minutes and minutes like a whisper in time and before they know it they find themselves making love for what seems to be all day.

They find themselves walking, even though it felt more like floating back to the motor home and continue to embrace one another for the rest of the night.

The next morning Sara looks into Alex’s eyes and says, “I’m so sorry for being the way I was, it’s just that it’s hard being the only two people left on earth. It’s doesn’t have anything to do with you, it’s just that I had my life all planned. I was so caught up in my dream, I didn’t see what I had right here in front of me all this time. A man who loves me and who would take me broken or anyway he could. I am sorry Alex.”

Alex takes a big breathe, “I know what you’ve wanted all your life Sara and I’ve always been the one hoping that you would truly find what it is that you are looking for. I too have had dreams. I was never going to tell you about them, I was always hoping you would include me in them. In some ways I am glad the two of us are here and like you I too miss our friends and wish they were all here right now but I’ve loved you from the   first time I saw you and still do. I guess I always would have, had you found someone else. “

“My only hope now is that we can make a new dream together. Something the two of us have never thought of. A dream creating a new life on this planet that man destroyed and we now have a chance of making it better then it ever was.”

They kiss and hold one another again.

Sara says, “I would be honored to be your Eve.”

Alex, “And I your Adam.” They lay down embracing one another.

As this is happening, static comes over the radio, “Hisses… “We”… hisses…. “And” … we’ll take … want.”

“…. be there soon.”

“They won’t know what hit them.”