geist din

Alice Springs, Australia. The center for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a service that Din Lumos had worked in for a few years as a registered nurse. He was well-respected among the force, a calm and warm presence who had a knack for getting on with the locals of the distant towns to which they would fly. Interested in their culture, he would keep patients calm by asking them to tell him of their legends, their stories, and he would listen passionately. Sometimes he would share his own stories, and this, even aside from his skill as a nurse, made him a valuable member of the team.

This was, or at least was supposed to be, another routine expedition. An emergency transmission came in from one of the tiny communities near Uluru, a snakebite. Din's other specialty was dealing with animals, both the creatures themselves and potential attacks, so he was a natural choice. He and two other doctors stocked the plane with medical supplies and a stretcher. Before long, they were ready to take off, and the plane kicked up a cloud of red dust that scattered in the sweltering summer air. Din's ears popped as they gained altitude, and soon they glided over the Outback.

He stared out the window, out into the flat expanses of sand and dust. His eyes traced the windswept dunes and sunbaked scrubs. Another scorcher, for sure. A smile crossed his face as small figures moved among the desert land, a small group. No. A mob.

"How do you fellas do it." he muttered to himself, but the kangaroos soon faded out of sight as the flight continued its course. He had been on the verge of falling asleep when the plane gave a lurch, and suddenly a very nasty grinding noise emanated from what had to be the engines. He got to his feet, rushed into the cockpit.

"The hell is going on?" he said, alarmed. "Is everything alright?"

"I... Hell, we're going down! Take cover!" The pilot barked, and Din had only enough time to leap towards the back before the plane dropped again, falling, falling, and finally grinding its nose into the dirt below.

The next few seconds were noise and smoke and fire. The wreckage finally came to a stop, smoldering in a blackened, crumpled heap. Curled into a tight ball, Din finally unraveled himself, wedged between a seat and part of what once was the inner wall of the plane. He called out, but there was no answer. The pilot was dead, for sure. He could see from where he was that the front end was crushed against the ground. Not too far from him, flat on the floor was a body, its head trapped under the stretcher. It vaguely twitched. His fellow doctor had also not survived.

He was the only one left.

Definitely shaken, he still knew what he had to do. Groping around the pocket of the body, he retrieved the radio, praying silently to himself that it was still intact, and evacuated the plane before it completely flooded with smoke.

He was forced out into the sweltering desert in the dead of summer, and nothing but the clothes on his back could shelter him from the heat.

Stay calm, he thought to himself. This isn't a death sentence. Just call for help. He lifted the radio to his mouth, already feeling sweat pour down his face in heavy beads.

"Din Lumos to Alice Springs. Do y'hear me? My plane has gone down on route to Uluru. Please send backup. Repeat. Send backup."

No answer.

Shit.

With smoke pouring out of the plane's frame, the only thing he could do was look for another radio. And possibly water. There had to be water on board, didn't there? How far was he from a civilization, anyway? The heat was already beginning to cloud his mind and his judgement. It couldn't be that far. It couldn't. They had gained so much ground. It was the only chance he had of getting help, both for himself and the poor victim that still awaited them in the village.

He began to walk, and before long he saw buildings in the distance. So close... so close...

Before long feeling seeped from his body, weakness taking its place. His eyelids drooped as his head pounded, crying out for water and shade but after walking so long he was still no closer to the buildings. They're not real, you idiot... They're just rocks. Just rocks. It was the last conscious thought he comprehended before his legs gave way, losing the last of their strength and sending him tumbling onto the desert ground. He breathed in dust and didn't care. Couldn't push himself up, still didn't care.

He just closed his eyes. Soon, the pain stopped.

--

When he opened his eyes again, he was surrounded by darkness. No, that wasn't entirely true. Turning his gaze upwards with newfound strength, he found himself faced with a dazzling expanse of stars, unmarred by any city lights.

But, even more amazingly, surrounding his cooked skin was a blissful, soothing coolness, not just from the night air, but there was something else...

It took a moment to focus on it, but there were faint patterns tracing along the emptiness. Those of roiling waves, blue and white spray twisting around his body. It came more into focus and green tendrils wove their way underneath the phantom waves.

Water? But his rapidly-recovering consciousness knew he was still in the middle of the desert. Even if it was nighttime, there was no water here.

Then he saw its face.

It was a mask, and not like the ones the natives of his own country made. This one was long, its face tapering into a blunt snout that twisted up into a toothy grin, painted in black and red and white. Its eyes, intense but unfocused, stared off into the sky. It never opened its mouth, but still it gave off the sound of rushing water and cracking trees, creaking metal and the occasional scream.

It jabbed him with its snout until he stood, though the thing seemed mostly immaterial. The most bizarre thing he'd ever seen in his life, but he knew that he had to be somewhat grateful. There was some understanding, in the back of his mind, that this creature had saved him from death.

When he finally got back to his feet, limbs filled with newfound strength, the beast pointed its face towards the southwest, sending waves in that direction. He understood the message, and once again began to walk. But this time, he reached his destination.