Read Into Oblivion (Book 4) for Free Online

dangerous, to be sure, and Farouk would have to be careful as he moved.
    Fortunately, Farouk had grown up in the desert, and was used to walking in such conditions. However, even the desert back home showed signs of life. Here, there was nothing.
    The Druid extended his awareness as far as he could; searching for any signs of life. He felt nothing, only the empty sensation of nothingness that extended outward as far as he could reach.
    He remembered that, on Earth, there was a nearby river. If this dimension was perfectly parallel, then there should be, at the very least, some signs of a riverbed. If so, then he would be able to get his bearings and be able to search for corresponding landmarks.
    Whatever good that would do.
    He started westward; in the same direction he was walking when he crossed over. It was only about a half a mile to the river, but considering the state of the current world, it was likely that he would not even recognize it. The river would be dried up, obviously, but even the riverbed itself could very well be worn away by wind erosion. In any case, the shore was not far from there, and the remnants of the ocean, if any, should be visible.
    He continued on through the skeletal forest, remarking at how tall the trees were; or would have been. Clearly, the species here were different, although similar. He knocked on the dead trees on occasion, seeing that they were wooden. As different as they were in appearance, they were still trees. Above, their canopy still remained entwined together, though sparsely. Moonlight came through as it would through a winter canopy, and the branches themselves were mere sticks; twisted and dead, and black against the starlit sky.
    Though he had the ability to light his way with his staff, Farouk decided that it would best to continue when the sun rose. He found a good spot to make camp, and settled against a fallen tree for the night. He did not dare make a fire; as the surrounding landscape was bone dry, and the prospect of creating a massive forest fire was not to his liking.
    In minutes, he drifted off to sleep.
     
    The sunrise brought nothing but light. Gone were the sounds of morning birds, gentle winds, and the blowing of leaves. It was still the same dead landscape it was the night before, but now Farouk could see the devastation completely.
    For as far as he could see, the scene was the same; nothing but dusty ground, and dead trees that jutted up into the sky. Though there were hills present, they had collapsed for the most part; being nothing more than eroded cliff sides. Only the remaining roots of the dead trees held the topsoil together.
    He continued west toward the shore, traversing the crumbling hills through the dead forest. Even in the daylight, the sight of the dead trees unnerved him. Their ghostly trunks reminded him of an army of skeletons standing still in the baking sun.
    Occasionally, a light wind would break off a branch, and it would come crashing to the ground with a deafening crack. A cloud of dust would follow, hanging in the air like a brown fog. Even Farouk’s footfalls kicked up dust as he walked.
     
    By noon, Farouk had reached what he guessed was a river bed. Though dry and barren, the rough, rocky trench bore the signs of dried mud at its bottom. The Druid made his way down the side, being careful not to slip, and scanned the deepest area for any signs of moisture. He knelt, placing the gem of his staff close to the ground. He projected his senses, feeling around for any differences in the moisture levels.
    There were none. The river was dry for as far down as he could sense.
    Scattered along the riverbed were the skeletons of bony fish and other aquati c animals. There were the long rib cages of river snakes, complete with skulls and broken fangs, skeletons of mammals that had died near the river’s edge, and even a few human-like remains. Farouk sighed, unsure of how to proceed. Obviously there was some kind of life here; whether it