Sneak Peek: a scene from To and Fro Upon the Earth, a novel by Markus McDowell

“The desert burns my feet as I walk. Walking faster does not help. I try walking on the outer edges of my shoes, which helps until my ankles begin to hurt. I look ahead, shielding my eyes from the blinding sun. The mountains in the distance are a hazy mix of grays and whites. Just before the foothills sits a shimmering black lake. Parallel lines of white and blue float above it, shifting and fading. There is no water. It’s a mirage.

The bright blue sky is cloudless. The sun, directly overhead, assaults my head like a god holding a blowtorch. The sand and dry brush extend in every direction, like a sea of yellow and brown. Ahead, closer than the mirage, I see what appear to be sailing ships in a parallel line, perpendicular to my path. They look about three inches tall from here, all the same height, stretching from right to left. At random times, flashes appear. Sunlight momentarily reflecting from a porthole or mast, perhaps.

How did I get here?

I begin singing. “Where’s my beautiful wife…my beautiful house?!”
What was that song? Something about being held down under water—

A tall plant blocks my path. It is at least ten feet tall.

“Well,” says the plant, “are you going to keep shouting like that?”

“I was singing.”

“Didn’t sound like any singing I’ve heard. In any case, you are late.”

“Late for what?”

“The meeting. Everyone else is here.”

Ellie sits on a nearby rock. She is wrinkled and sad. She looks old. Her hair is a mess. She stares at the ground. Zig is beside her, about two feet away, sitting on another rock. He also stares at the ground. His clothes are disheveled; he looks gaunt and sickly. Between the two rocks stretches a shimmering web, in tatters. A large brown spider clings to it.

“Ellie! Zig! What are you doing here?”

“Silence,” the plant says.

Neither Zig or Ellie acknowledge me.

“Okay, we can begin. Robert?”

“Startled, I turn to see Robert standing beside the plant. He wears a long black robe.

“I am angry! Do you hear? Angry!” His face becomes red and he stamps his feet.No one moves or speaks. Am I supposed to answer?

The spider speaks. “You’re an arrogant ass. Why have you called us here?”

I think he is speaking to me, but Robert responds. “I may well be, but that does not mean I am wrong! Who says you have to be old or educated to be wise? I know things!”

“I agree,” a new voice says. It is Eli, standing on the other side of the plant. “Someone needs to say something. This is outrageous!”

I am confused. They look like themselves, but they do not sound right. The patterns of speech are all wrong. How did we get here? It must be delirium. From the anesthetic. Did I have the surgery already? No, that was before. I had an accident. I fell in the ocean. Am I dead? No, they rescued me. Didn’t they?”