# 16 - Dangers of Sound Sleeping - Another Soul-I

Exactly one kilometer from where Rick had landed another ball had landed at exactly the same time as Rick’s.

Hammer got out of the transparent ball. He saw a placard that read ‘ULTERLOK’ and below it in small font ‘This is not a pub’. Anyways he couldn’t care less. Even if it was he was not going to booze at this shady place. He had always had the most expensive of wines and this place didn’t look like if it had any wine also.

In fact he was most concerned about where were his servants. Wherever he went he had at least had two servants attending to him all the time. The more disconcerting fact was what the hell he was doing here all alone. He had never been alone all his life. He sat down next to the placard and decided to wait if someone would come.

Rick Shaw left the safety of his ball and started to explore the place. Another weird coincidence and he was walking in the direction of Hammer only.

After walking for twenty minutes Rick saw someone in the distance. At last he had found one more earthquake victim. He was convinced there must be many more scattered here and there.

Hammer also saw a man approaching. He looked like none of his servants at home. He just couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

As soon as Rick reached him Hammer started to bark at him ferociously. Rick stepped back and was a little frightened why this silly dog was barking like a mad dog. Hammer kept barking for the next five minutes. All this while Hammer was still sitting and Rick stood frozen there. It was like a still frame and Hammer’s mouth was the only thing that was moving.

Hammer was barking in the hope of claiming his superiority over this funny looking man. When it didn’t affect Rick the way he had imagined his barking turned into a whimpering. Rick heaved a sigh of relief. He had also realized that all this dog was capable of was to bark and nothing else. He decided to continue his search for other earthquake victims. He was not going to stay with this super crazy dog anymore.

Rick let him whimper and resumed walking right in front of him.

As Rick passed by Hammer’s head followed his movement, and he just couldn’t believe that he was leaving him alone. He immediately stopped whining also. Rick had gone by then.

Hammer was aghast at this behavior. Here he was trying his best to tell this human being to help him and this weird person didn’t even care. Never ever had anyone ignored him like this. After all he was the only pet of one of the wealthiest families of his town.

Just then it occurred to Hammer how the hell did he come here? And what on earth this person was doing there? He had simply gone to sleep last night and when he woke up he found himself on this godforsaken lonely place. This thinking business was too much for him. He was pampered so much with all the luxuries a dog could imagine that he had turned into a lazy bum. He chose not to think about it. Someone would surely come to help him out.

Hammer kept sitting there for another minute. He was in a dilemma - whether to follow him or wait for someone else. What if someone didn’t come? This person though heartless was the only one he had seen since he woke up.

Hammer decided to chase him. He ran towards him and started to walk alongside him.

‘Well… for your information I am Rick. Rick Shaw. How would you like me to address you?’ said Rick without even looking at the dog.

Hammer looked at Rick and said to himself; what a funny question this was? His name was Hammer and so of course he would have to call him by this name only. He gave two short barks signaling Ham-mer.

‘By the way… why am I even asking your name? Anyways u can’t tell me’ said Rick good humouredly.

Hammer disagreed with him and this time loudly signaled HAM-MER.

‘Can’t you keep quiet for sometime?’

‘I have already chosen a name for you.’

Hammer looked at him expectantly waiting to hear the worst possible name.

‘Jupiter’

This was blasphemy to Hammer; What? Jupiter was his girlfriend’s name. There would be a big confusion if she found out about this.

Hammer again started to bark at him.

‘Shut up Jupiter. All you do is bark and bark and bark.’

‘Don’t you know that souls don’t like noise and especially the souls of earthquake victims?’ Rick was still under the impression that he was dead.

On the other hand, Hammer was convinced of at least one thing that he wasn’t dead yet. He couldn’t die before marrying Jupiter.

They must have been walking for an hour now and still no sign of any life; Rick so much wanted to meet another man and Hammer so much wanted to meet another dog. Suddenly they reached the edge of a huge cliff. Rick was standing at the absolute edge of the cliff. One more step and he would fall down 4000 feet below.

Both Rick and Hammer had never seen anything like this before. There was a city below or whatever it was at least it looked like a city. The whole city was surrounded by huge cliffs from all around, and it nestled in between like a valley. The cliffs were straight as a wall and to jump down would be certain death.

They had no idea how were they supposed to reach the city.


© 2007 Ankur Shanker
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