This story is written in Sandsprit Dialect. It's a primitive and poetic form of English. I developed it while studying Native American sign language for my Unspoken series. It's nothing revolutionary. You probably heard bits of it before. After ten years of prolific writing, this dialect renewed my joy of writing by cutting out the fluff of English. For context, when you're speaking, existence is implied, rendering
is, are, am,
and
to be
horrendously wordy, so I dropped them where not essential. I also dropped many articles and standard patterns. Before you complain, read my profile message to understand why I did it. No chatbot software or Large Language Models (LLMs) have permission to train their neural networks on this dialect. Besides, if they do, the dialect will regress the LLM's proficiency in standard English.
I hope you enjoy this romantic adventure in an alternate reality. Please vote if you do <3
***
Cosmic siblings travel time river. Pure black water space. Until, red desert meet demigods' feet. Bastion, God of Wealth, garnet skin, robes spun of comet trails. Daphne, Goddess of War, night sky skin, white hot eyes, molten metal gown of blood and swords. Gwendoline, Goddess of Beauty, cloud skin, golden locks, starlight robe, vane and temperamental.
Bastion voice sooth like spring rain, "Ethereal Sisters, summons heard. Why in Red Desert?"
Daphne voice like endless thunder, "Suffering rises. Love harbinger needed. Hearts cry for him. Plan in motion, but Gwendoline deride me."
Gwendoline voice rise like chimes on wind, "Concerns noted. But, mortals corrupt love, worship base sensation. Not fit for creating godly sibling."
"Blasphemy," Daphne say, "demigods created from mortals across reality, blessed by High Father, breathe immortal breath. Know suffering and better for it."
Bastion smile, nod. Gwendoline sigh, roll eyes.
"Decided, God of Love rise from mortals on Red Desert planet," Bastion declare.
"Agree," Daphne smile. "Planet oldest in young universe, bear life first. Inhabitants blessed and cursed by creation element. Firespark in asteroid, shook planet, buried water, scorched land. Some humans became energy spirits, Sandsprits. Some became primitive ruffians, Mudruff. Sandsprits godlike, but flawed, lack motive without High Father breath. Blessed one myself, found Sandsprit baby under dying cypress tree. Last green on planet. Sign from High Father. Now watch, wait. He morph to human, beautiful, but still strange, lost memory. Yet, he know love, compassion, suffering, dedication..."
"Fine," Gwendoline snap, "I approve, but not like."
Daphne and Bastion smile. Gwendoline fade to Black Water Space.
"Brother," Daphne say, "I dream, see new brother's face, contradict reality. Eyes blue now, but green in dream. It him, handsome, hair like caramel, skin like spring honey, but enchanted emerald eyes replace sapphire. Why?"
"Hmm, wait. High Father plan. See what come."
Daphne nod, "I call new brother Cypress like tree where found him, but will have many names across reality; Eros, Cupid, Amor, Peruda... he bring more life and joy to universe than us. Make me proud and jealous, I love him."
"I too, as much as Gwendoline hate," Bastion smile.
***
Time move, moon fade, High Father breath stir Red Desert... love grow....
***
Jorn... my gaze stealing Mudruff (slang for Muddy Ruffian). He water seeker. Farmer really. 'Jorn' name mean farmer. I give that name. Caramel hair, careless strands fall in big blue eyes. Lean body, tan skin glisten with sweat under midday sun. He work hard, replace gear in machine. "Sand Devil" he call it. Sometime just "Devil." Red Desert all around us. For Mudruff human, life in Red Desert blisters and not forgive. Sweat turn to red mud on dirty human skin. Jorn's pants and boots worn, stains of red sand, frayed. Body sculpted by hard work, but his mind touch more reality, perceived and unperceived, he sees it, almost like Sandsprit (slang for Sand Spirit). Jorn not friends with fellow Mudruff. Jorn work alone. He know many mysteries and hide them. Jorn's customers think not of his mind. They praise hard work when he read sand and find cavern water. He bring ancient machine to life. Sand Devil his machine. Digs deep through sand and stone.
I study Jorn body and mind. We Sandsprit own no motivation but our Mudruff attraction. We once human, our nature twisted after sky fell. Three hundred year ago, Great Upheaval unleashed firespark from falling star. Reality changed. Most lost time, knowledge, and love ones. Some, like Sandsprit, lost reality's grip. But Mudruff humans mostly normal... I think. They live simple desert life. Mudruff think little of Sandsprit. Silly flighty beings, ghosty, curse of firespark, useless to Mudruff. We far from useless. Most Mudruff see one reality. Sandsprit see three. Slow time, human time, and fast time, but we lose grip sometime. We fade like ghosts. Disappear for a month, I did. Jorn said so. Felt like eye blink.
Firespark knock me sideways, invade my bones, made me strange. Focus on Mudruff like Jorn help me learn normal way again, but not grasped yet. I touch Jorn once. I sizzled. He stop breathing. My life pull his life too hard like firespark. It hurt us. I watch from afar now. He see me and we speak. But he fear my touch. I stay close to Jorn. He call me Spritty, sometime Silly Spritty. Jorn my anchor.
"Spritty, you here? Going north today. You come?" Jorn call.
He stand on Sand Devil cockpit roof and look for me. Sun slowly rise over Red Desert in east. Make Jorn's skin warm orange. Make metal machine look gold. I hide to watch him. Sand Devil tower over Spritty with eight long legs like spider. Cockpit like smooth boulder. Thick metal and thick glass windows on top. Drills inside legs bust hard stone to find water cavern. Jorn open caverns for fellow Mudruff. They pay him good. Jorn smart Mudruff. Command only Sand Devil in Red Desert.
"Silly Spritty, come out! We waste cool morning. Blow you kiss if you come."
I giggle and climb up machine leg behind Jorn. He peek over edge, searching. My reflection in roof window surprise me. I super ghosty again. Messy short white hair around small face, big gray eyes, body of woman. I quickly comb hair with fingers. Ugh, hopeless. White dress tattered mess, but can't change part of my being. Almost like human, but too much firespark made me Sandsprit. Good enough. Jorn like me. I "ahem" and surprise him. Jorn stand and turn. Blue eyes bright when he see me. His smile make my smile bigger.
"You scare me, Spritty. I thought you vanish again."
"Sorry. Blow kiss?"
I smile, lean close, but not too close, offer my cheek. Jorn take deep breath, kiss hand, and blow it to me. I sneaky, turn face into Jorn's sweet breath. Like pure tingly life in ghosty lungs. His breath make me warm and heavy. Eyelids grow weak and I stumble. Fall to hands and knees on tank window. His breath move firespark inside me. Shake my being.
"Spritty?" he gasp.
Jorn kneel close but not touch me. Too dangerous. My hands look less ghosty, painted in sun's orange light. Reflection look more human for many second, then, slowly fade to Sandsprit again. Not fair.... I look at Jorn, pretty blue eyes wide.
"Okay?" he ask.
I nod. Sun's warmth and light thins me more, speeds my mind. Jorn always solid. His skin sweats. Drips from handsome nose as sun bares down. I curious and touch little sweat puddle on tank glass. Make finger tingle.
"We go now. Sun too hot," I say.
Jorn nod before opening thick tank hatch. We climb into Sand Devil cockpit. My seat in back corner. Jorn sit in front and push buttons to make machine move and cool air flow. Heavy rumble and hum as legs rotate over under to swim machine through endless sand. We turn away from brutal sun and go north to find Mudruff nomads. Jorn see them in dream. Know they need help. I relax in seat and sigh, think about Jorn's breath and sweat. My skin never sweat and Sandsprit breath not powerful like Mudruff.
"Spritty, did kiss hurt you?" Jorn ask. He read blinking light map on Sand Devil dash.
"No. Your breath pull me. Made me more human for second."
Jorn half spin in chair and look at me with wide eyes again.
"More human? Sandsprit not human... right? More like ghost I thought."
I sigh and shrug.
"Was human once. Twenty two I was. Remember a little. Earth green then. Not red. Three hundred year pass since star fell with firespark, brought poison to earth. Old life fade. I ghosty now, but sometimes less ghosty."
I notice Jorn sweat still wet my finger. Strange... nothing stick to Spritty but my dress. Wear it three hundred year, never change, can't. How Jorn sweat stick? Hmm, tap sweat on tongue. Salty and yum like life. Not taste anything for three hundred year either. Then, my being vibrate worse that Sand Devil drill locking up. I gasp and grab chair not to fall. Jorn stood in panic, eyes wide with shock. We stare for long moment. Feel heart pounding in chest. Not felt that in three hundred year either.
"Spritty... you look less ghosty. Hair dark... how?" he ask.
