2/7/22 Honor

 Honor

“Sidney we can’t go there!” Marshal huffed, trying to convince his stubborn twin.

“We have to, and if you wont go with me I’ll go by myself!”

“Why is this so important to you Sidney? Why can’t you give up this silly idea?”

Sidney turns to Marshal, a disgusted look on her face, “Silly idea? This is our family's legacy. I am not going to let something like this go!”

“So you want to trudge through some dessert in the middle of nowhere, that we probably aren’t allowed to even be in, just to find some place that may or may not exist?”

“Yes Marshal, that is exactly what I want to do,” she replies matter of factly, “And it does exist.”

“Oh yeah,” Marshal rolls his eyes, “because the story has been passed down generation after generation in our family about some great great great great grandfather who had a castle in the middle of a desert.”

Sidney is saddened by her brother's feelings towards the desert castle. “Marshal, dad dreamed of finding this place his entire life, but never had the chance. To honor dad’s, our family’s legacy, we at least have to try, don't we?”

Marshal sighs, “You’re right Sid, but I still don’t feel that it’s safe. We don’t know how to survive in a desert.”

“Well we won’t have to stupid.”

Marshal confusedly looks at his sister. “If the castle is in the desert then we will have to go through the desert to find it, won't we?”

Sidney gives Marshal a look of disappointment, “Well obviously, but who said we had to go on foot. We can hire a private helicopter to fly us over the desert. If this castle is as luxurious as we have been told, then we should be able to see it from the air.”

“Alright, alright,” Marshal nods his head, “but what will we even do when we get there? It is probably in ruin, it’s not like we are going to stay there or anything.”

“But we can prove it is real, and protect our family’s honor. If people in our own family don’t believe it,” Sidney nudges her brother, “Then how are people outside our family going to? If we can go there, take pictures, get solid evidence, no one will have to doubt our family’s story ever again.”

“You realize this trip, and the helicopter and all that is going to cost pretty much all your life savings?” Marshal reminds her.

“Yes but for me, it’s worth it. I can make the money back, but the regret I would have for not doing this would kill me. I will not let this story die with our generation. I am going to prove to our family that this place exists.” She looks her brother dead in the eyes, “So are you coming with me or not?”

Marshal nods his head, “Of course Sidney, I have to keep my little sister safe don’t I?”

Sidney playfully punches her brother, “Shut up, you are only older by thirteen minutes.”

The twins plan their excursion and a month later they find themselves high above a desert, deafened by large headphones and the sound of helicopter propellers swirling round and round. 

“Sidney we have been up here for an hour and a half, I don’t think we are going to find it,” Marshal yells.

Not giving up hope, Sidney yells back, “No it has to be out here, we still have a lot of desert to cover.”

“We will have to return and refuel in one hour ma’am,” the pilot says to her.

“Then we will continue our search in that hour,” Sidney says confidently.

Forty-five minutes pass without the castle being found. Sidney’s hope begins to waver but it’s not gone yet. “What’s that over there?” She points to a small black spot, almost hidden by a sand dune. The pilot turns the helicopter and flies it over the dune. “It’s here,” Sidney says with awe and relief. Marshal stares wide eyed at the ruined stone castle. The pilot lands and the twins get out.

“She wasn’t crazy after all,” the pilot whispers to himself, getting out and staring up at the magnificent stone structure before him.

Sidney runs to the castle, “I knew it was here! I always knew it was here!” She says, throwing her arms out and hugging the wall, "We did it dad," she quietly says to herself, wiping away a single tear.

Marshal laughs, “You were right Sid, I’m sorry I doubted you.”

Sidney pulls out her camera and takes, what Marshal feels is a million photos. The twins return home with Sidney full of excitement to restore their family’s legacy.

The End

2/7/22