(Author's Note-written for Round 4.2 - Prompt is a maximum of 1000 words and based on the following quote from John Muir: "Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.")

Megan took the flyer soaring up into the lavender sky, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Much as she loved galloping over the desert on her favourite bronco, flying was better. This was what she had been born to do.

She had been thrilled when the Venturi elders decided to spend some of the proceeds from the zircon she had helped to retrieve on a small flyer, just big enough for a pilot and a small load of cargo. There had been lengthy debates over the purchase and Megan had been quick to jump in.

"Just think how helpful a flyer will be when you want to sell more zircon, or bring urgent supplies back from Gulch City. There and back in less than an hour, instead of the day or more it would take for a bronco."

She liked to think her argument had been the clincher.

Once the decision was made, the Venturi had been only too happy to allow Megan the role of chief pilot. Even now she was returning from a trip to Gulch City, a load of prized Calafia whisky in the cargo hold. She brought the flyer round in a wide loop over the citadel, checking the ground for intruders or, for that matter, anything that hadn't been there when she'd left for Gulch City earlier.

Ancient towers of carved rock ringed the Venturi settlement, providing a barrier against raiders and the elements. Beyond those was the stone forest. What had once been living trees, buried under the sand for centuries to become fossilised, now stood exposed to the elements, their trunks bare of branches.

Something moved. There, amongst the rocks. But so quick, she couldn't see what it was. A flash of bright red where there should only be brown.

Megan brought the flyer down lower for another pass. Another glimpse of scarlet, scuttling behind the stone trunks.

Suspicious, Megan landed the flyer and crept forward, her sonic rifle in one hand. The creature was small. A child, perhaps? Though she couldn't imagine what a child would be doing out here alone. Whatever it was, it shouldn't be hiding so close to the citadel. She caught another glimpse of scarlet higher up now, as if the creature were standing side-on, behind one of the fossilised pillars.

Megan circled around, as silently as she could, planning to catch it from behind.

"Halt! I'm armed!" declared Megan, in a firm voice as she stepped between two trunks.

Then everything went black.

~~

Confused and dizzy, Megan opened her eyes. What on earth had happened? She was covered in dusty debris that looked like it had come from a building site. A startled face stared down at her, then lit up with excitement.

"She's alive! This one's alive! I need the paramedics!"