Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 198

This week's prompt was taken by a photographer referred to as John T, in this article. But the link attached to his name's leads to a Page 404 not found. 

But in the meantime this sculpture is by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal called the Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert), it's located in the Atacama Desert in Chile, 75 km to the south of the city of Antofagasta, on the Panamerican Highway. The nearest point of reference is the Ciudad Empresarial La Negra . It lies between the 1309 and 1310 km marker points on the highway - should you wish to visit. Besides this, he has made some incredible things, worth a look. 

After trying to find the story I had in mind, I came up with another. I rather like it. 

The General Guidelines can be found here.

How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.

There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.

Ball

‘What do you feel?’

‘It’s airy and warm on the other side. It’s not what I expected.’ Ilax wiggled their fingers.

‘But Zanthed said you had to leave it there for a while to get the full effect.’

‘How long?’

‘Not sure, maybe five minutes or so.’

‘This is a trick, right? You’re going to laugh at me.’

Prixit shook their head. ‘No, I wouldn’t do that to you Ilax. It’s real, honest. You wait, soon you should feel it.’

Ilax sat there with their fingers stuck in the ball. They felt stupid, but Prixit was earnest, and they didn’t think they’d be pulling a fast one. Then Ilax felt something.

‘Oh, it feels all prickly and itchy, like there’s something on it and I can’t scratch it. Oh that’s horrid.’

Prixit laughed. ‘That’s what Zanthed said.’

‘So what do I do now? I want to take it out.’

‘No, no, give it a minute. Tolerate it for a bit, you’ll see it will be worth it.’

Ilax huffed. ‘Okay. But it better be worth it.’

‘You’ll see.’

Prixit got them some drinks, and they sucked on their straws while Ilax sat there feeling stupid.

‘Oh, it’s stopped now.’

‘Quick, take it out!’

Ilax pulled their hand back out and looked at their fingers. There were marks all over them, all different colours. Prixit got a magnifying glass and they inspected them.

‘What do you think it is?’

‘Words or something. They’re trying to communicate I think.’

‘But what are they?’

‘No one is really sure.’

‘Why don’t they just cut the ball open?’

‘Oh no, they said that would be disastrous for whatever it is living in there.’

‘So? At least we would find out. It’s not like it’s the only ball with things living in it. There are hundreds of them in the archives.’

‘I know. They said God gathered them there.’

‘I bet they did. They’re always interfering in the lives of other living things, have been for years. They’re considered a real troublemaker by Hexian law.’

‘But they didn’t stop them doing it.’

‘They never do.’

Ilax looked at his hand. ‘Can I wash this off now?’

‘No, we have to make some copies first. Let me get the scanner.’

Prixit went to fetch the apparatus as Ilax mused at the scribbling on their hand. It was fascinating.