angry, too

3. dust

   Lethe was not used to the heat. She had been walking for so long, her feet felt like they were about to bleed. There was a cramp in her side and her tongue felt dry, like sandpaper. She knew that if she didn't get a drink soon, she was going to die of dehydration.

   The sun beat down on her.

   The minutes ticked by.

   Every passing second, she struggled to stay up right. She tried to get her mind to work right, desperately wanting to think of information that her tutor had told her about when trying to find water.

   All that she saw for miles was cracked earth. If Lethe could cry, she would, but she was so dehydrated that she doubted she had any tears left in her body. 'You're going to die,' a voice in her head told her. Was that the voice of her brother? She tried not to listen to that voice.

   She took a step forward.

   She needed to find water.

   Another step forward.

   'It's right around the corner,' Another step, 'one, two, death is coming for you.'

   She had to keep going. It wasn't her time to die yet. Lethe was sure of that. 'Give up,' She wondered why her thoughts were suddenly flooding with despair. Decided that it was probably best not to know. Another step--THUD!

   She tripped and hit the ground, the cracked earth underneath her was firm and had this dry heat in it, but somehow she found comfort in it. Maybe she would stay here and take a nap. She just needed to close her eyes for a few minutes before she got back on her feet.

  Her eyelids started to get heavy.

  She closed her eyes. Picturing a strong stream with clean water that she could drink from for days and days. Of how cool it would feel as she cupped her hands in it. The soft embankment making imprints of her feet as she stood besides it. The trickling...

  She could almost hear it now.

  Wait...

  Lethe kept her eyes closed, part of her body still desperately wanting to shut down and sleep. She stretched her hand out and felt cool and soft dirt in her fingertips. And then something...wet...

   Lethe's eyes opened as she scrambled to the side of an oasis and cupped her hands in it, instantly feeling better.

   She got her water.