Heat, Sand And A Granular Deluge

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

The world was consumed by sand. Everything was sand. Consumed by the throat drying, lip cracking, miniscule shards of rock. Felix staggered to his feet, dust penetrating the small sheen of moisture that protected his eyes like white hot needles. He gasped and spluttered, blinking furiously against the storm. He looked around and what little hope he had left instantly dissipated. The boy named Felix was lost.
Step after step, Felix lumbered on. The sand reached out to his feet and sucked his legs down into the granular deluge. It was like moisture had never even brushed against his throat. Any trace of wet instantly vaporised with each shuddering breath he took. Trudge after trudge, Felix slaved on, in a direction he hoped led to town.
The Australian sun showed no mercy. Skin burned and blistered as the heat threatened to overwhelm him. My God he was thirsty. The stupid, childish mistake of chasing a tumbleweed away from the village turning into a lethal death sentence. The mere thought disgusted him.
Time ticked away. The sun advanced higher and higher in the midday sky and still the heat intensified. It felt like being submerged in red hot embers. He could almost hear himself cooking, the fat bubbling and spitting. His clothes did little to protect him against the searing heat of the remorseless desert.
It had been two hours, and the voices inside Felix’s head flared. Telling him there was no hope, telling him he had failed, clawing him into a void of emptiness. His vision blurred. Black spots flitted before his eyes like evil sprites. He collapsed on the sand with the grace of a wounded elephant.
Tender hands lifted him and prised his mouth open. Water trickled down his parched throat. He sat up as a wave of dizziness surged through him. “It’s okay, son,” whispered a voice, “you’re home.” A wave of joy flushed through him, purging him of his vexation. He gulped more water and promptly threw up. He tried again, sipping the water this time and it had the grace to stay down. Felix’s thoughts ricocheted back and forth through his skull. Felix was home. The boy named Felix was home.
The celebration was a cacophony of music and laughter, all mashed together to form one continuous roar. As a fresh wave of ecstasy overcame his senses and left his skin tingling, Felix threw himself, almost maliciously, into the raucous merry making.

FOLLOW US


25

Write4Fun.net was established in 1997, and since then we have successfully completed numerous short story and poetry competitions and publications.
We receive an overwhelming positive feedback each year from the teachers, parents and students who have involvement in these competitions and publications, and we will continue to strive to attain this level of excellence with each competition we hold.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Stay informed about the latest competitions, competition winners and latest news!