Reaching the River
The Black Void - Episode 1873
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I walk across the desert through the night. It is utterly quiet and
still, save for an occasional gust of wind. It's hard going. I tend to
think I'm in pretty good shape, usually jog a mile on the treadmill at
the gym every morning without difficulty. But walking barefoot in deep
sand over sometimes massive dunes and hills is another matter entirely.
I'm glad I didn't attempt this during the day, I probably would have
fainted by now.
I stop to rest a couple of times, to drink and eat some of the tasteless beef jerky that came with the emergency pack. By the third hour my canteen is empty, and my legs are screaming for a rest. But I continue pushing forward. An hour later, as I struggle up another dune, I hear something other than the wind shifting the sand. The sound of rushing water. Cresting the top of the hill, I look down and see the river before me. Adrenaline takes over at that point, and I stumble, half running, half sliding, down the hill towards the water. I notice immediatley how much cooler it is. The sand is packed much tighter, and there are rough shrubs near the waterline. Reaching the river, at the verge of collapse, I fall to my knees and drink the cool water till I can drink no more. I refill my canteen, then step gently into the water, letting it rush over my tired feet and legs. The river isn't very wide, maybe 30 feet across, and dosen't seem all that deep. The current is gentle.
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4/25/2006 5:14:39 AM
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