My nemesis glares down, its gaze boring into my flesh. Alabaster becomes vermillion. Hot becomes searing. Salty sweat soaks my skin – The only obtainable liquid cannot quench my insatiable thirst. Grains of sand congregate in my mouth, on my teeth, under my tongue. World’s worst toothpaste. Roiling, boiling sea beneath my feet. Above? Endless, fiery sky. On the horizon salvation glimmers. Trees, birds, and water sing a sweet lullaby. Never closer; it moves away with each step. Heartless and tempting, bitter and hopeless. Mirage