Helanie:
The desert went on forever, full of sand and heat. The sun was high above us, and the wind blew soft but dry, making my eyes sting. Every step was hard, our feet sank into the sand, and it felt like we were walking in a dream that never ended. Our camel walked beside us, calm and slow, like it didn't feel tired at all. I looked back once. The place we came from was far behind now, almost gone in the hot air. It had been days that we left the mansion behind. My chest hurt, but I didn't say anything. I knew we had to keep going. Ahead of us was a new place, a new life. I didn't know what it would be like, but I kept walking, holding onto the hope that it would be better.
But every time I convinced myself I was happy, I was reminded of the faces of my mates.
"Are you okay? We can take a rest," my mother placed her hand on my shoulder to check on me after I sniffled a little too loud when cleaning my cheek with the back of my hand.
