Ǵenh’s blistered feet held her captive until well after sundown. When the cracked dirt cooled to a bearable simmer, she hobbled into the night to rest in the roots of a desiccated tree stump. This is where she wanted to die, at the foot of the stars.
She had lost interest in the tasteless preserves in the storeroom, and her well had run dry a couple days ago. All her precious plants had withered in the heat. And rain, even the hope…
