Green Desert - Chapter 3.5.6 - Fírí

My legs gave out and I tumbled to the ground, clothes flying everywhere. Sand in my mouth, grit in my eyes. My nose hurt. The desert wasn’t nearly so bright anymore. Sunset already? My arms and legs and face burned, pinpricks of fire dancing over my skin, telling me to stand up, get off the hot sand.

But I couldn’t move. I spat out sand, but my mouth remained dusty dry. An elephant stomped on my head. Repeatedly. My eyes throbbed.

“Fírí?” Deep and soft. Pí‘oro. He’d stopped, came back.

I tried to say, “Water,” but it came out, “Wah-uh.”

“Hold on, girl. Hold on.”

My back suddenly got cool. And then I flew. Air rushed past my face. Something firm against my gut, tight around my thighs. Hot on my back, cool on my front. the elephant kicked my brain harder and harder.

Jolts in my gut, flying between. I cracked my eyes open. Feet. Running. Old leather loafers. Pí‘oro. My hands almost hit his heels on every step. I couldn’t move them out of the way. Heavy fingers.

I turned my head slightly. Zhíno. Eyes closed. Face ruddy. Sunburnt already.

The slams in my belly kept coming. My intestines rose toward my throat. Or lowered. I was upsidedown. I was going to puke.

And then everything went white.