Ever was jerked into consciousness by the sound of something. No, It wasn't a sound, it was the feeling of sound. The feeling of vibration came from the loose sand on which they were situated. They looked around, panic flooding their system as their eyes bounced around the barren environment. They didn’t have time to fully grasp their situation when they noticed the sand moving toward them. Or was it actually something under the sand? Fumbling for the pack, Ever struggled to push themselves up, hand sinking into the loose, shifting ground. 

Ever barely managed to get to their feet when a fin appeared from the sand, and they had barely rolled out of the way as a pair of jaws snapped at where their legs had been. They glanced over their shoulder just as a creature disappeared beneath the sand. ‘Shit!’ Ever moved as quickly as they could on the soft ground, which shifted under their panicked movement. They managed to clamber onto a solid surface as the jaws snapped at the air once more. “Yikes! That was close!” Ever watched as the creature, some kind of sand shark, circled them a few times before disappearing into the sand. 

The sun beat down on them, causing sweat to beat on their forehead. Pulling the scarf up over their head, Ever watched through squinted eyes as the sand shark swam away. Cautiously they slipped down, foot touching the shifting grains as they looked around, eyes checking for any more signs of movement. When they saw none, Ever reached up, shading their eyes from the sun as they squinted into the distance. Nothing but a barren expanse of sand, sand, and, shocker, more sand. 

Ever let out a sigh, shoulders sagging with the action. ‘I think I read somewhere that you should travel the desert at night.’ Squinting up at the sun, which hung low in the sky in the direction of sunrise. ‘Maybe I should just hunker down for the day?’ They moved toward a cluster of half-buried ruins that cast long shadows across the dunes.

Trudging forward, sand wedging itself into every one of their crevices. Approaching a sandstone monolith with a ledge close to the ground and a half arch over it. Hauling themselves up onto the ledge, Ever pressed their body up against the cool stone and into the shadow. Clutching their pack to their chest, Ever watched the horizon. There was nothing they could do until the sun set in the west. 

A creature breached the sand in an arc before disappearing once more. ‘Strange creatures in a strange world. I never imagined this is where I’d end up in life.’ The click of something against their prosthetic arm caused Ever to look down to see a compass hanging from one of the straps. Removing it, Ever turned it in their hand before realizing it had a sundial attached to the top of it. ‘Perfect.’ They set it in the sun, the dile casting shadows allowing them to tell the time. ‘At least I can tell how much time has passed.’ They leaned back, a sigh escaping their lips as they switched between watching the horizon and the sundial. Time was slow moving, but it beat dying of heatstroke.

Ever watched as the sun slowly inched toward the horizon, the twin moons becoming visible in the sky. They swallowed, mouth deathly dry and throat sore from lack of moisture. ‘I should probably get going…’ They grabbed the sundial before slinging the pack over their shoulder, they took a deep breath before jumping from their perch and stumbling in the still-warm sand. “Okay. I need to go….” Holding the compass up, they watched as the needle spun, eventually stopping to point north, which meant east was– “That way.” Ever turned and began trekking in the direction of the compass, their only lifeline, indicated. 

A sudden wind whipped up sand into their eyes and mouth, causing Ever to cough and rub at their eyes. They fumbled in their pack for one of the canteens, pulling it out they unscrewed the cap only to drop the precious liquid. “No! No! No!” Ever cried as they scrambled for the bottle which had spilled far too much into the sand, which drank it greedily. “Shit!” Ever hissed as they twisted the lid closed, shaking it, water sloshing back and forth in the half-empty container. “Just great.” Shoving it back into their pack, Ever pushed themselves up. “There goes half my water supply. Just fucking great.” They shook their hands as they began to slog through the sand as the night chill began to set in. 

All they could do was keep moving forward. One foot in front of another. 

As the sun began to rise, Ever came across…bones. Bleached white bones. Tall, imposing, and monolithic, they clawed at the slowly brightening sky. They collapsed under one of the fang's widening shadows, exhausting, pulling them down just as much as gravity. “Finally. Rest.” They tucked their pack under their head as a make-shift pillow, their eyes fluttering closed.

X x x x x X

Ever’s eyes snapped open, their body shifting in the sand. They moved to push their body up, only for their arm to shift and sink. Rolling over, Ever swung their body forward, barely managing to get to their feet and grabbing their bag. They pulled the canteen from it, carefully unscrewing the cap before consuming half a mouthful of water. Just enough to quell the thirst that stung their mouth and throat. The water swished back and forth in their empty stomach. 

The sun had begun to set, which meant it was time to start moving again. ‘Eight hours to travel as many miles as possible. Let’s get moving.’ The chill of the night soaked into their bones, wind whipping sand up and into their face. Ever pulled the scarf over most of their face as they continued forward. Each step heavier than the last, exhaustion still weighing heavy on their body. 

The only thing keeping them going was pure power of will and spite at those who had left them to die.

X x x x x X

Ever’s foot caught on something buried in the sand, causing them to face plant into the dune, ankle throbbing. Tugging at their foot, they twisted it to the side, jerking it out along with what it had caught on. A long, slightly crooked piece of driftwood. ‘I could use this.’ They leaned down removing a strap from their pack, wrapping it around the wood before continuing forward using the extra leverage of the walking stick to push themselves forward. 

Legs ached with each step, throbbing and begging for rest that Ever couldn’t give them. They had to keep moving forward, if they stopped, there was a chance they might never get back up. Heavy with exhaustion, Ever climbed up a dune, standing at the top looking out over the vast expanse of sand. No sign of civilization in sight. Checking their compass, Ever squinted against the dark before sliding down the said, digging their walking stick into the ground in an attempt to slow their descent. 

Ever stumbled forward, barely managing to catch themselves before they fell flat on their face. The feeling of sand working itself between their toes was uncomfortable and painful but they pushed forward, refusing to give up. 

Not yet. Not Ever.

X x x x x X

Gravity pulled Ever down, sand clinging to their skin. Exhaustion had finally won, the need for rest forcing them to stop in a place without cover. Rolling onto their back, they looked up at the sky, at the stars that glittered above. ‘Beautiful.’ Ever took a deep breath, closing their eyes as sleep tugged at the back of their mind. ‘I’m just…so tired.’ Their chest heaved as they let out their breath. Darkness claimed their mind, sleep much needed for the exhausted traveler.

X x x x x X

Heat and sweat woke Ever up from a less-than-restful sleep. They pried their eyes open, only to immediately squint against the sun. ‘Damn. So hot.’ Ever tried to ignore the heat beating down on them, exhaustion weighing their limbs down. ‘I don’t want to keep moving, but I have to.’ Fumbling to their feet, Ever barely managed to walk a few feet before their legs gave out from under them. ‘It’s too hot, I can’t keep going. Not now. Not after…’ They pushed themselves up and began trudging forward, despite the burn in their chest and the pain in their legs. 

The sun beat down on Ever as they trekked forward, cold sweat clung to the back of their neck. Their head throbbed, mouth dry, and stomach panging with hunger. Stopping, Ever reached for their pack only to stop when they saw a fin break the surface coming closer at a frightening speed. 

Ever tried to run, but their whole body protested, and the sand made it nearly impossible. Panic flooded their system, and they barely thought before throwing their pack at the sand creature, which jumped up to grab it, allowing Ever to swat it upside the head with their walking stick. ‘Shit!’ The creature disappeared beneath the surface, its pack still clutched in its jaws. ‘Shit. Shit. Shit.’ 

Ever scrambled away, sand flying as panic gripped at their mind. ‘Shit! Shit! Shit!’ All they could think was how far in the shit they were. How shitty it would be if they died, eaten by a sand shark, of all things. They didn’t want to die alone in the middle of a desert, hungry, tired, and thirsty. 

The sand shark broke the surface, the pack still clutched in its teeth, leading Ever to thwack it once more before falling back against the coarse sand. They sat, chest heaving with panic, watching as it swam away to lick its wounds. Panic slowly faded as they realized that they had just thrown away their supplies. “Fucking great.” Ever fell back, letting out a weak, mirthless laugh. “My luck is just fucking shit.” Taking half a second to collect themselves, Ever pushed their body up forcing themselves forward, their body protesting each and every step.

X x x x x X

Ever’s throat burned with thirst, hunger panging in their stomach and their legs aching with each step forward. They reached up to wipe their forehead, only to wince and hiss as hot metal was pressed against their skin. “Shit!” Their head throbbed, vision blurring as a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over them. Their legs gave out as they threw up what little food was in their stomach. Ever could feel their pulse in their ears as their mind was claimed by darkness, unconsciousness quick to pull them down into the sand.