We set off in the morning at 4:00 from Chefchaouen to Fez with a team of total ten people in four separate range rovers. Apart from Hisam, Karim, Irem and I, there was a research team of Professor David including his female co-worker, Abigail and the two students, Zimar and Sean from his university. There was also an Egyptian archeologist, Joachim and a Moroccan named, Okba, dealing in relics and artifacts in Marrakech, who accompanied Professor David to the desert.

It was the Professor David and his team who had organized the trip, and arranged everything in advance. David was an American physicist and a professor of Quantum Mechanics at a university of Cairo; however, after his research failure in Egypt, he got himself transferred to a Moroccan university of sciences. Amira was his student in Cairo who had also returned to Morocco to continue studying under him, or gave the impression of it.

It’s four to five hours drive from Fez to Errachidia and further two hours car ride to Merzouga. I fell asleep in the car, and asked Irem to wake me up once we reach Merzouga.

Merzouga is a small town and a tourist center in the southeast of Morocco near Algeria’s border, and is a gateway to the Sea Of Dunes, Erg Chebbi. We stayed at a small hotel in Merzouga to rest, and spent the night there. I took a shower after being on the road for too long, and hit the bed. In the morning, after the breakfast we refilled our cars’ tanks. We hired two local guides from there and checked all the necessary equipment including safety gears, travel permits, satellite phones, GPS, fuel, warm clothes, food and water before hitting the road again to Erg Chebbi.

Professor David’s car was ahead of us, and Hisam and Karim followed behind. I sat with Irem in the back seat, and took out my journal to record about the things that we’d experience in the desert. Irem took pictures of the road with her camera, and I started writing about the places I had visited, the number of people going into the desert and the purpose of our visit because if I died in the desert, someone would know what had happened to me.

Finally, we arrived at a Luxury Campsite of Erg Chebbi located amidst the dunes of Zniqui and were welcomed by the host. It’s a beautiful spot perfect for spending a vacation in the desert. There were Bedouin camps on each side of a red carpet that ran through a sitting area in the middle and led to the royal tent at the end. The small carpets were connecting the other tents as well, and floor cushions, rug, drums and musical instruments were on the ground. From an aerial view, you can see the entire campsite forming an eye in the middle of the desert.

“David has arranged it for us,” Hisam told us. “He thought we should also enjoy ourselves while we are in the desert.”

The gesture was much appreciated, but I was still on guard against them.

We each went to our private camp, and took rest after a long journey. I fell asleep the moment I hit the mattress, and woke up at dusk to the sound of cackles and laughter outside the camp.

There’s availability of hot water in the camp, so I cleaned myself and changed into fresh set of clothes before going outside to join the others. The lamps were lit outside that gave an ethereal glow to the campsite. The temperature in the desert had dropped at night and the air became chilly. I sat next to Irem who handed me the dinner,  and asked her what everyone was talking about.

“There’s this legend about Erg Chebbi”, said one of the local guide. “It’s once a flourishing green oasis, but the people of Chebbi shunned away a hungry woman and her son during a banquet, while they themselves washed their hands in milk and played with couscous. As retribution, God turned the village into a desolate place and buried them under these sands.”

“It’s ominous.” Irem shuddered. “Why would you mention something like this in the desert?” The girl was of weak constitution, and a bit superstitious.

“If  you think this is ominous then, let me tell you a story of travelers in the desert”. I spoke as I took a glance towards Professor David’s face. If what Irem had said was true, then, it’s a perfect time to test him.

“It’s said that whenever there’s group of traveler passing through the desert, there’s a Third entity that accompanies them and leads them astray”, I told them.

“What’s this Third entity?” It’s Zimar who had asked it.

“It’s a djinn of the desert tied to the place, and resents human for being unable to leave.”

“Are you trying to give us a nightmare?” Irem was mortified, but Zimar became interested. “What happened to those travelers?”

“The travelers realized that something else had joined them, so the merchant suggested to cut each other to check their blood. However, the youngest of them died, and they ended up killing each other in fear till no one was left alive, but the merchant himself.”

“Was it merchant?” The boy, Sean asked me and I shook my head.

“No, the merchant was also killed. It’s the young lad accompanying them who used the merchant’s greed to kill the others.”

“But, it contradicts your own statement.” Sean counteracted. “You have said it yourself that the young boy had died first.”

“He didn’t. He had trapped them inside his illusion.”  It’s what Kasim had done to those travelers, and also deluded me into thinking that Dylan wanted to harm me so that I could leave with him instead.

“Miss Rhea, if you don’t mind me asking where have you heard this story?” Professor David asked me, and I knew that the fish was being reeled in.

“I heard it from the locals.” I answered him, but his colleague, Abigail grew suspicious of me. The woman was quite observant, and I told myself to be more careful around her.

“I haven’t heard of such tale in Marrakech, have you two?” She had turned to those local guides, and I had to come up with a perfect lie before I could be caught.

 “It’s the children.” I told her. “You know how they spin tales to scare each other. Surrounded by desert under the stars, I simply didn’t want to waste such a good story.”

“Sister!” Irem whined in protest after learning  that I was teasing her.

“It’s indeed a tale for children”, remarked the professor. “However, there’s another account of Erg Chebbi which is far more interesting than yours. The legend had that the people disappeared overnight after that woman appeared in their village on the night of banquet.”

“Disappeared?” asked Karim. “Weren’t they all buried under sands?”

“The entire village; men, women, elderly, children, cattle and even houses disappeared as if never existed. The dunes here change their shape and course, If this were the case, there would be some traces of them left.”

The professor explained, but I countered him, “Where else could happened to them if not dead due to drought and famine?”

“They might have disappeared into another world.” He said holding my gaze. He was testing me back to gauge my reaction.

“It only happens in the books.” I said, “No one can fall down the rabbit hole, let alone an entire village.

“Aren’t we here to find out about this.” Hisam interrupted and others nodded in agreement.

 “I’m here for my book.” I defended myself.

Okba who had grown tired of listening to our bickering said, “Why don’t we listen to some music and enjoy the night? I don’t want to be haunted at night by listening to your stories.”

We all laughed, and changed the topic of conversation. The drum beat rolled in, and we let ourselves be carried by the music under the starry sky.

When I retired for the night, I saw Irem and Zimar talking in Irem’s tent. At young age, it’s easy to confide in another person and bond with them. I wondered if Zimar and Sean knew the real purpose of coming to the desert, or were they lied to.

Sleeping in the desert was harder than I had imagined, but the hushed sounds of the girls’ laughter and chattering lulled me to sleep.

That night, I dreamt of Dylan in the desert. He was sitting in the moonlight near the oasis and waited for me to come.

I woke up late in the morning, and everyone was already done with their breakfast except for Abigail. I greeted her, but didn’t sit with her to eat. After breakfast, I decided to take a stroll around the campsite and see the desert. I was walking beside the cars, when I saw Sean and Okba buried up to their heads under the sand.

I shouted out Sean’s name in panic and ran to his side, and started digging calling for help.

“Why are you crying?” Sean had opened his eyes and was looking at me in worry.

“I-I…” I stuttered, and looked at both men in confusion.

“We are Sand bathing here.” Okba told me, and I scowled at them. Here, I was worried for nothing. Karim, Zimar, and Irem also came after hearing me shout for help and asked me what’s going on.

“Sean and Okba are playing dead here.” I told them after getting up, and dusted my hands. I asked Karim for the car’s key, and he raised his brow at me. I smirked in response as he tossed me the key, and I got behind the wheel starting the engine and stepped on the accelerator. It’s time to teach them a good lesson.

“Hey, what are you doing!” Sean and Okba shouted running out of the sand like headless chickens as I sped the car in their direction. I pressed on the brake in time, and poked my head out of the window to look at their scared faces.

“Mind playing dead again?” I said sarcastically, and both men shook their heads.

“If we stay a bit longer, I’m afraid we’ll be dead for real.” Sean groaned earning a laughter from us.

Irem brought her camera and started taking our pictures near the sand dunes. She asked me to stand on the top of a dune, and snapped the picture as a momento. Sean and Zimar were playing in the sand, and pushed Okba down the dune earning a string of curses from him. Those two were the gentle and carefree souls, and Sean reminded me of my younger brother. Far from home, I missed him more. I sat down, and watched the siblings sand-surfing for a while before Hisam came to tell us that we would be leaving soon.

We returned to our camps, and started packing in the afternoon. Sean and Okba helped the  girls carry their bags to the cars. As I was about to leave, I turned back to look at the campsite for the last time.

The good memory of our time together would be buried here. From this point onwards, there was no turning back.