Yellow sea of sand.
Silent and still.
The sun hung high in the sky, wantonly scattering boundless heat and light.
Dunes rose and fell in succession, resembling a series of distinctive tombs.
And on the shady side of one dune, there was a sudden rustle of sand tumbling downwards.
The disturbance grew, and then from the unsettled yellow sand, a hand burst forth!
This hand was covered in blood, lacerated all over, and it clutched at nothing, seeming stunned for a moment.
Then, reacting, the hand became excited and frantically began clawing and pushing. First the palm appeared, followed by an arm emerging from the sandy gravel, swiftly enlarging the hole until a young boy's head was revealed.
When the dust-covered head emerged halfway from the dune, the mouth opened wide in desperation, expelling all the stifled air from his chest before greedily sucking in the searing air.
With vigorous breaths, small amounts of sand spurted from the boy's mouth and nostrils.
