The wind picked up, sending a swirl of dust around her feet. It whispered secrets in a language she almost understood.
Sarah felt a chill despite the heat, an inexplicable awareness that she was not alone.
Memories she thought she had buried began to surface, unbidden and raw.
The wind carried with it a faint sound, almost like laughter, and she stopped to listen.
Was it the memory of a long-lost friend or just the desert’s song?
Her heart quickened, and she shook her head to dispel the thoughts.
She had come here to find herself, to shed the past like a snake sheds its skin.
But the desert had its own way of reminding her of what was left behind.
Sarah continued onward, each step a small victory against the vastness around her.
The ridge was closer now, and she could see the path winding up its side.
