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Description
The sky was feathery grey, clouds hovering low and thin over the great stretch of red desert. Wood smoke choked the air, swirling as Audrey took swift, stumbling steps down the road. A weighty wooden pail dangling from her hand, she briskly trod towards the water pump protruding from the hard-packed earth.
The street was vacant, the wooden shacks warily silent, their windows shielded by dark dirty cloths. Everything was still. Audrey stared off into the distance. The desert stretched away from her to the right, with hills cuddling up to the town from the left.
Audrey stopped abruptly and dropped the bucket beneath the spigot. Her hand extended out as if detached from her body, and grasped the warm, heavy, rusted handle of the pump. With a loud scream of metal on metal, Audrey drew the water up, her whole body quaking with the effort. When she could lift no longer, she dropped the ancient lever and forced it down toward the ground.
A stream of water spurted out of the spout, splattering the walls of the bucket as it fell to the bottom, sparkling red in the smoke-shielded sun. The last few drops spattered from the spigot. Audrey began again, struggling with both of her thin arms, forcing the handle upward.
The pipe gurgled at her, popping as water was repeatedly pulled to the surface. It was always Audrey’s job to get water. Even if she was reluctant, all it took was a single silent gaze from her mother, and Audrey faithfully ran tripping out of their home to the timeworn water pump.
Audrey stepped back to take a deep breath, staring at the full bucket. She gazed at it sadly for a moment before bending down and grasping the handle. She looked up at the smoky sky, and laboriously picked up the pail.
She took the first few steps toward her home in silence. It was almost too quiet, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
The stillness before the storm, Audrey thought, and then froze as two tremendous cracks rang through the air, followed by a single short shriek, and then an overwhelming silence.
Audrey threw her head up, wide-eyed and brimming with panic. The bucket fell from her hand, her feet shot forward.
The red road stretched in front of her. The only sound was the inconsistent pattering of Audrey’s feet on the rock-hard road. The hazy air seemed to be hindering her, as if she was forcing her was through thick cobwebs. Was she getting closer? How could it possibly be taking so long?!
Audrey tripped through her creaky front door and skidded to a stop. The single dark room was filled with black towering shapes, their eyes glinting like their weapons in the half-light. It seemed to Audrey as if they were growing, bearing over her every moment.
She dropped to her knees into a pool of hot sticky liquid. She stared down at her mother’s face, her expression frozen forever in mid-scream. The girl lifted her shaking hands in front of her face. Her eyes, stinging from tears, showed her hands smudged by bright red.
A sudden burning fury consumed every last bit of thought in Audrey’s head. Two of the black figures had made their way behind her, reaching for her. Audrey lashed out at them, yelling like a howler monkey. She struck out at anything that advanced towards her. Cold hands closed upon Audrey’s arms, holding her down.
She was being taken away.

Audrey thrashed violently in the grasps of two men, screaming. She kicked herself closer to her mother, but every second she was pulled farther away. Time lengthened as Audrey stared down at the body. There was no hope. She forced her hand forward in a final farewell. Rough blackness covered her face in the form of a burlap sack. One last shriek, and then no more struggle.

Description
The sky was feathery grey, clouds hovering low and thin over the great stretch of red desert. Wood smoke choked the air, swirling as Audrey took swift, stumbling steps down the road. A weighty wooden pail dangling from her hand, she briskly trod towards the water pump protruding from the hard-packed earth.
The street was vacant, the wooden shacks warily silent, their windows shielded by dark dirty cloths. Everything was still. Audrey stared off into the distance. The desert stretched away from her to the right, with hills cuddling up to the town from the left.
Audrey stopped abruptly and dropped the bucket beneath the spigot. Her hand extended out as if detached from her body, and grasped the warm, heavy, rusted handle of the pump. With a loud scream of metal on metal, Audrey drew the water up, her whole body quaking with the effort. When she could lift no longer, she dropped the ancient lever and forced it down toward the ground.
A stream of water spurted out of the spout, splattering the walls of the bucket as it fell to the bottom, sparkling red in the smoke-shielded sun. The last few drops spattered from the spigot. Audrey began again, struggling with both of her thin arms, forcing the handle upward.
The pipe gurgled at her, popping as water was repeatedly pulled to the surface. It was always Audrey’s job to get water. Even if she was reluctant, all it took was a single silent gaze from her mother, and Audrey faithfully ran tripping out of their home to the timeworn water pump.
Audrey stepped back to take a deep breath, staring at the full bucket. She gazed at it sadly for a moment before bending down and grasping the handle. She looked up at the smoky sky, and laboriously picked up the pail.
She took the first few steps toward her home in silence. It was almost too quiet, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
The stillness before the storm, Audrey thought, and then froze as two tremendous cracks rang through the air, followed by a single short shriek, and then an overwhelming silence.
Audrey threw her head up, wide-eyed and brimming with panic. The bucket fell from her hand, her feet shot forward.
The red road stretched in front of her. The only sound was the inconsistent pattering of Audrey’s feet on the rock-hard road. The hazy air seemed to be hindering her, as if she was forcing her was through thick cobwebs. Was she getting closer? How could it possibly be taking so long?!
Audrey tripped through her creaky front door and skidded to a stop. The single dark room was filled with black towering shapes, their eyes glinting like their weapons in the half-light. It seemed to Audrey as if they were growing, bearing over her every moment.
She dropped to her knees into a pool of hot sticky liquid. She stared down at her mother’s face, her expression frozen forever in mid-scream. The girl lifted her shaking hands in front of her face. Her eyes, stinging from tears, showed her hands smudged by bright red.
A sudden burning fury consumed every last bit of thought in Audrey’s head. Two of the black figures had made their way behind her, reaching for her. Audrey lashed out at them, yelling like a howler monkey. She struck out at anything that advanced towards her. Cold hands closed upon Audrey’s arms, holding her down.
She was being taken away.

Audrey thrashed violently in the grasps of two men, screaming. She kicked herself closer to her mother, but every second she was pulled farther away. Time lengthened as Audrey stared down at the body. There was no hope. She forced her hand forward in a final farewell. Rough blackness covered her face in the form of a burlap sack. One last shriek, and then no more struggle.