Not all that glitters...

Islana - You can almost feel the coolness and the shade of the water and the palm trees as you make your way across the burning desert sands towards the glistening pool.

The promise of respite from the heat and the laborious walking of the last two days too good to believe. But then again, she was being called. Called somewhere, the path was being laid ahead of her. All she needed to do was follow through and see this to the end.

Islana Annora did not know what was at the end of this impossible journey, but she wanted to find out. She rushed to the waters as quickly has she could, diving into it feeling, no longer waiting to feel it’s refreshing embrace.

She laughed and splashed around in the cool pool for ten long heartbeats, laughing and giggling, scoping handfuls of the clear liquid over her head before, she realised something was wrong.

Gone was the lake, the water, and the vegetation. Gone was the shade and the promise of rest. Islana realised she was rolling around in the sand. Covered in it, rolling in the dust. The sun and the heat were playing with her mind.

And now she was sinking in quicksand...