Older still

The slap from the man stung with all the shame and anger of her father's betrayal. Islana closes her eyes trying to hide in the dark inside her mind.

When she opened her eyes she was elsewhere. She was holding a baby, that wouldn't stop crying despite her best efforts. She looked around and she was standing at the edge of an oasis. Her Septs oasis.

The child had skin and hair the same colour as hers, olive tanned by the harsh desert sun and midnight wavy hair. It was a boy but she could not recall his name. It was only a few weeks old. She herself was barely into her teens. She knew she had to feed him again but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She looked back at her tent. Her husband, thrice her age would return tonight with the herd.

Unless he had to seek shelter from the storm that was brewing in the horizon. Something sang to her from the coming maelstrom. Something deep in her soul was calling her into it. To leave all behind and ope herself to the chaos and fury that it was going to rain on them all soon.

She looked at the babe one last time. She placed him near the entrance of the closest tent and stepped forward i to the incoming storm.