Two TwoThe train bounced and jerked as it rolled down the tracks. Dana lay crumpled on the floor amidst bits of hay and dirt. She had cried herself to sleep after George’s death. Images of it played and replayed in her mind. The locket remained clutched tightly in her hand.
Slowly, Dana awoke. She rubbed her eyes and tear-stained face. Sitting up, she peered at the locket. Dana opened it. Inside rested the picture of a woman she had never met, but felt she had known. The woman had strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes, staring at her with a mixture of sorrow and joy. This was George’s wife.
She’s beautiful, thought Dana.
She snapped the locket shut and put it around her neck 
with the computer disk that Sanders had given her, the only remnants of her life in Dystopia. Dana looked out at the barren landscape that whizzed by. She had never been this far beyond the wall. Not knowing how long she had been on the train, Dana decided now was as good a time as any to hop off. She knew that if she remained too long, she would eventually reach the western region of Dystopia. And be arrested, no doubt.
She scooted over to the open car door. Peering out, Dana gauged the train’s speed. The train slowed down some. Must be a switch up ahead. She was familiar enough with trains to know that switches lined the tracks. Each time a train neared one, it had to slow down or risk derailing. The only exceptions were the rails that were built specifically for the high-speed passenger trains.
The squalling wheels told her that it was now or never. Bracing herself for the possibility of death, or worse, Dana leapt from the train car. Weightlessness held her a moment before she crashed into the sandy earth. Tumbling and rolling, the world seemed a blur until she stopped.
Once stilled, Dana lay on the ground as the train continued onward. Her left shoulder throbbed. Knowing she had dislocated it, Dana popped it back in place. Sharp pain seized her body, forcing her to remain slumped over for several minutes. Once it had subsided enough, she stood up and examined her new surroundings while slowly moving her shoulder.
Eternal sand stretched before her. Tiny, green plants that barely stuck out of the ground formed what looked like black specks. Puffs of sand drifted over her feet. Dana noticed a sand devil in the distance as the wind picked up and then died.
She bent down and scooped some of the grit into her hands, allowing it to fall between her fingers. It really is a barren wasteland. Dana remembered the stories she had been told. She had never believed them until now.
Spotting a tower up ahead, Dana walked toward it, hoping that it meant there were people nearby. She walked slowly, surprised at how warm the afternoon sun felt. Back home, the cold season had started. Dana figured things were different here.
Pools of water appeared before her. Desperate for a drink, Dana ran to the first few before she realized they were mirages. Cursing, she wished she would find real sources of water. Her parched throat ached.
After hours of walking, Dana was no nearer to the tower. “How far is it?” she demanded of the environment around her.
The only reply she received was a couple of whirling dust devils.
Her feet plopped on the ground with harsh thuds. Starting to feel dehydrated, Dana staggered around, trying to keep the tower in view. The sun had dipped low in the sky. Feeling defeated, she sank to the ground as the sky grew increasingly dark.
If Dana thought that the days in the wasteland were too warm, its nights were frigid cold. Exposed, she hugged her knees close to her as she shivered. Dana looked around, but didn’t find anything in the darkness that resembled shelter.
A howl sounded in the distance. Frightened, Dana’s senses jolted to heightened alert. She scanned the expanse, but the moonless night concealed everything. Another howl sounded. Dana remembered her grandfather telling her stories about wild dogs roaming the wasteland. She hoped she wasn’t on the menu.
Another howl sounded. This time it was close.
Her pulse racing, Dana whipped her head around, searching for the source. She heard a growl nearby. Another sounded. Before Dana knew it, two coyotes attacked each other, snarling and growling as they fought. The sounds echoed across the expanse, filling Dana with fear.
Then, it stopped.
Glowing eyes appeared in the night. They watched Dana as they inched closer. Not knowing what to do, Dana snatched a rock and chucked it at them. It thumped on the ground and disappeared. Immediately, she wished she hadn’t done that.
She watched in terror as the glowing eyes approached, becoming attached to hungry coyotes that thought she made a perfect meal. Dana backed up some. The snarling behind her told her that she was completely surrounded. Panic stricken, Dana got on all fours, not knowing what to do.
Everything went still.
The coyotes pointed their noses in the air, and after sniffing it, they darted away into the night, leaving Dana alone. Relieved, she relaxed a little. Why did they leave? In answer to her thought, a soft roar started up behind her. It grew louder as it neared. Before Dana had time to realize what happened, the wind whipped around her, blowing sand everywhere. The grit pelted her exposed skin, delivering sharp stings.
Confused, Dana squirmed around, trying to escape, but her efforts proved useless. After being pounded by the sand, she tore off her shirt and wrapped it around her head to protect her face. She hunkered down, putting her face into her arms. Though she managed to protect it, the rest of her remained exposed.
Her ears ached from the roaring wind. Grit filled her mouth. Choking, Dana tried to spit it out as it absorbed what saliva she had. The onslaught raged around her. As Dana started to think it would never end, it stopped. As the roar subsided and the pelting sand ceased, Dana unwrapped her head. Half buried, she looked around. The landscape had changed.
“Maybe I should have stayed home,” she said to the world, thinking that she had jumped off the train and into Hell.
Dana wrapped her shirt around herself and stretched out. If she died before morning, so be it.