Wind and Dust

Wind and Dust

Wind and dust came out of the west like a red wall. Dried plants were shattered. Even the scattered, stately trees were shaken, branches ripped away. People were wrenched from their home, utterly terrified.

The first few raindrops, landing like bullets, heralded an immense downpour. The rain was so heavy it even began to erode the rock-hard surfaces of the ancient termite mounds. There was nothing to absorb the water, no grass to consolidate the loose soil. Within minutes water was running down every dried-out gully and streambed. A great muddy wave came cascading into the quarry. The water seethed around the roots of the trees, turbulent, tinged red by mud.

But the rain dissipated as quickly as it had begun. The clouds cleared, racing deeper into the heart of the continent. The flood quickly subsided, sinking into the parched sand.

(Extract from The Rain, the famous SF novel by Elena and George)

The world covered in dust. Photo by Elena