He stared out at the desert, watching the landscape haze under the midday sun. It must have been a mirage. Cacti didn’t walk.
He should be resting. His pursuers would be as hampered by the harsh heat as he was, but every second counted. If they caught up to him, he was as good as dead.
And a lot of good people were counting on him. He didn’t have time to stare out at the sand looking for ghosts.
But he sat anyway, watching, unable to bring himself to rest.
The cactus held perfectly still and tried not to giggle.

“Path to the Plateau, by cactus, scrub bushes, La Purisma volcanic cone, what a great land sculpture to enjoy, West Coastal, Baja California Sur, Mexico” by Wonderlane is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2019-2026 Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Thanks for reading!