Shortlisted
A Desert for Sale
Canadian International School of Hong Kong, Kinsey Long, 12
I
can’t understand it. The fifth largest desert in the world was given to me at the price of $10.
How did I even get to buy a desert? I’m not even sure I can still remember, even though
it was just yesterday. Foggy bits of pieces here and there; a postman, a letter, and a plane.
That’s all I can recall, and now I’m here.
I am standing in front of my new realm, the sand spraying my face. The heat of the sun burns
my skin, and I chug down another bottle of water. I’m hoping that I can find something in here.
I lean my hand onto the soft sand, the grains filling the spots between my fingers. The heat of
the sand surprises me, and I clench some, and release it, watching the grains disappear in the sea
of yellow. I take a sip from another bottle, staring at the desert. Why had I received it for such a
cheap price?
I feel a sharp pain in my left hand, as if it is being stabbed and roasted on over an open flame.
My hand looks terrible, my skin is peeling off, leaving my flesh exposed. I cry out in agony,
swinging my arm around, trying to shake the pain off me.
The pain stops as quickly as it had come. I dare to look at it again. The skin is rebuilding
itself, layering itself over my muscles. My hand is throbbing, bright red and sore. I wince as I try
to move, my hand feels stiff but it seems to relax as I arch my fingers. My skin looks like elastic,
stretching and snapping back into place. It’s been a few minutes now, but my hand feels as though
it has been cleaned.
Is the sand poisoned? I’m not sure if I want to try again, since the pain was excruciating. Yet
I need to know the trick to this desert. I donate my pinkie finger, and touch it lightly to the sand.
Now the skin is peeling off. Even though it’s just my smallest finger, the agony is the same. I
swallow down a scream, and if anything it seems even more torturous. I come to the conclusion
that the sand attacks human skin, targeting the nerve cells, torturing them.
Now that I think of it, the entire idea is completely unreasonable. You can’t sell a desert! But I
bought it, for $10. Something about this desert makes me feel unsafe, like it feels strangely alive,
and angry. I’m interested, and I want to explore further into this desert. There’s a sickeningly sweet
smell to the air that makes me want to vomit. I’m about to, when I see a small bright light far away.
What could it be? I’m going to find out.
I walk towards it, curiosity overwhelming me. The golden light seems to brighten, and as it
grows, I feel more amazed. I notice it is glowing around a land of trees and rocks. There’s a huge
pool of water, spilling into a waterfall. Where the waterfall starts I do not know; the clean water
simply pours over the large stones. The tantalizing smell of fruits and food leave a sweetness on
my tongue that makes me want to pick them, to eat them. What a land. I step closer to heaven, and
see the trees, bright and peaceful. A trick, my mind whispers to me, but it sounds preposterous, so I
don’t give it another thought.
I place my feet in the river water. The calm, crystalline water moves between my toes, and I am
tempted to lie in the lush green grass. Birds sing in the distance; I want the sun to stop beating me
with its heat, so I stand, and walk towards the collection of trees.
I stop. The small whiff of roses fades, replaced with a strong scent of rotting flesh. The trees
shift, the sky darkens, and the river water is reddening with blood. Bird songs turn to shrieks and
