The hot sultry desert spread out as far as the eye could see. The sun relentlessly beat down on the white sands.

One lone car was winding along a snake like road, crossing the burning sand. As it traveled, winds now and then came up blowing more sand across the road and making it hard to keep the car on the single paved trail.

Wilma Thurman, an unmarried schoolteacher, was hanging desperately to her steering wheel. Her dark hair pulled up into a bun, had come loose hanging in strands down the sides of her face.

Her usually pale face was red and sweaty from the desert heat. Every now and then she had to remove the large dark sunglasses that covered her eyes to wipe away perspiration.

It was June; summer vacation had started at her school. Wilma was thirty-two years old; her life was taken up by her work and nursing of her invalid mother. She had just lost her a few months ago. Now she was on her way to visit her Aunt Clara who lived in Nevada.

Aunt Clara and Wilma had become steady correspondents since she had lost her mother. She had become a widow several years ago, and wanted Wilma to come spend some time with her.

She drove for several more miles and still nothing came in sight. She had to keep going because the red warning light was blinking and the car would quit at any moment. There was nothing in sight and no cars had passed her in hours.

Two empty thermoses lay on the seat beside her. One had been full of coffee, the other ice water. She was so tired, her eyes felt gritty as she stared at the road before her.

It had become a trail, half covered in sand. Suddenly the car jerked as its engine made a couple of hard noises and stopped! It was now completely out of gas. She sat there for a moment terrified. She opened her door; the heat from the boiling sun reflecting off the desert enveloped her instantly. She stepped out of her car into Hell.

Wilma stretched her aching muscles as he looked frantically around her. She saw no sign of life or even any cars.

"What am I going to do?" A hot dry wind started blowing around her. It was so strong that she had to brace her feet to keep from being carried away by it.

She got back in her car and closed the windows. It was smothering inside, but she didn't want the sand blowing in. Now she couldn't see anything as the wind picked up more dust and sand throwing it against her car.

She began speaking to herself, "when this stops I need to get out and walk. I know what is in back of me, nothing, so I have to move forward."

The storm went on and on. Finally she had to open a window to get some fresh air in her sweltering car. She put her sweater in the opening to keep out the blowing sand. She was exhausted. She tried to keep her eyes open but they closed, her head fell forward onto her chest as she sank into a dreamless sleep.

Wilma suddenly jerked awake! The car was silent; the sand storm had stopped. She couldn't see out any of the car's windows. She turned on her lights; they dimly showed a mountain of sand in front of her car.

She was glad to open her window to the fresh night air. It was still hot, but it felt wonderful to her as she took a deep breath. She opened the glove box and took out the flashlight that she had put there.

"You better go on." She said as she pushed the button. She breathed a sigh of relief. She directed its bright beam outside the open window.

Outside the road was completely covered over with sand. Without thinking she tried to start the car, it turned over and died. The empty light blinked at her constantly. The gas tank was bone dry.

It was time to leave the car. If she started walking, there might be a house or some sign of life, civilization up ahead. She shook her head sadly at the predicament that she was in. She started walking slowly away from her car.