Her mouth was so dry and she knew she needed water. She knew that when the hot sun came up she would not be able to walk in it. So, she got out, giver her car a backward look, as though it might be the last time she would see it. Walking in the pitch dark was not easy.

A few stars hung in the sky, but no moon yet. She kept the flashlight directed ahead of her and she was covering ground fast. Every once in a while she would stop and shine the light on both sides to see if any buildings or something or anything showed up, but nothing but cactus and desert.

Then the moon came up and it was gorgeous, sending a weird glow over the land. It looked so close to the earth. It was a full moon so Wilma turned off the flashlight to save the batteries and in the greenish moonlight walked on. Still nothing in sight.

She had lost sight of her car long ago.

Now her legs and body were hurting in every muscle from the exercise she was not use to. All she had on was a light blue blouse and blue cotton Capri's and they were soaked with sweat.

She was stopping more often and sitting down on the hot sand to rest. She had to keep saying to herself, "I have to go on and get somewhere before the sun comes up again."

It was harder and harder on her. She felt like lying down and going to sleep. The moon was getting lower and lower in the sky and in the east, she could see light of day advancing, another hour and the sun would come up.

Now she was staggering ahead. She fell and lay there a second then sat up and looked all around.

Suddenly, South of her she saw a light. At first, she thought she was imagining it, but it was blinking on and off. She leaped up and as fast as she could walk, she headed for that tiny light.

It was the first sign of life she had seen in this desolate place. Maybe, she thought, it is a gas station. She reached down, got a tiny rock, and put it in her mouth to suck on, as she was panting badly in the heat. The sun was slowly coming up above the horizon and as its glare hit the light, she was following.

Now Wilma could see it was a sign, a wooden sign that was across the road, if it were a road. There was lettering on it but it was too far for her to read. She now had to stop and rest.

She removed her sandals she was wearing. Her ankles were swollen up badly and she rubbed and rubbed her feet and then decided to walk barefoot and carry her shoes. The sign was getting bigger and bigger.

She kept her eyes on it. Her only hope was to get there before the sun got higher and hotter.

Suddenly Wilma heard a whisking noise. She looked down and there was a sidewinder rattlesnake. It was hissing and moving fast toward her. She ran a ways and then again put on her sandals.

The noise of the desert around her was coming to life in the dawn of the day. She saw many snakes as she went toward that sign. She had to go slowly now as large spider-like insects darted across the sands. It was terror, like the one she had never known before.

Now to the side she saw a clump of sand. It was high and looked as though it was covering something. Wilma went over and brushed some of the sand away to see what it was covering.

It was an old car all rusted and looked as though it had been there for years. She dug further and suddenly a million knats swarmed out and around her.

She backed up and headed for the sign. Now she called out at the top of her lungs, "Is anyone there?" No Answer.
By straining her eyes, she could now read the lettering carved into the wood.

It read, "Ghost Town, U.S.A."