Sands of Endurance

My boots sank into the scorching grit for the thousandth time as the starting whistle of the 'Sands of Endurance' Day Two still echoed in my mind. The sun hadn't reached its zenith yet, but the glare stung my skin like invisible needles. I crested the third dune, eyes fixed on the distant silhouettes of the frontrunners. Suddenly, I tripped over a solid object partially buried in the shifting sand. It wasn't a rock; it was Lily, my teammate, lying pale-faced, her canteen bone-dry beside a leg twisted at a sickening angle. I stopped, my breath coming in ragged hitches. The map indicated the nex...