John Zhang

Pillars of Sand

I still remember how hot it was that day. I was sweating as I stood in the middle of the desert in my turban and plain white robes, but I didn't think about it too much. I'd learned to live with it by then. In front of me, and beside me, and behind me to the edge of the visible horizon in the distance, were rows and rows of people that seemed to stretch all the way from one edge of the desert to the next. We were all adorned in the same turbans and plain white robes, and I could tell everyone else was sweating just as profusely in the heat as I was. But they learned to live with it. We all learned to live with it. Because that day, as we stood on the barren remains of what used to be inner city Seattle, we all knew we had no other choice.