Desert

~ show me the most damaged parts of your soul,
and I will show you how it shines like gold.

She steps through the frothy ocean surf onto the hardened sand of this barren wasteland. Her ears swivel nervously atop her crown within her sopping wet bleached tendrils. Where does she find herself now? Just days before she had found refuge within the shadows of the dense wooded forests and now she stands at the edge of the windswept sands. Her heart hammers wildly against her ribs with the excitement and potential of what this day is to bring.

Her brilliantly colored coat glistens beneath the relentless sun as she strides from the ocean's edge further into this strange land. A soft sultry breeze pushes itself against her skin and warms her with its breath.

She pauses at the top of a windswept dune - bi-colored eyes sweep across the barren land that stretches as far as her eyes could see. It is a land that holds mystery and promise, death and life. Her pulse quickens at the notion, that with in these sands she is closest to death.

It is their promise of hardship that breathes life into her weary bones.

She wanders amongst the windswept sands until the sun begins its descent toward the horizon. As the evening wears on she can feel the chill of the night begin to press in on her. And now that the initial excitement of this barren land has worn off, she can not ignore the need to quench her thirst - delicate nostrils quiver as she searches for the sweet aroma of water. A smile touches her pink lips as the faint scent is brought on the cool breeze to her.

Eagerly she follows the sweet scent beneath the watchful eye of the darkening sky. Her steps quicken as the scent grows stronger until finally she crests a dune. The secret oasis spreads out down before her, hidden amongst the reeds and beneath the branches of a joshua tree.

The hardened sands beneath her make a hollow sound as she cautiously moves toward the pool of water. Nervously her ears flick atop her crown as she swivels her delicate head to and fro. She pauses at the water's edge, her bicolored eyes scan the hills around. Finally, she is satisfied she is alone and drops her lips to the mirrored surface of the pool.

Once her thirst is quenched, she moves from the water's edge and begins to graze on the tender shoots of grass that grow abundantly at the edge of the pool.

It is a hardened land - made only for those - who have the strength and fortitude to survive. The tender shoots of grass that sprout forth from the barren landscape are proof; that there is both life and death here. None could get complacent or lazy - or else - they would become just bones in this land. Forgotton and buried beneath the unforgiving sands.