Chapter 12Night had fallen by the time Pia arrived back at the rapidly receding lake, her final steps guided by moonlight. After drinking slowly to avoid bloating or nausea, she returned to the rock where she’d rested after the storm, curled into the shallow depression and fell asleep instantly, her head resting on her arms. Sleep was deep and dreamless, a falling into welcome oblivion. Exhausted from lack of food and the trek from her daylight refuge in the hills, she slept undisturbed for many hours, the second storm having bypassed the area, dark clouds retreating seaward without releasing a drop of rain.
Now fully awake, she became increasingly aware of the hunger pangs twisting her stomach into knots and berated herself for driving into a narrow channel lined with rock. The transport
