Heatwave

As the day wore on, the heat climbed higher, ever higher. Sandals were the same as going barefoot, as I could feel the heat of the sand blistering on my feet with every step I took. Today was so hot not even the Sandpipers wanted to fly. As I made my way to the cool refreshing waters, a splash of water hits me.

"Hahahaha, what took you so long Byle?" My younger sister Kate chuckled.

"The sand was burning my feet. And I stopped to say hey to the coast guard" I replied back with while panting.

I sink my head under the water, it felt so refreshing. But as soon as I got back up, I felt a hot wind that swept over my head. I splashed my face with cool water.

After a while we get out of the water and play a game of volleyball with some friends.

I try my best to keep energized and not to let the hot temperature drain my energy. We had a active game for about 10 minutes, before we all panted and took a short break. The temperature then hit 126 degrees Fahrenheit around 2pm.The only way I could tell the air temperature was over 120 Fahrenheit instead of being merely in the 90s was the fact that anything solid not in contact with my body would get intensely hot. After the break, we get back up and play round 2. There was only three people who didn't completely fall down in the sand.It grew hard to breathe the dry air, and I decided to hold my breath half way, as I thought it would keep me cooler than breathing in. I could actually feel my lungs heating up with every breath I took in. When I the ball came towards me I quickly spiked it towards my sister who didn't see it coming.

She fell in the hot blistering sand. Her hair and face all covered in sand. I slowly ran over to her and asked, "Are you okay?"

I gave her my hand, and she slowly got back up.

"Uh yeah, I don't think I can play anymore. I'll take a break" Kate said while out of breath. During the last throw, made by the other team, my team couldn't get it. Susan one of the players on my team suggested, " Why don't we all stop for now and play again on a cool day?"We eventually couldn't take the heat anymore and agreed to stop playing. As I made my way to where I parked my car, my car was gone. I felt so frustrated. I looked around to see a couple of teenagers talking near their car. I walked towards them to ask,

" do you guys happen to see what happened to the cover in this spot" I pointed to my parking spot. One of the guys gave me a smuged look and said, "Yeah I saw what happened. Someone reported you and it got towed. Didn't you see the sign? That's reserved."

"I saw the sign, but I didn't think anything of it. Thanks for the answer though" I said. A great look of bitterness swept across my face, as I turned around and kicked my legs in anger and walked away.I had left my wallet, and phone in there and my sister had just left. I had only a dollar in my back pocket but it wasn't enough to make all the trips home on the bus.I stood there for a while thinking about what to do then made the decision to walk home.

About 1/4 of the way through my 30 meter walk, I notice my plastic sandals sticking to the tarmac. When I turned around I realized my sandals were leaving foot prints in the tarmac. It was so hot the ground was literally melting. I took my sunglasses off to get a better view as to where I was going. While doing so a ray of light hit my face and it slightly singed my face when I put it on. I rubbed my eyes, and kept moving. I then came across a homeless man. He then looked at me in despair and stroked up a question, "Sorry to bother you sir, but can you spare some cash?" I stopped walking and said, " Sorry sir, but I have nothing on my right now". I quickly walked right passed him, afraid he would follow me. Soon after I patted my back pocket to make sure it's still there, to discover that the dollar bill was sticking out. A guilty feeling upraises in myself. Several thoughts pass my head as I start walking faster. I'm not a bad person. I only had a dollar with me. He'll survive.

I tried convincing myself that I shouldn't be feeling guilty. I took a deep breathe, and relaxed myself quickly getting that guilty feeling off my chest.

Now going into 2/4 of the way, my body started to acting as a heat sink. My odor and Perspiration began kicking off even with all the deodorant I had on. I had never sweated this much in all my life. I started purposely making more spit to drink since I was so thirsty and dehydrated. I felt so disguised by this. But as soon as I stopped drinking, the hot dry winds parched my lips almost instantly. I never craved for water this much in my life. After 3/4 of the way, I took a 20 minute rest, just lying on a shaded tree.

When I had finally gotten home, I took the spare keys from the mailbox, and accidentally brushed my right arm so slightly by the edge of the sun bake concrete wall as I entered my cool home. Even though I barely touched the wall I had an immediate second degree burn where the top layers of my skin split open as though cut by a knife. The heat that day definitely left an impression on me for the rest of my life on how to appreciate the things most people don't have and that's water.