The sun blared as I forced my eyes open. My limbs were limp and took every bit of energy for me to try and move. My vision focused, revealing a frail woman leaning over me, holding a cup with barely any water, but enough that looked pleasing to my parched body.

It's no use! You're wasting your water!

    Her shaking hands pressed the cup to my cracked lips as a watery tear spilled over her cheek. It was hard work, but I forced the hot liquid down my throbbing throat. I felt myself slipping out of consciousness, until the woman forced more water in my mouth. As I opened my eyes, I could hear people in the background, yelling at the woman that it was no use, and that she was wasting her water.

Here, take my water

Thank you, Ma'am

I could remember what had happened last time I was awake. My brothers and I were walking to a refugee camp, but we used up all our water. Later that night, we stopped to take a rest, but I never remembered getting back up again.

We don't have any food left... I'm so tired, can we stop and rest?

We can stop really quickly, but then we have to get up to find food.

*5 Days Earlier*

    With the help of the woman, I sat up and looked around me. My brothers were laying right next to me, faces lying in the dusty ground of the Akobo dessert. They didn’t move. I weakly crawled on the ground over to my older brother, poking him in the side and shaking his unmoving body.

    “Get up! Please!” I cried. He didn’t move.

Get up! Don't die yet!