The night had come and gone, and the desert was now a cool expanse under a blanket of stars. Lydia had tried to sleep, but the heat from the day still lingered in her muscles, making it hard to find comfort. She had tossed and turned, half-dreading the consequence she had agreed to, but also unable to deny the strange anticipation building in her.
When the first light of morning broke through the horizon, Lydia blinked groggily, her body still aching from the previous day. She tried to ignore the rising sun’s warmth, but there was no avoiding it. She knew what awaited her.
As she crawled out of her sleeping bag and stretched, she saw her friends already up and busy. They had driven a tall metal pole into the ground—tall enough to stand straight above the sand, its top gleaming under the morning sun. The metal pole was cold last night, but now, as the sun’s rays hit it, it was beginning to absorb the day’s heat, and Lydia could already imagine how unbearable it would feel once she was tied to it.
Lydia sighed. “You really did it, huh?”
One of her friends, Sarah, grinned as she adjusted the ropes in her hands. “Of course we did! You promised, and we’re not the kind of friends who let promises go unfulfilled.”
Lydia stood up, brushing the sand from her body, already feeling the heat rising again as the sun climbed higher. She was still in her bikini—the same orange one from the day before, now faded from hours in the sun. Her body still felt sore, but there was no backing out now. She had to honor her word.
Sarah and another friend, Emily, stepped forward with the ropes, and Lydia knew exactly what was coming. “Alright, let’s get this over with,” Lydia muttered, trying to mask the unease in her voice. The sun was already unforgiving, and she wasn’t sure she could go through four more hours of this.
Her friends moved quickly, skillfully tying her arms to the pole—firm but not too tight, enough to ensure she wouldn’t slip free but still able to move just a little. They wrapped the ropes around her wrists and upper arms, securing her to the metal pole. Lydia winced as they tightened the knots, but there was no arguing now.
As they finished, Emily stepped back, admiring their work. “Perfect! Just like we promised.”
Lydia’s arms were stretched out, and she could feel the tension in her muscles already. Her body, still sore from yesterday’s sun exposure, was now forced to stay completely still under the growing heat. The air seemed to grow hotter by the second, and the dry breeze swept across her exposed skin, adding to the discomfort. She glared at the vast expanse of desert around her, feeling the sand beneath her feet grow even hotter as the sun continued to climb.
The metal pole beneath her arms was already absorbing the heat, and as the minutes ticked by, it grew steadily warmer, like a searing hand against her skin. She could already feel the burn starting to seep into her wrists where the ropes met the pole. “Four hours, Lydia. We’ll be back in four hours,” Sarah said with a smirk. “You can think about what you did. No whining this time, right?”
Lydia rolled her eyes. “I’ll survive. I’ve done worse.”
But in truth, the thought of standing there, tied to that metal pole for hours, was already wearing on her. The sun blazed down, the heat was rising, and her body’s aching muscles were beginning to protest. Still, she couldn’t back down now. She had made the promise.
The trio of friends stepped back, their laughter echoing lightly as they walked away, leaving Lydia standing alone in the harsh desert light. She took a deep breath, trying to center herself, but the rising heat made it feel impossible to stay focused. Each passing minute stretched out like an eternity.
The first hour was bearable. She stood there, eyes closed, letting the dry breeze wash over her skin. But soon, her body began to react. Sweat formed in beads along her forehead, and her legs began to feel weak from standing still. The metal pole beneath her was unrelenting, radiating heat that seeped into her wrists and arms, as though it were a hot iron pressing against her skin. She shifted her weight, trying to find some comfort, but there was none. The ropes were tight enough to restrict movement but loose enough that she couldn’t really adjust her stance.
By the second hour, her patience was wearing thin. The sun was relentless, and her skin began to feel the burn again, a sharp reminder of yesterday’s exposure. The heat from the metal pole was only making it worse. Her body ached from being stretched out, and the heat pressed down like a physical weight. Lydia gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to complain. She had promised she wouldn’t whine again—but every minute that ticked by made it harder to keep her composure.
At the third hour, Lydia found herself wondering if she was truly going to make it. Her legs ached, her shoulders felt stiff, and the sun seemed to beat down more fiercely than before. The metal pole had absorbed so much heat by now that it felt like it was burning her arms with each passing second. The desert air had become stifling, and her dry throat felt like it would crack if she spoke. But she stayed silent. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing her whine again.
When the final hour arrived, Lydia’s mind began to wander. It wasn’t just the physical discomfort that made the time feel like it was dragging—it was the sheer loneliness of it. The desert, with its endless expanse, felt more isolating than ever, and standing there, tied to the pole, she had a lot of time to think.
By the time the four hours had passed, the sun was starting to dip again, casting long shadows over the sand. Lydia’s body was sore, her skin burned and peeling, and the metal pole still felt like it was pressing the heat into her arms. But she had made it. When her friends returned, they found her still standing there, tired but defiant.
Sarah and Emily approached, eyes twinkling with amusement. “You look like you’ve been through hell,” Sarah said with a chuckle, eyeing the sweat-slicked, sunburned skin.
Lydia straightened, her shoulders stiff, but she managed a small smile. “You were right,” she said, breathless from the ordeal. “I made a promise. And I kept it.”
Her friends grinned, impressed despite themselves. “Alright, we’ll let you go now,” Emily said, stepping forward to untie the ropes. “But next time, maybe we’ll pick a less… torturous bet.”
Lydia shook her head, still holding herself upright. “I’ll think twice before I accept anything else. Trust me.”
As they released her, Lydia stumbled a little, her legs shaky from the long stand. She could feel the coolness of the evening air against her skin, and though she was exhausted, there was a small sense of pride in having stuck it out. The desert had taken its toll on her, but she had endured it.
And though she would never admit it aloud, Lydia couldn’t help but respect the desert just a little bit more now
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