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Carmen leaned back in the rocker on her porch. She shaded her eyes and looked out over the barren strip of dirt someone had the audacity to call a street. Dust devils swirled and dissipated, an endless dance that never ceased to captivate her.

Far off in the distance rose a column of dust. It hung in the still air, marking the passage of something heavy. Wagons, by the look of it. Probably more than one.

A smile creased her weathered face.

It would be nice to see some visitors for once. Months had drifted by since the last caravan passed this way. News was scarce, and her soul was parched from its lack.

Carmen tucked a few wisps of white hair behind her ear and reached for the flask sitting on the small wicker table next to her. The liquid it contained would be tepid, but dehydration was a monster best left undisturbed. Long experience in this harsh environment had taught her the simple skills required to survive.

She loved this town, had done from the moment she set eyes on it. The emptiness and isolation had called to her. She had spent decades exploring the surrounding countryside. Every nook and cranny, endless canyons and arroyos, distant plateaus and hidden oases.

By the time Carmen had satisfied her desire for knowledge, time had caught up with her. Now she was stuck here on her porch, barely able to walk the few steps between her rocker, the privy, and her bed. Exposure to strange and wonderful things had become limited to travellers, and they were scarcer with each passing year.

A wave of longing swept through her. Oh, to be young and free once more. This world still held so much to see and do. Life could be cruel in the way it withheld its wonders.

Carmen brushed away a tear, then turned her head and spat. A thin stream of liquid spattered onto the warped boards of her porch. She had lived a full life, and she regretted none of it.

Too many were trapped, unable to travel more than a day from the place they were born. But not her. She had refused the bondage of mediocrity and indulged in a life brimming with excitement and mystery.

The wanderlust faded, as it always did.

The approaching dust cloud caught Carmen’s attention once more. They would be hot, tired, and thirsty. Fresh lemonade, that was what they needed. The refreshing liquid would loosen tongues, and she could experience the world once more through their tales.