“Memorize where the landmark is,” Martin screamed just as the dust hit. Martin covered his head with his arms.
I tucked my chin down and stared at the southeast point. The storm monster roared toward us like a train. Once again, sand and dust swept over us, and we were engulfed.
I closed my eyes. Felt the sting and the lash of grit against my bare arms. The wind howled in my ears as if it knew we were trying to leave and it didn’t want us to escape. Ten thousand tiny sharp needles hit my face and neck. The taste of grit filled my mouth. I held my breath.
But when I opened my eyes a little, I was surprised I could still see. My sand goggles were protecting my eyes from most of the blowing sand.
I grabbed Martin’s hand and dragged him forward. I knew which way to go. I led him as he stumbled, clutching onto my hand and arm. He was yelling, but I couldn’t hear over the storm.
I struggled to stay on the path while the howling wind blew sand into my ears. I stopped to pull the T-shirt down to protect them. It was only for a second that I’d looked down, but when I tried to find my landmark again, I realized it was gone.
I cranked my head around, desperate. How had I lost it that quick? Nothing but dust! We were in the middle of the chaotic fury. The way the bits of grass and twigs screamed past my view made me dizzy. Which direction should I go?
That’s when I saw it. A shadowy form just ahead. What was that?
A four-legged shadow appeared in front of me. Was that a long face with tall ears? Was that our donkey? I tried to touch her, but the shadow moved just out of reach.
I took one step forward. Then another. Martin squeezed my hand, and I pulled him with me. Dust found its way up my nose, down my throat. I clamped my lips together tightly, fighting back. We were going to get through this.
I shuffled toward the donkey, stumbling when the ground sloped under me. I moved down the slope carefully, keeping Martin’s hand in my grip. When I peered up again, there were many shapes around us. What was this?
The dust storm was weakening. As I looked around, I could distinguish the shapes clearer. Was that a truck? I glanced at my feet.
Black asphalt, yellow stripes. We were standing on a highway. Cars were parked all along the side of the road. We had emerged from the desert right next to an old pickup truck.
“Martin,” I whispered.
Martin raised his head and looked around just as the driver of the truck saw us.
The driver’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. “¡Fantasmas del desierto!” he murmured.
I took off my sand goggles and caught my reflection in the window of the truck. T-shirt wrapped around my head. A coating of dust all over me, except for the light band around my eyes where the goggles had been. An empty tin can clutched in one hand, and my best friend clutched in the other. Both of us dirty and sunburned and peeling.
I turned to the man who thought we were desert ghosts. “Can we use your cell phone?” I asked.
Chapter Fifteen
Tucson. Two months later.
“Wow.” The reporter’s voice seemed to break the spell of my story. He reached for his phone to stop recording. He shook his head as if to come out of the Chihuahuan Desert.
“That’s my granddaughter.” Ye Ye grinned as he winked at me. “She wows everyone she meets. Even the folks from the New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies.”
“Yes,” the reporter said. “What happened to the Clovis point? May I see it?”
I shook my head. “The archaeologists have it. You’re not supposed to remove artifacts, but it did save our lives.”
I reached down and plucked Jack off the floor as he crawled over my feet. Burying my nose in his hair, I took a moment to think about everything I’d learned in the desert. How important my family and friends were to me, and how they kept me going.
“We’re okay with the archaeologists, but we’re in trouble with Mr. Lee—and majorly with our parents. We got in trouble bigtime for leaving the van. And then when we got lost, all those people had to go out searching for us. Mr. Lee talked with our dads. Since my dad is a judge, he knows all kinds of ways we can serve our sentence for the community. We’re still working volunteer hours picking trash out of the desert with the Arizona Wilderness Stewards.”
“You both are? Wasn’t it Martin’s fault that you guys left, though?”
“Well, we both broke the rules.” And friends stick together.
The desert is a little like friendship. It can be dangerous—everything has spines or teeth to hurt you and bite—but it is vibrant and makes you feel alive. It was worth the trouble.
“Your Ma Ma is right,” said the reporter. “You are smart and strong! And what about Martin? Has he realized how smart he is, too?”
“Oh, boy, has he ever,” I said. “He got a new tutor over the summer who has helped with reading. We go back to school next week, and he’s thinking he’s going to be the smartest boy in seventh grade.”
The reporter smiled and reached for a cream puff.
“Smartest boy,” I repeated.
He chewed thoughtfully. “One more question about that second dust storm. Do you think the shape you saw was the donkey who guided you to the highway?”
“Well, I like to think she was our desert guardian. But I think what guided us was how Martin and I worked together as a team and figured out where to go.”
The reporter nodded and scribbled something down in his notebook.
“And she’s actually a burro,” I added. “But don’t tell Martin I said that.”
Author’s Note
One of the reasons I began researching for a desert story was hearing about two separate recent tragedies. Both involved tourists who perished under the hot sun. Tourists who were not used to a desert climate. The stories of how they died were even sadder when I learned of the circumstances—succumbing to dehydration while carrying water. Or trying to walk for help after a car became stuck on a back road. These stories deeply affected me because it seemed as if they could happen to anyone. A hike on a hot day doesn’t sound so dangerous where I’m from.
I wanted to include a desert book in the Survivor Diaries series because I wanted to learn more about it. And I wanted to share desert safety tips with others who might not be familiar with the dangers.
I traveled to the area where this story takes place, interviewed members of the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council, hiked through arroyos, camped in the desert, and was mesmerized by the sounds, the smells, and the beauty of the landscape.
It was easy to find information about the well-known Sonoran Desert, but the Chihuahuan Desert intrigued me because not only was it challenging to find information on, but it’s also one of the most diverse deserts in North America! It boasts more than 130 different kinds of mammals, 500 bird species, 3,000 plant species, and even 110 freshwater fish.
It’s hard to imagine so much life in such an unforgiving landscape, but, as the saying goes, life finds a way. And I wanted to explore how the story’s characters could find a way to live, like the animals who call the desert home. As I’ve learned while researching for this series, some people’s survival seems to be due to a strong will to live. That remains a fascinating theme to explore. It begs the question, if this happened to me, what would I do? What would you do? Would you panic and give up, or would you stay focused and do what it took to fight and survive?
While this story was inspired by true events, some details are fictional, including the names of the characters and some of the places. And while you can find much information about wild burros in some parts of New Mexico, the presence of wild burros in the particular location where this story is set is imagined as well.
So, what should you do if you find yourself in a similar situation?
Survival Tips from the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council
PLANNING A WILDERNESS TRIP
Prior to any trip, take the time to WRITE DOWN a comprehensive PLAN. Leave this plan with a reliable person wh
o could notify the authorities on a timely basis in case of a suspected emergency. In New Mexico, those authorities would be the New Mexico State Police.
Destination
Departure time and date
Expected return time and date
Type of activities planned
Needed supplies
Needed clothing and footgear
In-case-of-emergency considerations
Personal description
Vehicle description, plate number, and planned parking location
Any medical or physical disorders; medications
Cell phone numbers of you and anyone else with you
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN HOPELESSLY LOST?
When you are hopelessly lost, do the following, UNLESS there are sound reasons to do otherwise:
DO NOT PANIC! Sit down, take several deep breaths, eat some food, drink some water, and take it easy until you calm down. Remember, people lost in the wilderness are typically found within 72 hours. If you have to move, mark your direction of travel in an obvious fashion. It will make it easier for search and rescue teams to track you.
Stay in the location where you are rather than travel farther into the unknown. It is a lot easier for search and rescue teams to find a stationary subject than a moving one.
Send off emergency signals: THREE shots, and/or whistle blows. Pause, then repeat.
Make a fire IF conditions permit.
Stay as warm and dry as possible.
Make and consume warm/hot liquids as circumstances allow. Even hot water is good.
If necessary, make a very simple shelter. Protection from high winds and cold rain are the main concerns. In New Mexico, people can get hypothermia even in the hot summer. If there is sufficient snow cover on the ground, a simple hole scooped out and lined with vegetation, such as pine branches, will provide more warmth than exposed terrain. In cold climates, snow is an excellent insulator. Consider using the base of a large tree or overhanging rock.
Try your cell phone. You might successfully make a 911 call or send a text message even if you are not in your phone company’s service area. All cell phone providers are required to let a 911 call through on their system. Try calling from a high area if it is safe to do so. And even if your phone has no reception, it can still be useful. If you hear a helicopter at night, it is probably out searching for you. The light from your screen could be used to attract its attention. Please conserve your battery.
And one more time—DO NOT PANIC!
TEN BARE ESSENTIALS OF WILDERNESS TRAVEL
Water
Emergency food
Topographic map, compass, GPS
Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, emergency blanket
Extra clothes: wool hat, gloves, socks, rain gear
Signaling devices: whistle, signal mirror, and cell phone
Flashlight with fresh batteries
Knife, fire starter
Matches, candle
First-aid kit; include needles, thread, and safety pin
Survival tips courtesy of the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council
Acknowledgments
In my research for this story, I relied upon many different sources of information. I’m grateful to the following people, who helped answer questions and steer me in the right direction. Any errors in this story are my own.
Mary K. Walker, search dog handler, New Mexico Search and Rescue Council Board, Chair. Vic Villalobos and Ned Tutor with the Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue team, Las Cruces. Staff at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Jake Dominy for the friendly guiding service. Bruce Tomlinson for GPS coordinate expertise. And thank you—as always—to my critique partners, Amy Fellner Dominy, Marcia Wells, Caroline Starr Rose, and Sylvia Musgrove.
Visit www.hmhco.com to find all of the books in the Survivor Diaries series.
www.survivordiaries.com
About the Author
TERRY LYNN JOHNSON lives in Northern Ontario, Canada. She was previously the owner and operator of a dogsledding business with eighteen huskies. She guided overnight trips and taught winter survival. During the school year, she taught dogsledding at an outdoor school near Thunder Bay, Ontario.
She currently works as a conservation officer with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, a job she’s had for seventeen years, patrolling the outdoors across Ontario. Before becoming a conservation officer, she worked for twelve years as a canoe ranger warden in Quetico Provincial Park, a large wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario.
In her free time, Terry enjoys kayaking, camping, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and traveling to new places.
Learn more at terrylynnjohnson.com
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