Assignment 1
David Gu
In the heart of the desert, the blistering sun scorched the land and the sand stretched endlessly in all directions, there was a small camp of survivors who lived in a once flourishing but now dried out oasis. They were a small community, who came together from the harsh surroundings and their shared determination to survive. Among the camp's inhabitants was a young girl named Amina. With tanned skin and green eyes that seemed like emeralds, she had grown up in the camp and knew little of the outside world. Her days were marked by the relentless struggle for food and water, the two most precious resources. The camp had been running dangerously low on supplies for weeks, and anxiety had risen among the survivors. Amina watched as the adults argued about their one water source, a small pond running low. The children, too, could sense the growing desperation. Amina's little sister, Layla, often complained of thirst and hunger, and it broke Amina's heart to see her suffer. One afternoon, a commotion erupted at the camp's edge. Shouts and gasps filled the air as the entire community gathered, their eyes widening in disbelief. A disheveled figure staggered towards them, stumbling on unsteady legs. It was a young man, his clothes tattered and covered with desert dust. his cheeks hollow from malnourishment, and his eyes were wild with a mixture of fear and desperation. It didn't take long for the camp residents to realize that this man was not one of their own. As the stranger collapsed in the sand, Amina's father, Mahmoud, stepped forward. He was a respected leader in the camp, known for his wisdom and compassion. With a glance at his family, he ordered them to fetch water and whatever scraps of food they could spare. Amina and Layla rushed to their tent, where they gathered their meager supplies of water and a few handfuls of canned food. They returned to the gathering crowd, where their father and several others were tending to the stranger. The man managed to speak. He was from a nearby camp, one that had fallen under the control of the enemy clan known as the Scorpions. The Scorpions were notorious for their cruelty and oppression, taking hostages from neighboring communities to ensure their dominance.The Scorpions were a constant threat to their camp, lurking on the fringes of their existence like deadly shadows. Mahmoud listened carefully to the man's story and then turned to address the camp. He spoke of the choice they faced: to turn the stranger away, knowing that he would not survive, or to shelter him, knowing it might lead to conflict but also believing in the strength of their unity.