The Burning Man

"So! That festival is coming up, huh?" her father was delighted, his grin viewable from the stove even with his back turned to her.
"It's called 'Burning Man,' dad." Kelly scoffed, not even looking up from her phone. "I told you about it a month ago."
"Yes, now I remember: you were talking about it with your friends. I'm so happy for you!" his daughter didn't react as he placed the stew in front of her, trying not to break her screen-time. He knew how important it was that she go out with her friends.
As Joey tucked into his stew, he couldn't help but shoot a glance at Kelly, who still didn't put down her phone and take a spoon of dinner he had made for her. He had taken time out of his day to make this dinner; the energy made in prepping and cooking it was nothing his daughter had offered to help in. At the back of his mind, a small vestige of annoyance began to grow.
"Hey, no phones at the table!" he stated, to zero reaction from Kelly.
There was a long pause, as every clink his spoon made on the bowl's surface echoed for eternity in the room.
"Listen, I've put a lot of effort into this strew." he blurted out, in another attempt to get some kind of reaction. "I know you're still upset about your mother and I__"
This time, her phone was pocketed, and Kelly picked up her stew and stomped off to her room. Joey paused and sat there in silence, listening to her agitated stomps on the stairs until that iconic slamming of her bedroom door rang out. Where did he go wrong? His family was incredibly well-off. He didn't have to worry about financial stability like all the other poors. He had a mansion after all! He could give his little girl a Ferrari that she could go to school with. Money wasn't an issue at all. So why was she so discontent? He had given her everything. Yet, that enormous, ugly Winnebago that he rarely used was the only thing that elicited a smile across her face. What was it about that lowly hippie freak-fest that she found so interesting? He couldn't wrap his head around such an absurd concept.

...

It was around 10am when she took off for the festival. He had made sure all provisions were supplied: the best non-perishables that would satiate her, the proper survival equipment should something go wrong, and the most versatile wireless tech he could provide. These were objects Kelly mused over, if only for a fleeting moment. That was more than enough for him. That tiny moment of emotion on her face made his heart jump; proof that what he was doing made his little girl happy.
"Have fun, kiddo!" he said, helping her load the vehicle. "Be sure to send me some pictures of the festival."
Kelly didn't respond. She slung her backpack into the Winnebago and climbed into it. Just once, he wished she would look at him before departing. Alas, not even a goodbye was exchanged. He could only stand there and watch as the Winnebago's engine roared into life, filling the long driveway with noise and polluting the air. He stared at the monstrous vehicle as it rolled down the driveway, his eyes fixating on the great land whale as it slithered down the road, farther and farther away...

...

It was only until the towering image of that damn mansion faded from her rear-view mirror that she felt relief. She rolled the windows down on her side, taking in the brisk wind in her hair. She had felt that years of confinement were just lifted out of her body and replacing it, was a purity that cleansed her soul. She thought about the Burning Man festival, the embrace of Nature, the philosophical debates she and her friends would partake in, the enlightenment she'd reach, the possibilities flowered endlessly.

...

"Whoo-hoo! Burning Man, here we come!" Gary could hardly contain his voice, his quivering tone bouncing off the Winnebago's walls.
Already, Kelly could feel the unlimited energy surrounding the place. She had picked up her friends before, and that fuzzy feeling she had leaving the house had increased threefold. No longer would she be bound to the excess of luxury that her father kept caging her with. 'It's like Woodstock all over again!' several of her friends claimed. Now, echoing through ages and her spirit, she could feel what those Woodstock participants felt.
There was no large towers or restaurants here, no monuments to humanity's mass-consumerism and rampant land development. There was only sand and one's innate skills to survive. No sooner had she opened the Winnebago's door, when she was blasted with the hot Nevada air and with it, a euphoric sensation. There was something special in the air, something that transcended time and even her lifeline.
"Wow, that's a lot of campers." Mary, another friend, spoke out, not even changing the monotonous tone of her voice, her e-book illuminating her face. "How will we ever tell which one's ours if we all leave it?
Kelly peered her head out of the Winnebago, only to be greeted with another of roughly the same size. She got out and climbed the ladder on the back. There, gazing back at her, were thousands of other caravans, campers and Winnebagos. She had sworn they weren't there before they arrived. Her concern turned to relief as she realized how close she was to the center pavilion: a giant wooden man atop a square base.
She returned to her vehicle, got out a lawn chair, and set it out in front.
"Yo Kelly! Don't get burnt out there!" Gary called. But Kelly heard nothing.
From under the brim of her sun hat, not even the sun seemed to bother her with its intense heat. For the first time in all her twenty years on Earth, she felt free. Her nagging, deadbeat dad, constantly trying to win her affection with cheap Iphones, Macbooks and other materialistic objects, was nothing more than a fleeting sliver in her memory. She was at Nature's mercy, and she was fine with that.
"I want to live here forever!" she exclaimed as if the sandy dunes would acknowledge her statement.
She felt wind pass by her shoulders, and she traced its movement along the sand's surface. Her eyes narrowed on the tiniest flakes as they skidded along with the wind. They started to flow and pulsate like a powdered snake, seducing her eyes with its hypnotic rhythm. Multiple waves began to form in the powder, and Kelly could only help but be entranced as the surface before her melted into a living ocean. She reached her hand out to touch it___
"HEY! KELLY!" she was slammed back to reality as Gary's voice ripped into her ears. "Hurry up and get inside. A storm's coming!"
She turned to where Gary was pointing, and let out a small gasp as pitch black clouds began to creep over the horizon. Where did they come from? It was pure blue sky not even a few minutes ago. Whatever, she picked up her chair and scampered into the caravan. She'd just wait out this storm. Besides, Nevada was known for the occasional torrential downpour. No big deal.
Gary and Mary had already set up LED lights and candles as Kelly entered. No sooner had she sat down, when the pitter-patter of raindrops began pelting on the rooftop. At first it was soft, almost soothing. All three of them looked upward.
"You sure this thing is waterproof? Like, it doesn't leak and all that?" Gary stated, the slightest hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Dude, this caravan is brand new." Kelly replied. "No way is it gonna leak."
There was a flash that stabbed the dark caravan with light, and all three of them winced. Suddenly, the silence was shattered as a loud explosion rattled the Winnebago. Kelly could feel the floor vibrating violently with its noise.
"Fuck it, let's find a better spot!" Kelly shouted. She got into the driver's seat and kicked in the ignition. She shifted into drive and slammed on the gas. She felt the back wheels whirr into life, yet she felt no momentum. She tried again, furiously slamming on the gas with the same result. They weren't moving. The rain was starting to get louder, like bullets slamming against an iron wall. Kelly tried once more, pushing the accelerator to its highest. She could barely hear the roar of the engine because the rain, as if in response to her actions, increased in intensity. The noise outside was equivalent to a thousand fists smashing into the caravan's roof.
"GARY!" Kelly shouted. "The car's stuck! Help me get it out!"
Before Gary could follow her, she raced out the car, jumped off the stairway and stopped dead in her tracks as the ground swallowed her feet. She tried lifting her legs, but they were stuck where they were. She looked down, and noticed the sand had become an absorbent surface that reached beyond her knees.
"OH GOD!" she shrieked, realising that she was starting to sink the more effort she put in. "HELP! HEY YOU, CAN YOU HELP__"
Her voice halted, with the rain continuing to pound on her head. Her face drooped. She could only help but stare in horror, at the blank space where that neighboring caravan once stood. It was nowhere to be found. Her shock became insurmountable dread as she peered through the endless shower, to where the hundreds of other caravans and trailers were supposed to be, yet none were visible. It was only her Winnebago and her crew, all alone, stuck in the quicksand. She immediately tried to swim back to her vehicle, the mud beginning to know go beyond her chest. Her arms reached the steps, and she managed to pull herself out. She practically leapt into the caravan, gasping for breath.
"Mary! Gary!" she cried out. "Fucking help me! Everyone else is gone! I can't find them anywhere!" Silence greeted her. The unrelenting showers outside continued. "Hello?!" Through her muddied footsteps and occasionally slipping, she checked the entirety of the vehicle's cabin. Neither of her friends were there. She slumped into the driver's seat, exhausted and defeated.
"Wait! My phone...!" she reached into her pocket, but felt nothing. A sickening realization hit her. Did it fall into the quicksand outside...?
Nope, there it was, in the cup-holder underneath the radio. Through shaking hands after she wiped the residual water off, she dialed 9-1-1, failing to take in that there were no signal bars on the phone's display. Each time, she was met with dead, static air on the other end. Letting out a garbled groan of hopelessness, she sat back, tilting her head up and closing her eyes. How did this happen? This was supposed to be a fun trip, filled with spirituality and being one with Nature. It should have been a welcome break from that big, stupid mansion of hers, and away from her nagging dad...her dad. The one who bothered to get up and do so many things for her, who went out of his way to make her happy, he who did the shopping, and buying, and cooking, all to appease an ungrateful bratty daughter like her. She clasped her hands over her eyes, ready to weep. How she missed her father and home already...
As the tears rolled down her cheeks, the rain began to die down. The wall of falling water dissipated into mist, and the pounding on the Winnebago's roof silenced. It was so quiet, that only her breathing was audible. As if in response, her panic fizzed out. The lack of ambience had a tranquil effect, and she felt at peace.
For a moment, her eyes began to droop, and she was about to fall into the most peaceful sleep she had in years. You know, this may not be such a bad way to go, she thought. Was this not what she wanted? To be far away from civilization, to be rid of all material possessions. This sole caravan would be her proverbial coffin, and there was no one she could share it with.
As her eyes started to close, a dim light appeared in her vision.
"What the..?" she asked, as if anyone but her could provide an answer.
She opened her eyes fully and leaned forward. There was no mistaking it: there was a flame in front of the Winnebago. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Surely, nothing in this weather could be dry enough to be set alight.
Before she could process it any further, the flame began to shape itself, as if being molded by invisible hands. It contorted, and its spherical outline narrowed. Kelly could only watch as what was once a fireball became...almost human. Or at least, she thought it was.
A realization broker her from her stupor. This human-thing before her was on fire. She remembered the structure she was parked in front of earlier...