The Wall

EC Contest Stage 3 - Because of a camel

The limousine drives down the road through the long desert expanses as the sun sets when an ominous noise is heard, followed by thick smoke billowing from the front of the car. Emir, the driver, gets out and starts looking under the hood, makes several phone calls, then turns back to the girl, looking at her through the windshield. She gets out, confident, used to everything being resolved easily.

She quickly becomes disillusioned; no one can come and pick them up or fix the car before the next morning, and while Emir has no problem sleeping in the limousine, the girl is really upset because she has to go to Alexandria to meet her fiancé the next day, in exactly 16 hours (about 1001 minutes).

The sun sets in the distance, creating a perfect panorama on this otherwise perfect evening where everything is going exactly as planned. The girl in the limousine is radiant; her satin-smooth skin glows, and her long, thick eyelashes, matching the ebony color of her long hair, cascade in curls over her shoulders.

Her eyes are fixed on her phone screen, replying to numerous messages from her followers, all nearly more excited than she is about the news; in less than 24 hours, she will be engaged. Of course, she quickly shared the news on social media, and since then, there's been a buzz; everyone is eager to see the face of the mysterious man who has won her heart—and, most importantly, her future.

She tilts her head, ready to take a selfie worthy of the name, with the limousine interior on display and the sunset over the orange desert in the background when suddenly, a strange and unwelcome noise echoes. It sputters under the car, the jolts preventing her from taking her pretty photo, and quickly, everything becomes still.

Frowning, the girl begins to find the time long, just sitting there without moving. But she doesn't have time to dwell further on this inconvenience as the driver, Emir, knocks on the window, urging her to get out, which she does with an outraged and impatient look.

"What's going on? Why are you making me get out?" Her stiletto heels, adorned with pretty sparkles, click awkwardly on the rough road, giving her an unsteady gait as she joins him in front of the car, where the hood is open and thick smoke is billowing from the engine. He looks at her as if she's supposed to understand something that's eluding her. "Oh, so that was the noise. No need to show me, just fix it."

"With all due respect, miss, that will be impossible. I've already tried, but it's far beyond my mechanical skills, and—"

"Well, call someone."

"I've done that too, but no one can be here before late tomorrow morning."

The girl's previously radiant face loses its color and enthusiasm. "You must be joking, right? I have to be in Alexandria tomorrow morning, rested, washed, made up, and ready to see a rich, powerful, and—hopefully—gorgeous man get down on one knee and propose to me!"

Emir sighs, a sorry expression on his face as he shakes his head. "I understand, miss, but there's nothing else to do but wait. We can sleep in the limousine, then tomorrow morning, drive as fast as possible to Alexandria, but until then, there's no other solution."

The girl opens her mouth, outraged, turning this way and that, arms outstretched as if an answer might fall straight from the sky when her gaze stops on a strange figure with an unusual gait, accompanied by a man. She squints to focus on this intriguing silhouette, then turns back to Emir. "Do you see what I see?"

The man approaches them, his face obscured by a scarf to protect against the desert sand, and his head covered from the relentless sun. He leads a camel by the reins.

"I saw smoke rising," he says. "I wanted to check if anyone was hurt."

"Hurt?!" she exclaims, not looking at him. "My car is broken, and my life will be ruined if I don't reach Alexandria by morning!"