Endless golden sands; a beautiful horizon. The sound of the bus trundling through the desert is as entrancing as it is monotonous.

The bus is boiling. Bill wipes sweat from his glistening brow, his orange hair sticking to his forehead.

Only the thought of his mum can keep him going.

Carmen “Checky Girl” Cousens sent in this story in response to a call for Desert Bus-themed stories during Desert Bus For Hope 2010, a fundraiser for Child’s Play.