Do the Job, But No Teeth, Please!

The transition to the next scene is as smooth as the night sky segueing from twilight to darkness. Peter's whole family and I make our way to the public bath. The water mining is still ongoing; they've only managed to finish four underground wells for today, but there's promise in the air—talk of human-made lakes and rivers soon to be realized.

We climb onto the pickup truck, joining a bustling crowd; we're a medley of nearly 25 people. It's already night, but the area is far from dim. Drones, floating like guardian spirits, illuminate the landscape with their lamps, and various tent lights punctuate the darkness, casting ethereal shadows and lending the night a surreal brightness. The ambient light dances off faces, glinting in eyes, reflecting individual worlds of thought and emotion.