THE LONELY DESERT 

By Tessa Harvey

    Shayla felt far from any danger. How lovely these people were!
    After a long journey alone, she had reached a small town. To her huge relief, there was a pub and a small hotel. She had expected there to be not much in the way of comfort - and there wasn't, but it would suffice. Basically she needed somewhere to shower, wash her clothes and most importantly feed the car and herself.
    The food was good. The people in the pub were talkative or quiet, but not intrusive Well, not very. Then the vehicle she had seen before a few times pulled into the front car park, and the occupant wandered in. The locals were very pleased. Most were young, waiting to leave town for a bright city - or older, and settled. The people on the big cattle stations came in periodically, but had recently left.

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