Scorched

I grew up reading science fiction and I was familiar with dystopian story lines before I knew dystopian was a word. This week's flash 99 word prompt from Carrot Ranch reminded me of so many of the stories I read in my childhood about a ruined planet. Thanks, as always, to Charli Mills for the challenge. 

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She’d been sweating out here for hours. Turning over dirt. Moving it from one place to another. She accepted the canteen gratefully when it came her way, barely remembering the time she would have refused to drink from the same container as a stranger. 

“Thanks,” she said and wiped her hand across her mouth, likely just smearing the filth on her face into streaks. 

The young girl who worked beside her looked down, but she saw the smile that turned up the corners of her lips. 

Taking a chance, she leaned in. “Come see me later. I have news.”