Snow, icicles, and cool, crisp water. That was what she dreamed of before she stirred, rolling back awake to the reality of her sweat-soaked shirt clinging to her body, her skin red and blistering, and the scorching surface of these damned rocks. In every direction all around, the seemingly endless expanse of the American southwest stretched to the horizon. Only a short time ago this had seemed like such a romantic spot, with the crags of the big boulder extending out of the sand like God's fingers. She was being given the finger, all right.

They had ignored the signs as they detoured into Perfection Valley on their way to Vegas. Something about a nature preserve. They figured it couldn't hurt to take a little break from the road, stretch their legs, maybe have a picnic on these rocks and get naked and fool around for a while. What could go wrong?

As they were getting frisky, a plume of sand erupted without warning, spoiling the moment. "What was that?" she'd asked at the time. Now, she wished they'd taken it as a sign to pack up and leave. They could have been sleeping in an air-conditioned, overpriced hotel, getting robbed blind by slots, and sprayed by the Bellagio fountain. It made her dry mouth ache to think about those gallons of water spouting freely into the air. The image was enough to make her laugh, then cry. Darren, you idiot, she thought.

He'd gone to check out whatever had happened with the sand because sticking his nose in natural phenomenon was the sort of thing her boyfriend did for fun. He'd stood there, scratching his head like an oaf, staring at the ground puzzled. "Maybe it was natural gas? I dunno!" he'd shouted. "Oh hey, look, it's a snake," he said, poking with a stick into some of the scrub brush nearby. She'd told him to be careful and he'd laughed. "This little critter won't hurt no one if I leave him alone. Isn't that right, buddy?" he said and started back to the rocks. More sand shot into the sky, just feet away from Darren. Coughing and spitting grit, he waved dust out of his face and staggered away from the eruption. Then, another cloud popped open, then another. One last blast sent Darren sprawling onto the hot sand. He cried out and grabbed his ankle. "I think it bit me! Sonofabitch...I think it bit me!"

She'd begun to rush over to help but slipped and fell, landing hard on the sharp rocks. Her knees had split wide open, and she cut the palms of her hands on the jagged stone. She sat up to see Darren limping his way toward her. Another eruption of sand burst just behind him. He broke into a sprint, pain straining his face. A bulge in the earth trailed behind him, hot on his heels.

Breathless, he'd practically leapt onto the rock beside her. Dark red blood streaked down his pant leg. She cradled him as he began to mumble facts about snake venom between gasping for air. A scream broke his rambling. Around his leg, a tangle of a half dozen orange snakes were coiled around him. Their fangs sunk deep into Darren's calf. She batted uselessly at them in panic.

Darren began to slide down the rock. A void in the sand like a sinkhole opened up at the edge of the rocks and a worm the size of a station wagon emerged. Its split mouth was lined with the snakes, slithering onto Darren lashing and dragging him down towards the giant thing. She screamed bloody murder, holding onto him for dear life as he kicked and struggled against the worm's maw. Blood seeped through his teeth as he slipped into the monster's gullet. She held on even as its jaws slammed shut, severing his arms and leaving her holding the two bloody stumps as the worm receded back under the sand.

Stunned, she'd stared at them before howling in anguish and hurling them away. She scrambled to the top of the rock, sobbing uncontrollably. A day passed in terror huddled atop the rock, petrified at every little disturbance of the desert surface.

Now, here she lay, baking alive in the heat. Their car was parked agonizingly close, and yet so far away