The River Runs Dry

"'This has been one of the worst droughts we've ever seen,' warned my homestay sister. 'The rivers dry.' I had just returned to Palmeiras after being away for five months. I was most excited to go back to the small river that ran next to the town. I was eager to see the stunning views of the mountains and abundantly green vegetation around me as I waded in the slowly running water. Sure, I was disappointed that it wouldn't be exactly how I remembered, but still, I was determined to go there and have a good time. I expected the river to be a little bald in some spots, maybe come up to my ankles instead of to my hip as it used to. But I could not have imagined that when I got there, I would instead be greeted by a pit of dusty dirt, rocks, and pebbles that looked as though they had gotten lost on their way from the dessert where they belonged. It was as if the river had never existed."