: The physical toll on the landscape, such as cracked earth and dying foliage, mirrors the internal state of the characters.
: The heat is a physical presence that restricts movement and alters the environment. Swelter
: Characters must wait out the elements, highlighting a sense of helplessness against nature. : The physical toll on the landscape, such
Elias didn’t move. He didn’t have the energy. He just watched the dust settle back into the heat, a tiny monument to the endurance required just to exist in the midday sun. Somewhere in the distance, a low rumble of thunder promised a storm that everyone knew wouldn't come. The clouds would tease, the humidity would spike, and the swelter would simply tighten its grip. the humidity would spike