The lights were dim and the windows were caked with a layer of dust and grime. As Rowan sat on the stool at the counter, waiting, she traced a curve with her finger across the glass surface. She just let her finger move wherever, picking up a thin layer of dust as it went along.

"Order 16!" called a voice from behind the counter. Rowan looked up, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, to see a tall blonde man approaching. "That's you, right?"

Rowan looked down at her receipt. "Yeah, that's me."

"Perfect." The man looked at her strangely. "Your sandwitch will be out here shortly."

"I'm sure it'll be delicious," Rowan replied, though she looked concerned. "I was just wondering..."

"Yes?" the man asked, looking at her expectantly.

"What type of sandwich is it?" Rowan asked. "The menu didn't exactly say..."

"It's a sandwitch, ma'am," the man replied plainly. "There aren't really many different kinds." With that, he moseyed off towards the back of the store.

Sighing, Rowan adjusted herself on the stool and looked over her shoulder. There were a few folks sitting at tables, mostly looking inward towards the centre of the room. Towards Rowan, though they merely looked with a cautious curiosity. It wasn't often a new person came in and made an order, and certainly not one as young as Rowan.

"Alright," the man said, reappearing once more behind the counter. This time, however, someone much shorter was following close behind him, almost out of view. "Here is your sandwitch." Then, he stepped aside.

Behind him was a shorter girl, whose sandy-brown hair cupped her face and whose ruffled white shirt stood out against the deep brown of her skin. She looked to be about Rowan's age. "Hey," she said in a scratchy voice. "How's it going?"

"F-fine," Rowan stammered, her face growing red. She turned to the man. "What's going on? I thought I ordered a sandwich."

"A sandwitch, girl—mind the 'T'," he said. "This is what you ordered, this is what you paid for, and this is what you're getting."

Rowan raised an eyebrow, but looked back up at the menu. Sure enough, there were several oddities; in particular, she noted that the Gaelic names in the "Spirits" section likely weren't alcohol-related after all. "Ah, damn," she said. "I really need to start looking where I'm going."

"S-so you don't want me?" the sandy-haired girl stammered.

"Oh, no, I didn't say that!" Rowan exclaimed sympathetically, though her face was still a burning red. "Please, come with me, and let's hang out!"

"Are you sure?" the girl asked, biting her lip. "I don't want to be a burden if I'm not wanted."

"Nonsense," Rowan replied, reaching a hand forward. The sandy-haired girl glanced at the appendage for a moment before taking it in her own, and slowly Rowan helped her climb   over the counter. Once they were both standing together, hands still clasped, they both walked out the doors, only smudging a small amount of grime with their shoulders as they walked past.

[hr]

"Where do you wanna go?" Rowan asked. Her head darted back and forth as she spoke, looking out for any sufficient nook or cranny.

"Hmm..." the sandy-haired girl replied. According to her, she was named Tiffany—and Rowan thought that was a pretty name indeed. "How about up there?" Tiffany asked, pointing to the roof of a small shed. Rowan nodded and the pair rushed over, Tiffany lifting Rowan by her feet and then allowing Rowan to pull her up. They both sat on the corrugated metal, looking down on the townsfolk walking about the street.

"So," Rowan said finally "I need you to show me."

"Show you?" Tiffany's cheeks were pink, but nowhere close to Rowan's.

Rowan nodded. "That you're a sandwitch."

"Okay." Tiffany screwed her eyes up in concentration and sat there motionless for a few moments. Rowan stared intently, waiting; what she didn't expect, however, was that Tiffany would lean in and give her a little peck on the cheek.

Blushing furiously, Rowan didn't know what to do. And yet, she didn't have to; as soon as Tiffany pulled back, the sky coursed with a flickering blue light and that's when the sand began to rain from above. It fell heavy and fast, the grit crushing and pushing into everything below.

Within minutes, the entire area was covered in the soft white dunes, looking very much as if it had always been that way.