heatstroke

We got hit with one last wave of summer, before autumn really truly fell and covered everything. And not just a warm day, a real heat wave. It took everyone off-guard. The first day people were still in their fall clothes and very uncomfortable, but they figured it would go away soon. By the second day everyone was back in summer clothes and treating it like the first day of spring.

By the third day the streets were deserted. This was weird. This was unpleasant.

Unfortunately, hiding inside couldn't make it go away. People tried to act like it was summer, but something felt off. These barbecues had too many fallen leaves around. Something about the picnics at the park felt a minute away from a cool breeze and a sudden rain, though neither breeze nor rain ever came.

The worst part was not preparing for it. In the summer I always carried water around because I knew it would be hot, but I was used to fall, where forgetting wasn't such a big deal. And I'd go out for long rides in the afternoons, wandering through trails and losing myself. On the longest of them I forgot my water, and too many miles from home I started feeling it. I decided to press on, but I couldn't even make it to the next park.

I sat down off the trail with my bike next to me, ertain this would finally kill me.

Then there was a gust of wind and the rains came and ruined a hundred barbecues and finally managed to cool me down enough to get somewhere I could recover properly.