It was hot. The beaming sun was almost smirking at us, its rays of light blinding our eyes and our skin. The air even seemed to be intimidated, its stillness and humidity making it hard to breathe. Grass wilted at the threatening light and the road was dried out from the sweltering heat.

Lucky for me, I was at a summer camp, where it was almost required to be outside every day. We were at the playground, trying to get as much shade as we could from the trees. The metal monkey bars had burned our hands and the slide shocked us when we touched it. It seemed impossible to have any fun.

Sweat was dripping down my face and arms, and the grass was sticking to my legs. I was exhausted from doing nothing and wished for the blast of cool AC. I heard a splash coming from the pool and groaned. It was tortuous, listening to kids jumping into the icy, blue water, while we were stuck on the playground where nothing was cold at all.

I sat there, waiting for the occasional breeze, when a camp counselor started walking towards me.

“Hey! I have a surprise for you,” she said. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused at what could be a surprise in this unbearable heat.

Slowly, she pulled out a bright red Popsicle out of a box and handed it to me. It was a cold, sweet, summer miracle.