- Sep 25, 2002
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I actually wrote this about 3 years ago, it's my favortie piece. We have a lit mag at my school, so I've done some editing and am going to submit it. Just thought I'd share it here too.
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Sweat trickled down the mans forehead as he slowly, painfully trekked through the wilderness. His adventure had lasted a full three weeks so far, but the man knew it would soon end. He could sense the end; feel that he was almost at his destination. He stooped over, panting, as he grabbed a bandana out of his pocket. The bandana smelt of sweat, and was streaked with mud. He swabbed his forehead, although it did little good, on account that the sweat kept coming. He blinked as it entered his eyes, burning.
The man took a bottle of water out of his pack and opened it. He peered the murky substance. His water supply had run out a week ago and the water he now held contained puddle water. Putting all fears aside that the water was contained parasites or viruses, he brought the water bottle to his lips. With his need for water replacing common sense he quickly emptied the contents of the bottle.
The man then replaced the empty bottle in his pack and continued on through the tropical forest. He was now out of water, but that didnt matter to the man. Either we would find his destination or die. Those were the only two options available. Although he believed it was his destiny to make it to his destination, he would soon find out if destiny existed.
The mans feet beat down on the path he followed, which, at this time was little more than a dried out creek. His movement became slower, pain and exhaustion settling in. As he staggered along his foot caught hold of a half buried root sending him sprawling. The mans breath was forced out of him as the ground assaulted his body, tearing his pants and drawing blood from his knees. Painfully he moved into a sitting position and examined his bloody would. It wasnt terrible, but it stung. Reaching into his pocket he took his sweat-stained bandana out and tied it tight around his would. No injury would keep the man from completing his quest.
Once on his feet again he scanned his surroundings for the first time in what seemed like forever. All around him grew lush, tropical trees. The sun was high in the sky, but the canopy from above shielded him immensely, too bad it was not nearly enough. The sun that made it through the canopy beat down on his exposed back, causing blisters and burns. The most remarkable thing about the scenery, though, was what lay ahead. The creek bed he was on suddenly became very steep, leading into a valley so brilliant with color and vegetation that it was exactly what Eden must have looked liked.
The man limped forward with new determination. The map he had spent all of his possessions on had said that his destination was in this valley. As he reached the point where the path dove he took another deep breath. The path went down for about a mile, and then stopped in front of the ruins of an old, dilapidated temple. His destination was in sight! With all the willpower he could must, the man half limped, half ran down into the valley.
The temple that stood in front of the man was old and crumbing. Vegetation gripped at the walls, like green fingers. The outer walls had all but fallen away. The steps leading to the inner sanction were corroded and, in a few places, gone altogether. The inner sanctions outer walls were crumbling, and in a few places, gone entirely as well. The most incredible thing about the inner sanction though, was the fact that the large wooden door still stood in place, covered by vegetation. The man couldnt see what was inside the door, but he knew what he would find.
The man stood at the bottom of the temple steps, panting hard. Although he knew he should stop to catch his breath, he couldnt bring himself to it, this close to the prize. He slowly crawled up the corroded steps on his hands and knees, being careful not to fall into any missing sections. As he reached the top he rolled over, and lay on his back for a few minutes. Finally, on his last wind the man propped himself onto his hands, then his knees, and finally, onto his feet.
The man moved forward, pain in every step he took. It seemed like an eternity, but he had finally made it. As he approached the door, the man though about bypassing it and going through a missing section in the wall. He started to move towards a gap in the wall, but couldnt bring himself to it. It would only be proper to go through the door. The man moved in front of the door and pushed on it with every last ounce of his strength.
The door groaned, then like a stubborn child it reacted to the mans effort and opened. The man surveyed the inside of the temple and fell to his knees. The temples roof had fallen, which allowed the sunlight to beat down and aide to the growth of every type of plant possible. This was indeed The Garden of Eden. As the man looked around panic begin to take hold of his heart. The one thing that he had come for was missing! The temple was supposed to house the Fountain of Life! All of his life the man had researched every scroll he could find, and the Fountain should be in this temple! Had the man wasted his entire life for nothing?
The man slowly stood up and surveyed the temple room again. The stone floor was covered with ruble and wildlife, but there was something else to. There was a detailed pattern that stared really big near the walls and got smaller as it mad its way to the center of the temple. On closer inspection the man could see that the design was some form of hieroglyphics. Not being a scholar in the texts of this kind, he didnt know what they said, but he knew it had to be important.
Slowly he stepped forward, ruble crumbling under his weight. As he stood in the center of the room he could see that the shapes and pictures circled around the center, which was blank. The man just stood in the center of the temple, questioning why the water, which he sought, was not there. As he stood in the center a loud and persistent rumbling began in the temple. The man heard it, but he didnt care anymore. If the temple collapsed he would die with it.
The rumbling grew louder; the floor began to shake. With a mighty assault of noise the center circle of the temple fell. It dropped down for what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only seconds. The man stood on the stone slab and expected to die when the stone he stood on hit the ground. The man was wrong. Instead of ground the stone slab struck a pool of water, sending up a small tidal wave, drenching the man.
The shock of the landing sent the wet man off the slab and into the pool of water. As he struggled to stand he gulped the water, drinking all that he could. He found the bottom and stood up, the water coming to his neck. It was dark in this small sanction of the temple, but the man didnt care. He finally stopped drinking the water and looked around him. Although the light was virtually non-existent, he could see the there were more hieroglyphics on the walls. He also noticed that the pool that he was in was large. Its size related to that of a football field, and he stood in the center.
The man smiled again as he reached into his pack. He pulled out all of his water containers, and let them float in the water around him. Unscrewing the lids he filled them all, taking his fair share of the Water of Life. He smiled again. He now had the Water of Life, water that would make you live forever! He would be a rich man, selling it to the leaders of the world. Once the man recuperated from this quest he would find the Fountain of Youth. If one drank water from both, they would be immortal, invincible!
After the man had replaced the water bottles in his pack, he began to frolic around in the water. He gurgled and bathed in this wonderful water, feeling rejuvenated, his strength returning. As he relaxed he moved around the room, gazing at the high walls and the ceiling. Thats when it hit him. There was no apparent exit.
The man pounded on every inch of every wall, seeking to find a secret passage, or to find purchase to climb out. He could find nothing. As he stood in the middle of the pool, he knew why it was underground. So know one could use the water for evil intent. He was trapped, the only way out high in the ceiling. He would live forever in the Fountain of Life.
The man had been in the underground pool for what felt like years, but, was in fact only hours. His stomach growled for food, his rations gone. The water would keep him alive, but it would be at a pitiful state. The man knew what he had to do. He lay face down in the water, in hopes to drown himself. He waited for the end that would not come. The water that he had wanted so much, spent his life seeking, was his curse. He could not die, nor could he live.
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The Quest
By EPHSTRUTH
Sweat trickled down the mans forehead as he slowly, painfully trekked through the wilderness. His adventure had lasted a full three weeks so far, but the man knew it would soon end. He could sense the end; feel that he was almost at his destination. He stooped over, panting, as he grabbed a bandana out of his pocket. The bandana smelt of sweat, and was streaked with mud. He swabbed his forehead, although it did little good, on account that the sweat kept coming. He blinked as it entered his eyes, burning.
The man took a bottle of water out of his pack and opened it. He peered the murky substance. His water supply had run out a week ago and the water he now held contained puddle water. Putting all fears aside that the water was contained parasites or viruses, he brought the water bottle to his lips. With his need for water replacing common sense he quickly emptied the contents of the bottle.
The man then replaced the empty bottle in his pack and continued on through the tropical forest. He was now out of water, but that didnt matter to the man. Either we would find his destination or die. Those were the only two options available. Although he believed it was his destiny to make it to his destination, he would soon find out if destiny existed.
The mans feet beat down on the path he followed, which, at this time was little more than a dried out creek. His movement became slower, pain and exhaustion settling in. As he staggered along his foot caught hold of a half buried root sending him sprawling. The mans breath was forced out of him as the ground assaulted his body, tearing his pants and drawing blood from his knees. Painfully he moved into a sitting position and examined his bloody would. It wasnt terrible, but it stung. Reaching into his pocket he took his sweat-stained bandana out and tied it tight around his would. No injury would keep the man from completing his quest.
Once on his feet again he scanned his surroundings for the first time in what seemed like forever. All around him grew lush, tropical trees. The sun was high in the sky, but the canopy from above shielded him immensely, too bad it was not nearly enough. The sun that made it through the canopy beat down on his exposed back, causing blisters and burns. The most remarkable thing about the scenery, though, was what lay ahead. The creek bed he was on suddenly became very steep, leading into a valley so brilliant with color and vegetation that it was exactly what Eden must have looked liked.
The man limped forward with new determination. The map he had spent all of his possessions on had said that his destination was in this valley. As he reached the point where the path dove he took another deep breath. The path went down for about a mile, and then stopped in front of the ruins of an old, dilapidated temple. His destination was in sight! With all the willpower he could must, the man half limped, half ran down into the valley.
The temple that stood in front of the man was old and crumbing. Vegetation gripped at the walls, like green fingers. The outer walls had all but fallen away. The steps leading to the inner sanction were corroded and, in a few places, gone altogether. The inner sanctions outer walls were crumbling, and in a few places, gone entirely as well. The most incredible thing about the inner sanction though, was the fact that the large wooden door still stood in place, covered by vegetation. The man couldnt see what was inside the door, but he knew what he would find.
The man stood at the bottom of the temple steps, panting hard. Although he knew he should stop to catch his breath, he couldnt bring himself to it, this close to the prize. He slowly crawled up the corroded steps on his hands and knees, being careful not to fall into any missing sections. As he reached the top he rolled over, and lay on his back for a few minutes. Finally, on his last wind the man propped himself onto his hands, then his knees, and finally, onto his feet.
The man moved forward, pain in every step he took. It seemed like an eternity, but he had finally made it. As he approached the door, the man though about bypassing it and going through a missing section in the wall. He started to move towards a gap in the wall, but couldnt bring himself to it. It would only be proper to go through the door. The man moved in front of the door and pushed on it with every last ounce of his strength.
The door groaned, then like a stubborn child it reacted to the mans effort and opened. The man surveyed the inside of the temple and fell to his knees. The temples roof had fallen, which allowed the sunlight to beat down and aide to the growth of every type of plant possible. This was indeed The Garden of Eden. As the man looked around panic begin to take hold of his heart. The one thing that he had come for was missing! The temple was supposed to house the Fountain of Life! All of his life the man had researched every scroll he could find, and the Fountain should be in this temple! Had the man wasted his entire life for nothing?
The man slowly stood up and surveyed the temple room again. The stone floor was covered with ruble and wildlife, but there was something else to. There was a detailed pattern that stared really big near the walls and got smaller as it mad its way to the center of the temple. On closer inspection the man could see that the design was some form of hieroglyphics. Not being a scholar in the texts of this kind, he didnt know what they said, but he knew it had to be important.
Slowly he stepped forward, ruble crumbling under his weight. As he stood in the center of the room he could see that the shapes and pictures circled around the center, which was blank. The man just stood in the center of the temple, questioning why the water, which he sought, was not there. As he stood in the center a loud and persistent rumbling began in the temple. The man heard it, but he didnt care anymore. If the temple collapsed he would die with it.
The rumbling grew louder; the floor began to shake. With a mighty assault of noise the center circle of the temple fell. It dropped down for what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only seconds. The man stood on the stone slab and expected to die when the stone he stood on hit the ground. The man was wrong. Instead of ground the stone slab struck a pool of water, sending up a small tidal wave, drenching the man.
The shock of the landing sent the wet man off the slab and into the pool of water. As he struggled to stand he gulped the water, drinking all that he could. He found the bottom and stood up, the water coming to his neck. It was dark in this small sanction of the temple, but the man didnt care. He finally stopped drinking the water and looked around him. Although the light was virtually non-existent, he could see the there were more hieroglyphics on the walls. He also noticed that the pool that he was in was large. Its size related to that of a football field, and he stood in the center.
The man smiled again as he reached into his pack. He pulled out all of his water containers, and let them float in the water around him. Unscrewing the lids he filled them all, taking his fair share of the Water of Life. He smiled again. He now had the Water of Life, water that would make you live forever! He would be a rich man, selling it to the leaders of the world. Once the man recuperated from this quest he would find the Fountain of Youth. If one drank water from both, they would be immortal, invincible!
After the man had replaced the water bottles in his pack, he began to frolic around in the water. He gurgled and bathed in this wonderful water, feeling rejuvenated, his strength returning. As he relaxed he moved around the room, gazing at the high walls and the ceiling. Thats when it hit him. There was no apparent exit.
The man pounded on every inch of every wall, seeking to find a secret passage, or to find purchase to climb out. He could find nothing. As he stood in the middle of the pool, he knew why it was underground. So know one could use the water for evil intent. He was trapped, the only way out high in the ceiling. He would live forever in the Fountain of Life.
The man had been in the underground pool for what felt like years, but, was in fact only hours. His stomach growled for food, his rations gone. The water would keep him alive, but it would be at a pitiful state. The man knew what he had to do. He lay face down in the water, in hopes to drown himself. He waited for the end that would not come. The water that he had wanted so much, spent his life seeking, was his curse. He could not die, nor could he live.
