Lost | Teen Ink

Lost

November 28, 2023
By TonyM656 BRONZE, Oswego, Illinois
TonyM656 BRONZE, Oswego, Illinois
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

The blinding sun never stops staring back, growing slightly bigger with every squishy second. The scorching sandpaper grinding through my new military clothing and the climate is adapting into my mouth.

“I guess I'll see you soon?” a pointless vibration disturbing the heat from my cracking lip.

 

My mother always told me to Imagine what I want in detail in my head to feel the effects in real life. I always loved doing this trick imagining the crunchy steps of ice being packed at my feet, the constant cold breeze followed by random pecks of water. Unable to put your body in new positions in the fear of touching something cold. Building a snow fort and snowboarding all the way down to the bottom and just laying there.

 

The dirty rag I used to shield my mouth from the sand was now being blown away by the stormy guardian. I cant lift my feet any further, the scorching grains of salt rub against my skin ripping anything it can. The way really cold snow sticks to your skin, it was a long walk from where? I have completely forgotten where I have even come from and all I can do is laugh in despair, the hot sand slowly sinking with the weight of my body, the sand seeming to want to eat me. 

 

Sinking deeper and deeper into the sand my vision fading with the needles pricking my  body. Falling through an endless void, the sand being replaced by my limp body seems to end unable to determine what direction I'm facing. I almost lose consciousness when everything stops. A warm relaxing dripping starts somewhere on my head still unable to feel direction.

“Maybe I can just stay here for a while.” Letting go seems safe on a cold stone.

 

My body starts to Tremble as I lie in this wall-less room. The echo of a bird's wings repeats off from the distants getting closer and louder with every flap. I lay in terror accepting any fate. Peel my dried eyes open. I see just a giant old stone wall lit up by the leaking light from the hole I left in the ceiling. Unable to move my body an instant heavy pressure lands on my back relieving me of all injuries. Pushing myself up, throwing whatever bird off. Six points stab right into my back sending my clenching back down to stop it from piercing through. 

“What the-!” turning over away from the wall, throwing the bird off.


The sudden spin around leaves the room in a loop as I lay on the ground with my eyes spinning around in my brain. As my eyes start to focus on the bird I see a beat up owl staring right back at me. The owl having one of its eyes scratched out is left sitting at ease staring right into my soul.

 

What feels like eternity of being searched head to toe inside and out instantly, I was read like a book. The owl suddenly Lunges towards me, sending my head flying back trying to dodge it. My vision is still unstable. My head smacks against the ground one more time leaving my vision blurry. 


Silence.


A very familiar keynote was played in the trail the owl left. As I try to focus on the brown mush flying away sending hundreds of tiny ladybugs chasing after it. Lighting up the wall-less room to reveal giant bookshelves. The tune barely audible is slowly fading with the soaring owl. 

 

Without letting myself rest I spin back up to my feet and begin walking fast towards the bird making sure I won't fall..Lifting my head up so high I almost fall back while running “this bird is getting way too high” the bugs continue to chase as the bird continues getting higher and higher.  

 

Looking up in amazement I'm stopped in my tracks. There is no need to chase the owl anymore. I try to look farther down the aisle but it's blocked by the same void wall. Looking to the right is another lit up path, this time the ceiling covered by the void. The path seems to lead on for a long time but noticing the high bookshelves have no ladder to receive the books higher up. No stairs to get to the next level. Looking down the dimly lit hall again they're is one ladder far off in the distance. Walking towards the ladder I can hear my footsteps echo as if someone is following close behind me. The candles dimly lighting the room shake violently as if they will blow out any minute. 

“There is no draft, the only entrance is the hole I fell through?” This place leaves me only confused.


Looking back up closely at the empty space seeing if I can see anything creep through the darkness. Feeling a safe and familiar presence staring back at me i'm interrupted by a hard bump  into the ladder as if someone pushed me into it. Rubbing my head I notice a book on the ground.

“This couldn't have been knocked out from that?” My hair starts to rise on my arms ``maybe it was just on the ladder” trying to calm myself in this terrible situation.


The brown tattered book that I picked up looks very worn out but purposefully shut. The book is dusty and only has a few pages. It was something you could easily fit under a door. When trying to open it it's as if someone glued it shut and never touched it again. Examining the book closely there is nothing on it? I stare at my hands for a long time, turning the book around and around again. Nothing is written on it. I start to pry open the book with no remorse. Prying open the book with all the strength in my newly healed body. I snap it open and fly with the force backwards. The book whips out of my hands. Carried with a unexpected gust the blook flies open pages trying to escape its confinement. No page escaping the title pages lays flat open Hello Son.


The author's comments:

This was inspired sorta by the avatar episode where they explored a hidden palace burried beneath the sand. This is random and supposed to be visually open.


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