The Traveler | Teen Ink

The Traveler

December 17, 2010
By Michael Hatfield BRONZE, Buena Vista, Colorado
Michael Hatfield BRONZE, Buena Vista, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Long, long ago in the vastest corners of the world, a young traveler was venturing out on a journey for treasure. However, he was terribly lost and had come upon a cave.

‘Maybe I can rest here for the night and find some food,’ the traveler thought. So he entered the dark and cold cave. It was rattling and shaking under the ground. Suddenly he heard a man grown.

“Ow!” he said weakly, “Help me!” The traveler looked around trying to spot the source of the voice.

“Oooover here!” he said, “I’m stuck in between these rocks and I think my legs are broken!” The cave was starting to collapse. As the traveler came near the man, something caught his eye. It appeared to be a large chest a couple yards away. Inside, it had gold that seemed to be mined from this cave. Lots, and lots of gold! Under the gold were crystals.
‘This chest could be worth millions!’ the traveler figured. The cave started rattling louder, and louder!
“Please, it’s going to collapse!” the man shouted with his voice trembling. The traveler had quite a decision to make. He could have a chest full of gold and be rich, or save a helpless man. Knowing that he could only carry one thing out of the cave, he gazed down at the man lying there helplessly and thought, ‘this man doesn’t deserve to die’. With making this hard decision, the traveler ran towards the man, and grabbed his knees struggling to free him. Rocks were now starting to block the exit of the cave. With little time left, he lifted the man onto his shoulders and ran out of the cave as fast as possible. Rocks were falling on and around him, but he didn’t stop. With just a cupboard-sized hole left in the exit to escape, the traveler leaped and fell rolling away from the cave; he had successfully escaped. Behind them, the cave completely collapsed leaving nothing but a large mountain of dust and sand, making it impossible to go back in.
“Oh, thank you kind sir! How may I ever repay you?” asked the man.
“You may repay me sir, by making a difference in the world. Do something that will change everyone’s lives in a positive way. Simply make the world a better place,” the traveler responded. Puzzled, the man bowed to the traveler and set out.
1 year later, the traveler died due to a heart attack caused by too much dust in his immune system due to all his traveling throughout the world. However, that man that he had saved had, indeed, changed the world. He followed the steps of the traveler and traveled all around the world. But not just for the adventure, but for peace. This man had started the first ever successful world peace movement. People finally opened their eyes to realize that there was no need for war or weapons; there was only a need for love, and peace. Thus, by the traveler saving the man, he has created the cure to war in the world, when he could’ve instead taken the chest of gold for himself only making himself rich and the world continuing in war. It just goes to show, we can do the simple, greedy thing and make our lives richer, or you can do the right thing and make other’s lives better, and possibly the whole world’s lives better. So take this as a lesson: do the right thing for once, help someone, show an act of kindness, and change lives.


The author's comments:
This was an assignment for my 8th Grade Language Arts class: we had to write a short story and submit it to a contest. So that's just what I'm doing.

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