A rejuvenating essence made it through my body as I sipped from my warm cup of coffee. I made my way into my cabin atop the ship, picking up an old, dusty photograph, as tears of guilt and sadness streamed across my face. Hopefully, this new contract would revert my misfortunes?
‘Land Ahoy!’ One of the sailors aboard announced while others dropped the anchor.
‘Captain, This is it.’ My personal navigator, Johnathon said, pointing to the magnificent island that lay ahead.
My men and I approached the glittering coast on our fishing boats. Before we could set foot upon the uncharted land, my precious galleon was destroyed – by a ravaging tsunami. A sense of dread ensnared our mortal minds. We had to accept the unshakable truth: We were stranded.
“We must keep hope – let us explore this mysterious island.” A dense forest was the only obstacle between me and the rumoured treasure embedded deep within the towering volcano.
I marched into the forest with my machete, asking my men to stay behind, to prevent any further harm to them – if not enough already. With a sigh, I gathered my strength and moved through the thick bramble, slashing twigs and bushes on the way. I came across a peaceful and silent clearing – with a golden lake in the middle. Iridescent pearls of water were ejected by the volcanic effervescence. It obstructed my path to the mountain, the first in a series of hazardous trials. As I stepped into the tainted, fluid lake, the scalding liquid encompassed my frail, human legs. Its viscosity was comparable to that of quicksand. Before I could take another step, my body was sapped of its energy, before causing me to faint.
“You must face your most formidable fear if you wish to pass”
A woman and a child materialized out of the mist, in front of me. Perhaps this was a vision? My postulations were confirmed when I saw a struggle – a soulless abduction. I could hear their hopeless cries as a helpless father could do nothing but watch his family ripped apart – this was my story.
There was no time to give up – their lives depended upon me.
My blinded eyes were open again, and I found myself washed downstream. Before I could recollect myself, the overpowering currents washed me off a cliff. My body hurtled through the air, before painfully landing on a hard surface. A rocky dome blot out the sun. I observed my surroundings to find a water reservoir tainted red – that was when I noticed my injury. With limited light and a crippled leg, I carried myself to a curious glow in the ground. Could it be? It was a diamond! I dug at the seemingly impenetrable surface, revealing the true beauty of the priceless, precious pearls. I screamed in glee, rejoicing my discovery.
“Excellent job, Atlas. You’ve found the largest diamond deposit in the world.” A voice – one I despised beyond imagination – It was the heartless criminal mastermind who has abducted my family.
“Father!” It was my daughter – and my wife.
“This will be a fitting end for you.” The devious murderer pulled out a gun to start my execution.
That was when the mountain began to shake, and lava was ejected with a tremendous amount of force, eliminating my archenemy. I walked to his invulnerable vehicle, asking my long-lost family to buckle in. With a brilliant flash of light, the volcano erupted, releasing millions of sparkling diamonds into the sky. My dream had come true – I was finally reunited with my family, my misfortune was turned upside down, and on top of it all, I experienced the unbelievable phenomenon of diamond rain. Then it happened- The skies and oceans shattered like glass into a million shimmering shards. I started falling towards the ground- which now disappeared to give way to a dark abyss.
“Data Extraction #133742 Complete. Terminate Subject?” An electronic voice boomed through my ears.
“Yes.” A familiar human voice said.
It was not long before I became aware of the reality of my situation. I cried out for help, but to no avail, as my memories dematerialized, as did my existence, withering away, into the null void of nothingness.
