Derek Quixote

Derek rarely left his house, he rarely did anything except play video games. He has loved video games his whole life, they have been the one constant source of joy for Derek. For some reason today was different.

Derek was in his gaming chair with his favorite energy drink ice cold with its familiar scent wafting through the air. As he perused his vast collection of video games he couldn’t find any that piqued his interest. The thrill and excitement he got from video games weren’t there.

Derek felt lost.

All he had ever known and loved had become boring. He sat there slumped in his chair staring at the t.v. that wasn’t even on.

Finally, Derek mustered the strength and courage he needed to do what he had always dreaded, the thing others forced on him but he so valiantly refused. But the time had finally come.

Derek went for a walk outside.

Not being a big fan of exercise or nature Derek had only gone on walks like this at the behest of his parents when he was a child. All of those painful traumatic experiences came rushing back, as the sweat on his forehead grew and began to slowly trickle down his face these feelings worsened.

Derek was ready to quit and go back home. On the way back to his house he noticed a tree branch on the ground, this branch caught his eye because it resembled one of the swords used by the hero in his favorite video game. After picking up the stick he began to fantasize that he was that hero in the game and his mission must be completed.

With his newfound courage and vigor, Derek once again took off on his quest, this time much more determined. As he walked down the path he saw a trail that led off into the woods, this looks like a perfect adventure for a hero like Derek so he bravely descended into the woods.

Derek walked through the woods proudly, chopping at trees and vines with his mighty tree branch, he felt like a mighty warrior. After wandering around in the woods and then engaging in an epic battle with a very formidable oak tree Derek was exhausted.

While he was resting he looked around to admire his surroundings, for someone who is so anti-nature Derek was enjoying his time in nature.

His joy soon disappeared and was replaced by fear. Fear of the fact that he was lost and had no way of figuring out where he was. He had gone so deep into the woods and had no idea how to navigate in the wild, he had no idea where to go, all he could see was trees.

As time went by he became more hopeless, he began to cry.

Suddenly it hit him like a bolt of lightning. His favorite character, the one he is emulating, would never cry about being lost in the woods, he would find a way out and do so without crying.

Derek was once again motivated to carry on. However, he was very hungry and reckoned it would be a good idea to eat something before he continued his journey into the unknown.

Although he was surrounded by trees that all had different kinds of nuts and berries Derek was scared to try any of them. Since this is his first time in the woods he doesn’t know what is good and what is poisonous. But then, in the distance, he saw something familiar. Getting closer he became more confident in his assessment. It was a pear tree, the fruit growing on it was just like the ones he has seen in the grocery store.

After collecting a few pears and having a quick lunch he set out once again. He headed off in a direction he believed to be north, which he thought would lead him home. This is another example of his inexperience and lack of knowledge, he was actually heading west and his house was to the south.

Not much happened for a while and Derek was beginning to worry again. All of a sudden something moved in the bushes, Derek was on high alert, was he about to enter a life or death battle with a wild animal. His heart rate increased and the blood drained from his face, the terror of facing his imitate death had left him stunned.

A little girl about 7 years old popped out of the bushes with a growl like she was a giant grizzly bear. Once the initial shock wore off and he realized he wasn’t in danger Derek began to laugh.

His laughter was interrupted by the thought that this little girl was out in the woods alone. It's bad enough that an adult is lost out here but a little girl shouldn’t be alone in the woods.

Like any great hero would do in this situation Derek knew it was his duty to get this poor little girl back to the safety of her family. He approached the girl carefully as not to scare her, and kindly asked her name. She said her name was Sarah, when he asked why she was out here all alone she said her family was having a picnic nearby.

Derek assumed this little girl was confused and didn't realize how lost she was, in his mind, they were still miles away from civilization. Sarah then offered to take Derek to the campsite to meet her family, Derek wasn’t sure where she was leading him but he didn't know where he was going anyway so he followed the girl.

Derek was very worried at this point but was doing his best to put on a brave face for the little girl, a brave warrior like him must remain strong and stoic. The little girl on the other hand seemed to not have a care in the world, humming a song while he hopped and skipped her way through the woods. After walking for less than 5 minutes they reached something that looked like a way out of the woods.

When they had finally emerged from the woods Derek realized they were back in the same park he started in, just on the opposite side. This revelation made Derek even more confused and disoriented but he had made it out safely and that is all he cared about. The little girl ran off to reunite with her family and Derek went home.

Although he had gone outside and completed his quest, Derek had no interest in ever going back into the woods again. He had had enough real-life adventures, he was once again content to go back to his video game adventures from then on.

He did keep the tree branch, his weapon of choice, as a reminder of his time outside, and the bravery he displayed in returning the little girl to safety. It also served as a warning to himself, in case he ever thinks about going outside again.