The Fountain

One more step, just one more step. Repeating this over and over in his head kept him at his steady pace. Calm washed over him, flooding him with euphoria. Of course, it was never going to be only one more step. However it gave him the power to continue forward, hope he thought he’d never have. In the distance, like a page waving in the wind, stood a mouthwatering fountain. In his eyes it shifted, and glimmered like gold. Refreshing, cool water cycled through its system, falling from the top, and splashing at the bottom only to rise and fall yet again. This created an endless cycle of pure bliss for his shriveled throat. The fountain radiated under the intense heat, reflecting the rays even brighter off its surface. The scintillating fountain blinded him, but he dared not stop staring at it, fearing it would disappear into the desert abyss if he so much as blinked.

Licking his lips, he imagined cupping the water in his hands and bringing it to his dry, cracked lips. The feeling of water sliding down his throat, soothing the excruciating dryness that had been torturing him for too long sounded like pure bliss. This feeling he envisioned would be the closest to heaven he’d ever get. Unless of course, he failed to get to the fountain, and dropped dead right there. Perhaps that would be an even better feeling. However when the fountain was so close, how could he expire so easily? Dismissing any thought of despair, he continued to trudge forward.

Trudging in itself was really a hyperbole, in actuality he was hobbling with all the weight on his left leg. Occasionally too much pressure would be applied on his injured leg, making him hiss from the sudden agony. Once he even toppled over in surprise. The struggle to stand up once more almost made him give up, but the fountain in the distance gave him the willpower to force himself onward. For soon he would get to the fountain, and his life would have been for something. For once he would be successful, and show everyone how phenomenal he really was. Instead of their lackluster vision of him, they would see the quintessential person he is. Once standing, he did nothing but continue stumbling forward on his deluded path to salvation. His eyes were blank and soulless, staring only at the fountain ahead. The only light in his eyes came from the blazing sun, allowing him to only see the fountain. Soon, just one more step. One more step. One… more step.

Around him tall mountains of sand stood arrogantly, scorning him for losing his way. They too, much like the fountain glimmered under the boiling sun. However their glimmer paled in comparison to the fountain's holy shine. The fountain was Jesus, brought by God to save the lost souls of the desert. Focusing solely on the fountain, he ignored all his surroundings. They were only distractions, demons trying to sway him off his righteous path. At the rare times the wind would blow, the sand would shuffle down the mountains, and he could swear he heard whispers floating with the sand. Earth's mockery of him only made him scoff, for he only needed the fountain.

One more step… Once more. One more. You’re so lucky, one more step…

In his head the chanting continued. Yes, he was so lucky. Never was a man as lucky as he. Lost in a fucking desert, like a fool. His parents were right. He was worthless. His whole life had no meaning. Stuck in a dead-end job, hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, dead fiancé, god damnit a newly pregnant dead fiancé. Yet now none of that mattered. Reaching the fountain would be reaching nirvana, reaching his own heaven. The only good life had done for him, was surrounded by misfortune. Should he inch off his path, the roads of fate would waver, and his life would be for nothing. Surely he could continue a straight path, inching not once to the left, and surely not an inch to the right. For god did not forgive all, and he would not give reason to be turned away at his fountain. If god could forgive, why would he be in this desert? Why had the snake bitten him? Suddenly enlightened, he concluded the snake was sent by demons, enraged that it was sent away from the Garden of Eden. Maybe god could forgive, yet still the snake bite ached and still the fountain stood unwavering.

He vomited up all his fluids, his stomach churning with distaste. He supposed it was either due to the heat, dehydration or perhaps even the snake bite. Either or every time he breathed he could taste the rancid taste once more, seemingly stuck in a hellscape limbo. The limping became tedious, so he opted to drag his foot instead of limping, pulling the sand with him like a hoe pulls dirt. His leg, now numb, did its job, dragging and dropping sand.

One more step. One more step. One…

Almost instantaneously his foot caught on a rock buried in the loose sand. Perhaps it had been covered by the demons hiding in the pyramids of sand. Perhaps planted to sabotage his journey to the fountain. God's fountain. His fountain. The appearance of the rock made him lurch forward, a disgruntled, startled gurgle erupted from him. The screech he released from his throat didn’t seem human, his damaged dry throat only letting out a sharp squeal like a pig. Thrusting his hands forward in a half-hearted attempt to catch himself, all his weight fell onto his bony hands. A chilling cracking sound met his ears, his face grimacing from the sudden torment.

Unsurprisingly he could not hold his own weight, and he collapsed into the warm embrace of the sand. It enveloped around him, sticking to his lips and sweaty clothes. Grains of sand attacked his wound bringing him to a whole new world of torture. The sand was little cacti digging into his wound, punishing him for his transgressions. Tilting his head, he looked up, to where his fountain should have sat. Yet it was gone. His once salvation had disappeared into the sand, and he felt a tear fall from his eye. God had forsaken him. He wanted to scream, to bawl his eyes out. If he were really lucky, to start walking again, maybe see the fountain once more. His damaged vocal cords made it impossible to talk or make any noise without feeling like he was being stabbed. With no water, he had run out of tears. No power to stand, and only now in a split second of clarity did he realise his fountain, his precious fountain of salvation was only a mirage.

Dropping his head, he shook the foolish thought out of his mind. That fountain, it couldn’t be a mirage. It was his only hope, his redemption. It was all he had to live for. Desperation clawed at him. He had lost all sense of time, sitting in an endless void of pain. With cloudy eyes, blinking, he stared into the now empty space where the fountain once stood. Finally he dropped his head, accepting the surrounding sand finally. His body was a noodle, laid out and limp for the plucking. Right before he took his last painful breath, an image of the fountain popped into his mind, and a bitter smile took over his face. One last thought, command, instruction consumed his broken mind with the fountain.

One more step.

Picking up sand as gently as you would a baby, the wind blew it to cover yet another corpse in its city of lost bones. Carefully the wind ensured not to uncover and disturb other resting bodies laying in the sand. Around the new body, hundreds of other lumps of sand lay in rest. Damned souls crys could be heard only by occupants of the desert. A feast for the demons lay everyday, never changing nor unending. One last condescending whisper carried with the wind,

“He feeeeeelllllllllll for it.”

“They allwwaaayyysss doooo.”

The wind sped up, throwing itself around the vessel of a desert. Rigorously as to not disturb the graves, yet with no regard for its body, the wind frantically scurried through the desert. For now, they were only whispers in the wind. Their murmurs spread further through the land, sharing the news of yet another body, bringing excitement to the desert of demons. The snake who had bitten him, slithered over to his grave, a small pile of sand. Hissing, the rakshasa seemed to smile, proud of its job before turning to find another victim to torment. The wind returned once more, circling the body in excitement, before it too followed the snake. Any soul they came across was certainly the unluckiest human alive, for now.

Finally, sitting in front of the lump of sand sat the fountain, only one step away.