Distant Lands
Mirage

Focusing on the lights ahead, I run and run.

I breathe harder and harder. My lungs are pleading for me to stop; they feel like they are on fire. But I fight through the pain. I try to breathe rhythmically.

I know that I have to keep running if I want to survive. At least until I reach the cover of the trees and bushes. I run as if the devil himself is chasing me.

Finally reaching the cover of the bushes, I slow down. My heart is pounding loudly in my ears. Over and over again, I gasp for air, making me feel nauseous.

The heavy load on my back pulls me backward, and I struggle to keep my balance. I curse myself for not being in better shape and regret not going to the gym more often.

I continue walking, still breathing hard. I power walk, and my breathing and heart rate start to slow down a bit. The field I had crossed was pretty clear of vegetation, but now it has become dense with bushes and tall grasses. I push myself through. It’s hard to walk through this terrain.

I feel pain in my leg; I look down and see that I accidentally bumped into a small cactus. I stop and remove four cactus quills. Hoping that I removed all of them, I continue pushing through.

I start to notice that I’m walking to the lower ground because the lights in the distance are no longer visible. I try to keep track of where I’m going. I need to keep going forward. I stop for a second and take off the backpack.

I opened it and found that Diego had placed twelve water bottles in the bag. I take one out, and I guzzle it down. I take out another one and continue drinking. The water is so refreshing; it soothes my dry throat.

He also packed some snacks, a small flashlight, a pocket knife, a lighter, and a small rolled blanket. I replace a note and read it:

Liz, I hope that if you’re reading this, it means that you are in a safe place. If not, PUT THE NOTE AWAY AND KEEP WALKING! But if you are in a safe place, keep reading. -

I put the note away, zipped the backpack, and put it back on. I continue walking straight ahead. The ground starts to slope down, and I walk down the hill.

Oh great, If I want to continue going straight, now I need to walk up a hill. I start hiking up and start breathing hard again. I’m exhausted when I reach the top.

I stop and guzzle down the rest of my bottled water. I kneel to the ground and rest for a few minutes. I hear a buzzing sound back in the distance. It sounds like motorcycles or four-wheelers. I realize that they might be looking for me.

I quickly get up and walk faster. I cross more tall vegetation and replace that I have to go downhill. It’s pretty steep, and the soil is still wet from the morning dew, so I carefully walk sideways, down the hill, trying to keep my balance on the soft ground.

I hear the rumbling sound getting louder. I panic and try to walk down faster, but my shoes start to slide down, I lose my footing, and I start to tumble down the hill.

As I tumble, I feel pain all over. I’m rolling down fast, and I can feel sharp objects and small rocks underneath me. I fear I will hit a large rock. I try to grasp onto the grass and anything that will help me stop myself.

I grasp onto the grass, but I only end up pulling it out from the moist soil. I try to grasp again, and I manage to hold onto a small bush, stopping me suddenly. I writhe in pain; I lay there for a minute, trying to bear the pain.

I’m dizzy, but I manage to sit up. Mud and dirt cover me from head to toe. My hands are full of painful and bloody scratches and cuts. I carefully open my backpack.

Thankfully my supplies survived. I have tiny splinters and dirt in my cuts. I take out a water bottle and try to rinse off my trembling hands.

I look down and see that I stopped myself just in time. There’s a large broken tree at the bottom. That would have killed me for sure. I hurt like hell, but I’m grateful I didn’t break anything.

I carefully stand up and put on my backpack. Well, at least I created some distance between me and the motorcycles. I look around and realize that I’m lost. I have no idea where to go. All I know is that I’m not going back up that damn hill. I begin to walk, and I cry out, feeling a sharp stabbing pain in my right ankle. “Shit!”

I can faintly hear the motorcycles rumbling and start to limp forward. Every time I take a step, I feel shooting pain in my leg. I don’t know where the hell I’m going, But one thing is for sure, I have to keep moving. I know that if I stop, it’s guaranteed death for me. If I’m going to die, I will die trying to save myself. I just need to avoid going up or down any hills.

My injured ankle is slowing me down. I limp for a while, and then I rest. It seems like I have been limping and resting for hours. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to make it. I haven’t come across a single person or building.

At least the ground seems to be leveling out. I must be close to flat land. I can see what looks like a person sitting on the ground through the tall grasses.

“Oh! Thank god,” I say, relieved.

“Hello!” I call out, feeling hopeful.

As I limp closer, I realize that it’s not a person. It’s a broken tree trunk. For a moment, I stare at it, disappointed. I start to cry from desperation. I don’t even bother wiping my tears away.

It’s getting darker now. I limp through the tall grasses. I notice a bright light to the left of me. I’m careful not to get my hopes up, but I go in that direction.

As I get closer, the light starts to fade but is still visible. I limp through tall grass, and I can’t believe what I see.

It’s an old wooden shed.

“A shed!” I yell happily. I limp towards it as quickly as I possibly can. It looks abandoned, but at least it will help me survive the night.

Who knows what kind of wild animals are out here. I can see a soft blue light glowing through the cracks of the door.

I go over to the door and open it. The glow is gone, but I step inside the pitch-black room. I take another step forward, and I feel no ground; I gasp.

I SCREAM as I fall into a pitch-black abyss. As I fall...I feel pressure in my belly, and then suddenly, I feel electricity surrounding me and the sensation of weightlessness. I fall slower and feel like I’m floating in water, but there is no water, no air, making everything go dark.