The Mirage In The Desert

Walking through the desert is like stepping in a heated oven. The scorching sun piercing your skin with its powerful sun-rays turning each drip of sweat into a dry salty substance across each part of the body. There are danger's with every step, killer scorpions and snakes at each and every angle, one bite would be fatal in such an environment. Hundreds of brave travelers gather each year to try to pass the vast hot desert in hope of finding the other end of the world. None of which succeeded.

Qebul heard about this Desert gathered his traveling tools and marched towards it on his big white grey dotted horse. It took 1 day and 1 night with limited breaks for water and food to arrive at the entrance of the desert. Qebul, gets off his horse and looks in the distance and sees, a beautiful yellow carpet surrounding himself in every angle and for miles in the distance. Huge sand dunes with each could lie another danger.

Qebul, checks his water and food supply thinking to himself that it will be enough for the journey, he has not heard the rumours about this desert. The locals call it " Killer Desert " as everyone who has step foot in the desert has never returned. It is Qebul's biggest challenge.

He swaps his horse for a Camel and tells the Merchant.

" When I return , I will want my horse back! "

The Merchant surprisingly replies,

" And how do you plan to do that ? "

Qebul replies confidently,

" Nothing is impossible, You just got to believe in yourself. "

He puts on his backpack and hops in between the Camel's humps entering the desert a step at a time. Passing the first dune, then the next and the one after that he looks back and the place where he came from is nowhere to be seen, just empty alien desert that waits for someone to step one foot in the wrong direction. Looking up at the sun he sees the scorching rays that are piercing his body. Qebul hikes the lonely desert and suddenly spots something on the floor, His worst nightmare, a full human skeleton that seems to have been devoured by the predators , he takes a big sip of water and marches further and further.

The scorching sun is finally setting and Qebul can get his big gasp of fresh breathable air and sets camp for the night. He looks up at and sees the most beautiful blanket of stars he has ever seen. He spots the constellations of Cassiopeia and Leo right above his head, slowly closing his eyes second by second Qebul falls into a deep sleep.

In the morning, Qebul eats and drinks his last supplies and sets off to a longer day than ever. After hours and hours under the hot sun and dryness of the desert his lips are dry, his head is hurting and for the first time Qebul is thinking to himself that it might be his last day. The biggest and tallest dune is right in front of him with no way of coming back or going around he gets off his camel and steps into the hot hot sand that is like stepping on burning charcoal he sees many human skeletons all around him and with his last few steps he manages to get to the top of the sand dune.

Qebul, stairs amazed at the beauty that was right in front of this sand dune, its like he could feel the breeze from the ocean drawing him towards it, he rubs his eyes and once opens them again and falls down the sand dune to his amazement. He sees the most beautiful , most living and most unbelievable blue crystal ocean anyone has ever seen. Qebul, has not eaten and is dehydrated to the point where he can see hallucinations.

He gets up and runs towards the blue water laughing hysterically. Jumps inside the water and gets woken to reality by the fresh wet cold water. Going deep into the ocean he sees all these beautiful multicolored fishes swimming around the purple corals. He cannot believe his eyes, his emotions that after days passing through the scorching sun and killer desert he achieved his goals in the end.

Original Short Story by Andrei

I have inserted a moral throughout the story. Can you guess what it is ?