Various Essays

Survival

A/N: My assignment was to create a narrative story. 1531 words, 3 pages. Thanks for reading! I look forward to your VOTES and COMMENTS

-Cigolavon

It all started long ago. Before man invented cars or electricity. Before there were stores and a family had to scavenge or hunt for their food every day. Before we devastated forests and clear cut mountain tops. This is a time when everything was similar. It was during this time that some very unfortunate yet destined events took place.

It was warm day in the beginning of spring. Blossoms on trees were beginning to form and it was just starting to get warmer. There are two young village girls running through a busy street filled with carts and venders. We have Ella, who is 12 and Vivi, who is 11. These girls love to stir up trouble, but usually are well mannered and behaved. They went to school and always did their chores. They never hesitate to offer a helping hand to anyone in need of one. These girls also loved to play outside and sometimes wondered far away from the safety of their small village.

On the warm spring day the girls thought it would be fun to play a game. They called the game Survival. They went deep into the forest and pretended they were lost and couldn't find their way back. They made forts out of branches and moss. They made a pretend fire and cooked pretend meals. Eventually when the two tired of playing they would exit the forest the same way they entered and return home to the village. On this day however the girls wondered too far into the forest and when the time came for them to go home, they realized that the forest edge was nowhere to be seen.

The more the girls tried to find their way the more lost they became in the forest. Soon enough night had fallen all around them and the younger of the two girls was beginning to lose hope of finding the way out. She was scared and it was dark. All the girls wanted was to go home but they agreed that not much good could happen when they couldn't see. The girls decided it would be better to try and wait until morning came around. They found a safe place to make a fort out of branches. Ella, gathered branches that were all similar in size. She fashioned the branches together using hanging vines to secure them in place. After she finished the walls she tied together thinner branched to make a roof and then connected the two. Vivi gathered moss for them to sleep on and large ferns to weave together and place over the walls and roof. By the time the girls shelter was finished it was almost pitch black outside and the girls tripped over each other going inside. All throughout the night the girls huddled together to stay warm. They heard loud growling off in the distance but they tried not to pay close attention to it. They prayed that it wouldn't get any closer.

The next day the girls rose as soon as it was light enough for them to see. They hurried outside and began looking for the way home. They wondered for hours. Their feet hurt and they were tired and hungry. Neither girl had eaten since they left their village the day before. Even though the sun gleamed proudly over them in the sky the girls felt a darkness creeping into their hearts. Both girls were beginning to lose hope of ever finding home again.

They approached the edge of small cliff, only about a busses width from the ground. At the bottom there was an open clearing, with a stream through the middle created by a waterfall. They couldn't tell if there was an easy way to get down but they were so thirsty. Ella was cautious. She was willing to go look for a way to get down but Vivi laughed right before she sat down at the edge of the cliff. She braced he spine and bent her knees as she left over the side. She landed on the ground with a thud. Ella did the same thing landing similarly to Vivi, who had taken off running toward the stream.

The girls drank water and found berries to eat that grew near the stream. They laughed and played. They still had no idea how to get home but the girls were now full and at least happier. Until they heard the growl. The same one that kept them up the night before, only this time it was much, much closer. Around them trees began to collapse, and a dark cloud washed over them. The cloud was as large as 5 horses from the girls' village. It growled louder than any rabid dog or wild bear. It was able to consume 5 to 10 trees in one whooshing movement. The girls did the only smart thing they could think of. They ran away. They ran up the stream but when it ended with nowhere to go both scared girls panicked for a second before Ella remembered a story she'd heard in the village. She couldn't remember all the details, but the one that was important. She remembered hearing about the caves that can exist behind waterfalls. She hoped the stories were true as she grabbed Vivi's hand and yanked her through the waterfalls rushing water in the cave behind it. The growling faded away as the girls huddled together shivering in their now wet clothes.

After the imminent danger had passed the girls turned to examine their surroundings. At first it was too dark to really see anything but as they looked closer they realized there was a glowing object in the distance. Curiosity overcame them and they went to see what the object could be. As they approached they realized that the object was no small light. It was a huge sword that appeared to be made completely from light. A blueish white serge of energy pulsed through the sword and a bold of what seemed to be electricity shot out and crashed into Vivi. It kept going and slowly the sword dissolved from its original place and materialized back in her hand. Even though it appeared that the sword was made of electricity, it did not shock her but rested gently in her had. A wave of security washed over the girls as Vivi took hold of the sword in her hand and slowly rotated it so they could look at all sides.

Just then the growling returned closer than ever this time. Both girls jumped. They knew they had to do something. There was nowhere else to run to and they were no longer defenseless. Whatever this cloud was it was destroying the forest. The same forest the girls loved playing in. The same forest their people grew up hunting and scavenging in to keep their people alive. If this cloud was left to continue the forest would surely be engulfed. The girls ran back through the waterfall.

The cloud was taking down more trees clearing small chunks of the forest as it went along. The girls shuddered, unsure that what they planned to do next was the best course of action. Ella took off running toward the cloud and veered sharply to the right calling out to it. The cloud stopped moving and then changed direction charging toward Ella. Ella held her ground full of fear but also full of trust in her friend to protect her with their newfound weapon.

Vivi waited until she was sure the timing was right then she charged straight for the dark cloud plunging straight into the center of. She slammed the light sword into the darkest part of the cloud assuming that to be its heart. The cloud let out a loud hideous shriek as it rippled and dispersed along with the light sword. Vivi was left sitting on the ground. She looked as though she had been dragged through a chimney covered in soot, but other than that, she was unharmed.

Ella ran to her friend to make she was okay. The girls hugged each other and cried. They cried because that was the closest either of them had ever come to danger. They cried because the sword that gave them strength of mind and the security of body to continue had vanished. They cried because they still had no idea how to get home. They cried until the night fell on them once again.

' The girls headed back to the waterfall cave. It was as safe a place as any. The needed somewhere to camp for the night. Right before they entered the cave however, Ella looked up to the sky and saw a bright streak of light flash across the sky. Both girls looked up when it happened again. The light gave them the same séance of security and protection as the sword had, so the girls decided to follow the flashes of light.

Come morning, the girls had walked all night and with feet aching and eyes drooping they saw the first familiar land mark. An old well that the girls often raced to and back from during school. They were home!