The Riddle Of The Future

Back At The Lake Of Despair

We’d been walking all day. At about noon we’d finally exited the forest. Every time we stopped to rest, Will would show me some more things about fighting. I would get it, but the feeling I had the first time we did it never came. I was starting to stress. I had a very strong feeling that my life was in serious danger. Will was getting snappy and he would get extremely irritated every time I didn’t get a certain move. He always said rule number two: Never turn your back on your enemy. It’s drilled in my head and whenever we start walking again, that’s all I would think about. We were coming to a larger town but Will wanted to stay in the backyards, away from any attention.

“How much longer?” I complained. My legs were aching so much that I was on the verge of collapsing.

“We’re about an hour away,” he said wearily. The closer we came, the drearier and negative we got. Now all I could think about was my death.

I didn’t recognise anything as we walked slowly out of the town’s borders. I thought we would be going the way we came when we first arrived to this dreary world but we weren’t going anywhere near the giant forest.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” I asked Will. “None of this looks familiar,” I gestured around us.

“We are going a different way,” Will said. “It’s easier,”

“Last time we went through your ‘so called shortcuts’ we almost died,” I retorted. Will just frowned at me and we kept walking. I groaned. Guess what was outside the town? The desert!

“No! I really don’t want to go back in there,” I said to Will. I knew I was sounding babyish but I refused to go anywhere near there. There had to be another way.

“Do you want to defeat The Lord of Destruction, or not?” Will demanded.

“Of course I do, but…”

“But nothing!” Will interrupted. “We are going this way and that’s that!”

I looked at him astonished.

“Make me,” I said stubbornly. I always had to answer back! You would have thought I’d learnt by now, but obviously not!

“I will if I have to,” Will threatened. I knew he would easily be able to drag me in there so I stopped talking and followed behind him. I felt the heat as soon as I touched the sand. It was sweltering hot and I immediately started sweating. I was really resenting Will at the moment and we ended up walking apart in silence. Ever since we kissed he seemed distant from me. I regretted it.  

*

It was so hot. The suns were glaring in the blue sky. There was no vegetation to provide shelter and I could feel my skin burning. I hadn’t had anything to drink in hours and my throat felt like parchment. I was practically crawling and Will was a few feet ahead of me, head bowed to the sun.

“Will,” I rasped. “I need water,” He looked back at me.

“We are almost there,” he said, his voice surprisingly clear. I had no idea how I was going to survive this. I looked up and I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Water! I started running towards the small stream. Will was yelling something but I didn’t stop. I kept running but nothing was happening. It didn’t seem to be getting any closer! I started to slow down and Will caught up to me.

“Look! Water,” I said desperately.

“Where?” he said looking right at it.

“Right there! You’re looking at it!”

“You must be seeing a mirage Alex, there’s nothing there,” he explained.

“I’m so thirsty,” I complained.

“Ok, hang on. Sit down for a minute,” He started taking his shirt of. I had no idea what he was doing; all I could do was stare. He cupped the t-shirt in his hands and he started muttering strange words. I couldn’t make any sense of it but something strange was happening to the shirt. It looked like it was suddenly soaking. Water was dripping out of it. I was so thirsty that I went underneath it and opened my mouth. I swallowed the sweet liquid and I immediately started feeling better. I couldn’t help but look at Will’s marvellous muscles. When I had finished drinking he took the shirt and drank the rest then he put it back on him.

“Let’s go,” he said starting to walk again.

“How did you do that?” I asked running up to him.

“I was taught magic when I was very young. I have always been able to do water. I can’t do anything else though,” he said.

“How come you’ve never told me this?” I exclaimed.

“You’ve never asked,” he smiled at me. I sighed in exasperation and he laughed out loud. It was a pleasant sound and I felt my mood soar despite that I was quite possibly walking towards my doom.

“So how much longer?” I asked looking at him. He looked grim.

“We’re here,”