A tragic history of an unknown tribe is almost entirely wiped out of extinction 100,000 years ago from our present-day by a devastating creature within the Earth's core known as Calamity. This magnificent tribe who were known as the Novalites contai...
The sun paints the sky with a fiery spectrum of red, orange, and yellow as it begins to set for the evening. The constant sound of an engine putting down a long, winding road. The only other sound to be heard is Marco's voice, humming a tune merrily as the carriage makes its way to Camp Yucatán. Evan's eyes slowly open as he yawns.
"Wh..." he drowsily mumbles. Evan's vision slowly clears as he blinks a few times. He slowly repositions himself in the seat and stretches. A refreshing power nap. Marco sees the young man moving in his mirror and looks back.
"Hey, man. Finally managed to get some shut-eye huh?" Evan's eyes turn to Marco.
"Ah. Yeah, I guess? I feel like I have a bit more energy in me again."
"Good to hear, good to hear. We're about 10 minutes away now. So, what made you want to come to the camp anyway?" Marco looks back at the road.
Evan pauses.
"Well... My dad used to be into archaeology and... He was always seeking out an adventure for fame and fortune. Exploring the world... And uncovering lost history. I mean, he inspired me to follow his dreams too! Could say we were trying to be like Indiana Jones." Marco starts nodding his head.
"That's pretty cool. Your dad sounds like an interesting guy."
"Yeah... Yeah, he was the best." Evan's voice chokes up as he looks down at the floor. Marco freezes for a second.
"Aw, man... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit that area." Evan takes a deep breath before wiping his eyes and looking up.
"Ah... don't worry about it." Evan comforted. A few seconds of awkward silence later, Marco sees a formation in front of his head and turns around to Evan. In the distance is a grand tunnel on a high mountain road. Massive rocks form the arch, worn by the passage of time.
"Hey. This might cheer you up, buddy." chirped Marco. Evan raises his head at Marco with a curious look.
"Hm?" Evan looks at Marco.
"Any second now. Look out the window." Marco points to the right outside the window at the bridge. Evan looks around as they enter the dark tunnel. Evan keeps his eyes peeled, slightly confused.
"What am I supposed to be looking fo-" The carriage finally exits the tunnel.
Evan's eyes widen as he sees the view from the road: a beautiful sunset forest with some patches of lush fields. The sunset seems to shimmer, painting the sky with fiery hues. The sun is half-set, slowly disappearing over the horizon.
There is a big waterfall shrouded in mist to the right, with clear water flowing into a river. A plethora of hills maps out the landscape as flowers bloom across the vast landscape.
"Wow!" Evan's jaw drops as a child-like excitement takes over him. Marco chuckles to himself. The coach drives off into the distance as the scene shrinks, getting further away from Evan's view. Finally, the coach arrives at the drop-off point area at the campsite. The ground is a dirt path, dry and filled with pebbles. A long, winding path leads into a thicket of trees. The camp is obscured by a shaded, vast forest.
"Camp Yucatán, final stop!" Marco looks back to see Evan slowly pulling himself up. As the coach doors open, Evan jumps to the ground with an audible thump. The coach wobbles slightly. A few moments later, Marco starts unlocking the storage under the coach to retrieve Evan's belongings. Marco hands the final bag to Evan and pats him on the back.
"Good luck, kid." He smiles, before getting in the driver's seat once more. Evan waves and watches as the coach disappears into the quickly settling darkness. Suddenly, Evan feels something vibrating in his pocket and shuffles around, trying to find the source. He rummages around his pockets for a while until he reaches the phone and looks at the number: MUM. He hits the call button with a finger and rests the phone between his shoulder and his face.
"Mum, hey! I literally just got off the coach and I am walking to the camp now." Carey smiles as she looks outside, getting ready for bed. She precariously balances the phone on her arm as she multitasks around the house. Evan jumps as he hears a tea kettle whistling in the background.
"Sorry about that!" Carey pours the boiling water into a mug and places it on the table. As she puts the teabag in the mug, she takes a wistful glance at the family photo. She smiles silently.
"Mum?" Evan hears the line go silent.
"Oh, sorry, just spaced out a bit. Glad to hear you have arrived safely. Did everything go alright?" asked Carey. Evan decides to stop on the path to the camp to rearrange his belongings. He places both suitcases in his hands down and now can hold his phone in one hand. The sounds of wildlife ring out like an orchestra in the background as the phone falls off Evan's shoulders. He quickly picks it up and sighs, thinking about the monstrosity that was the flight. The suitcase without a handle slightly creaks.
"Err... Yeah! Everything was fine. Just a little jet lagged from the flight being so long." Evan quickly changes tone to avoid his mother's panic. Evan retrieves some duct tape out of his knapsack and the handle that had snapped from before. As he begins to tape the handle back on, he continues the conversation.
"Oh, that is good to hear. Make sure to get yourself an early night tonight. How's the weather out there? Is it hot?" Carey asks.
"It's a little warmer but, then again I didn't arrive here during the middle of the day. So, I guess I will find that out tomorrow." Evan finishes taping his suitcase back together.
"Ah, that's true. But anyhow, I won't keep you for too long as I have to go to bed, and you have to get to a campsite!" Carey chirps.
The handle still does not stick on, so Evan tapes the two suitcases so he can take them together in one hand so it acts as a double-sided suitcase with one working handle. He starts moving down the path again. The suitcase that didn't break luckily has wheels on the bottom. He extends the handle and brings it along with him with the broken suitcase attached to it.
"Isn't this costing you a bit to talk?" Evan asks. Carey meanwhile locks up the house for the night.
"Ah, that's nothing. Don't worry. Now listen, you have a good time and keep me updated if anything interesting happens." Carey cheerfully says.
"Will do! I honestly can't believe I am finally here! This is going to be super exciting! Goodnight, Mum!" With a click, the call ends and Evan shoves the phone back into one of his pockets. He continues to walk down the route to the camp. He has a little look around the woodland area briefly on the way. He takes a deep breath in, enjoying the slowly fading silhouettes of trees as night sets in. Then, he runs off, leaving a trail of dust, grinning wildly.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
