Fearlessly Afraid

Fearlessly Afraid

Alex Somber held his torch high. His footsteps echoed back to him with every step. Still, he moved forward.

The whispers began rising and falling as he continued. He didn’t dare hesitate.

Lifting his tunic, he studied the map that had been tattooed on his chest. It was tattooed upside down so he could read it easily. Nodding his head with satisfaction that he was still headed in the right direction, despite the disorienting effects of the continuous whispers.

“Ah here’s the split in the path the map shows,” he said loudly with a conviction he didn’t feel. He stopped and looked down the side path. Unless it was his imagination, it now seemed like the whispers were even more vocal and frantic.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he announced loudly toward the roof of the passage as he turned down the new path. The whispers became moans and wails immediately.

He wandered for what seemed like days down the new path. He fought down panic regularly.

“I am a brave prince, a hero to my people! I must find the way through the mountain! My people expect it of me!” he told himself over and over.

When he finally saw a glimmer of light ahead, Alex picked up his pace despite his weariness and the weakness of starvation. He kept his eyes on the prize unswervingly.

When he finally burst out the opening, Alex was disoriented. He looked around blinking.

“Sire, did you find the way out?”

The anxious voice that addressed him sounded familiar. But it couldn’t be! His people crowded around him.

Fear began building in his mind with a terrifying thought. There was no way out, his people were doomed and he with them! This was his last thought as he descended into madness.