The Journey

“FINE!” And with that she slammed the door so hard it was nearly ripped it off its hinges… “Good, just one more thing they’d have to fix!” She thought scornfully. Outside, the girl took a little detour, trampling on her mother’s perfectly irritating flowerbed, and stamping on her father’s freshly mown grass as she cut across to the driveway. She hated her parents, No! She loathed them. No! Better still, she detested them with every fibre of her being!! They were so unfair … How could they? – urrrhh! She was boiling! She was furious! SHE WAS LIVID!!
Before she knew it, she had reached the end of the driveway, turned left, and was storming along the pavement. “What a great way to start off a new day! First, I wake up late, get into an argument with my parents, which has put me in a really bad mood, plus my school bag weighs an absolute TON!” She glanced both ways as she walked across the road to the bus stop. “They are so infuriating! They make me furious!!! Its all their fault. Why can’t they just get over the fact that I don’t wa” –. A car horn blared – There was an almighty screech of wheels – She whirled around just in time to glimpse a – Immeasurable pain surged through her body – Bones crunched as the car crushed her. She was in absolute agony. In an instant, the car had passed over her – but every inch of her body ached excruciatingly. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t breathe. Everything was drenched in blood. Her blood. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open. “Someone help me! Oh God, someone help me!” her mind screamed desperately. A short way away, there was a screeching of wheels as the car came to a halt and a door flung open. A wave of relief rushed over her as she heard the driver step out and run towards her. She was saved. Then to her horror, the footsteps paused and then began to retreat - there was a slam of the car door, and with a squeal of wheels and smell of burnt rubber, the car sped away. “NO!!!” Her mind swam. She was going to die. Here. Alone. She could do nothing but gaze into the sky as a thick black mist threatened to engulf her, to consume her. Swiftly, it concealed the world from view; entering her lungs and choking the very life out of her – But she wouldn’t let it take her. She was too young to die. She would fight. She would not yield. She would not allow the darkness to take her away, to draw her in. If it did, she knew she would return. She would not leave. “I will not leave. I will not leave… I won’t leave… I won’t leave… I won’t lea… leave…. I won’t…. I won’t … I …”

She awoke with a start. Now, a different darkness surrounded her; a cold, damp darkness that hung in the air and permeated her very being. The girl felt strangely light – as if she were made of thin air – but she was alive regardless, although she hadn’t the faintest idea where she was or how she got there. There were no doors or windows that she could see, and the floor she lay on was like solid rock. As her vision began to adjust to the darkness, she began to see walls – like those of a cave, or an underground chamber. In utter bewilderment, the girl rose and took a step forward to see if what she saw was true. It was then that she noticed the faint sign of light coming from a stone passageway in the cave wall. The girl cautiously followed the cave-like passage for some time, until suddenly it rose steeply to a large crevice in the rock. As the girl emerged from the darkness of the cave, a bright light immediately dazzled her.
But as her vision adjusted yet again to the brightness of day, she was astonished at the landscape that lay before her. Fields upon fields of the freshest, greenest grass, dotted with areas of dainty flowers, spread onwards as far as the eye could see. The sky above was the brightest, clearest blue that seemed to warm the whole surroundings to a temperature that was nothing less than charming. Every so often, a gentle breeze would capture the ever so soft perfume of the lush surroundings and waft it, along with the clean air to where the girl stood. The only thing that was out of place was the large rocky mound that concealed the underground chamber. It was then that she also noticed the rough road, which was the only other thing, apart from the large rocky mound that did not belong in the delightful landscape. It seemed as if it began at the door to the chamber and skirted past the rocky mound on over the rise and into the distance
“Follow the road my child” The girl whipped around to see who had spoken. Perched precariously atop the large mound was an old man. His wrinkled wrinkles and hunched back gave the impression that he was so ancient that he had been there since the beginning of time.
“Follow the road” The old man croaked again, brandishing his staff in the direction in which the road led.
“Why? Where does it lead?”
“It leads to the Ultimate Destination”
“Why, where am I now?”
The man appeared to ignore the girl, choosing instead to stare in the direction of the Ultimate Destination.
The girl tried again: “Why am I here?”
The man gave a small sigh, from either exhaustion or exasperation, “You are here because your soul has been separated from your earthly body in order to continue on to the Ultimate Destination”
The girl was frozen with bewilderment, “You mean I am just a soul” The girl suddenly noticed that her whole body, even the strange cloak she was wearing, was glowing ever so slightly – radiating an unearthly light ”… You mean I’m dead?” She asked in disbelief, as she realised the reality of her situation.
“No, not yet. If you were dead, you would already be at the Ultimate Destination”
“You mean I’m alive”
“Yes, to a certain extent. At present, you are in an intermediate state, neither completely alive, nor completely dead. However, when you reach the Ultimate Destination, you will not want your soul to return to your earthly body and then you will be dead on earth.”
“But I don’t want to die!” She cried in desperation, “What if I don’t want to go to the Ultimate Destination yet… I’m too young to die… There must be a way of getting back!”
“You must understand that death is not the end and that your soul will always remain” The man answered calmly.
“But I will be dead!” She cried again, stressing this crucial point.
“On earth, yes”
The girl took a deep breath, “Is there any way of getting back”
There was a long silence as the man contemplated the girl’s question, stroking his lengthy white beard “Yes. There is a way.”
The girl’s heart lifted, as a small ray of hope emerged “There is a way?”
“Yes, In order to return, you must reunite both body and soul. However, many others before you have tried and failed, because the journey back is worse than dying.”
But the girl didn’t care how difficult it was to get back – as long as she could live again. She was eager to set off immediately.
“How do I get back?” She asked desperately, “Where must I go?”
The old man raised a crooked finger, and pointed into the direction of the green country fields and beyond. ”Many have tried and failed. Only those who are strong in spirit have ever succeeded.”
“Can’t you come with me?” The girl asked, having become quite attached to the old man’s company

“No” The old man shook his head, ” but another will guide you on your journey.” And with that, the man lifted his head, and once again stared fixedly in the direction of the Ultimate destination, signalling the end of the conversation.

The atmosphere in the hospital room was one of grief and sorrow. A middle-aged woman sat next to the bed, sobbing woefully, while her husband paced silently back and forth, trying in his mind to understand how such a thing could have happened. The last thing they said to their daughter were words of contempt and rage. Now, she was fighting for her life – They faced the concept that she may never wake and just remain in a deep coma forever, never to tell her that they were sorry. This raw human emotion seemed somewhat out of place, enclosed by the sanitised white walls and surrounded by the artificial life support machines, which forced an imitation of life into their daughter. In the bed, lay the girl, looking as alive and real as life itself, but as still and silent as death.
The door opened suddenly and in walked a man wearing a clinical white coat, clutching a clipboard. He seemed rather young for a doctor, although he gave the impression that his knowledge was more than just wise wisdom, but the complete and honest truth.
“Mr and Mrs Aiken,” The woman rose from the chair, whilst the man ceased pacing. “I have good news. Although your daughter is still in a very serious condition, The scans show that there has been a slight increase in brain activity, meaning that she won’t need life support for much longer, and that she will probably come out of the coma soon.”
The woman let out a sigh of relief and smiled. ”How soon?”
“There is no way we can tell when she will come out of it,” replied the doctor, readjusting his glasses, ”we’ll just have to wait and see”

The girl walked through the field in the direction the old man had indicated, enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of the landscape that surrounded her. It was hard to believe that death was only a few steps away, just over the ridge, when soft, moist, grass brushed against her legs, and beautifully perfumed flowers lay like a light dusting of icing sugar on the ground. She had left the old man perched on the rock some time ago, and even though she walked as fast as she could, the scenery did not seem to change, although this did not bother the girl one bit. However, she was eager to live again and that is what made her walk as fast as she did. All of a sudden, the girl stopped in her tracks. A mild wind blew through the grass – something was coming. Then, a short distance away, she peered as the faint outline of a person materialised from no where, as if it were carried by the wind. The figure seemed to float, gradually drawing nearer and nearer across the field, until the girl could clearly see who approached. It was a woman, or rather, a goddess. She radiated a gentle white ethereal glow, encompassing her from head to toe. Her skin was a flawless ivory white, much like a china doll and she wore an elegant dress made of fabric weaved from the clouds. Crimson red sashes also billowed and encircled her dress as she glided along the grass. As she drew nearer, the girl could see mercy, hope and charity in the Goddess’ graceful face.
“I have been sent to assist you on your journey” The woman said with kind smile. The girl was speechless
“Why do you want to go back?” The woman suddenly questioned.
The girl found herself answering without realising it, “Because I want to live”
“But why? Why do you wish to live?”
“Everyone wants to live” The girl said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “No one wants to die if they never planned it in the first place”
“You must do better than that if you wish to survive your journey and reunite you and your mortal body. You must have a strong will to live in order to survive the journey – and you will only have that if you have a compelling reason to live. Just think about it for the time being.”
And with that, the woman disappeared, blown away as if by a mere gust of wind.
The girl stood there, incredulous. What did the woman mean when she said that she’d have to think of something better than that? The girl wanted to live. She wanted to live so that … well, she just wanted to. If she died, if she decided to turn around and go back to the Ultimate Destination, she would die. If she died, she wouldn’t be able to do all the things she planned to do in her life. She wouldn’t go to university, travel the world, get married, have kids, get rich. She would never do those things if she died, so she would not turn back, not now, not ever.
She raised her foot once more and took a step, one after another. For hours upon hours, the girl had been walking through the fields, with no change in scenery whatsoever, although it was slightly cooler than it once was. Now, in the distance, the girl could see the faint outlines of mountains, just beginning to rise up from the flat country fields. Her feet hurt from walking for so long, but she was too determined to return to life that she did not bother resting. Since the encounter with the Goddess, she had met no one while walking and began to feel that she would meet no one else. This, she realised, must be one of those things that can only be done alone. She couldn’t ask anyone to help – strangers, friends, or even… Her thoughts drifted to her parents, and a wave of resentment rushed over her. Their argument was still vivid in her mind. They had been arguing about how next year, she wanted to go to a university half way across the country. They had the best facilities, the best teachers and the best academic record of any university in the country, but they wouldn’t let her go. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford it – the girl knew they could, but rather they didn’t want to let her go – to loose the power and control they had over her. For an instant, the girl seriously considered turning back - to go into the darkness defeated, to die. That way, her parents would never have a hold of her – they would control her no longer.
The girl continued to walk towards the dark snow capped mountains, which now loomed above her like enormous, cold, ancient statues, built by a lost civilisation to satisfy a vengeful god. She was still surrounded by the country fields, but they had lost all the warmth they had held when she first saw them – the sky was silvery grey, and the flowers no longer exhibited their sunny smiles as they once did. The girl walked on and on and on, as the flat green fields of grass and flowers soon gave way to small rocks, then soil, then the cold damp mountains. All of a sudden, as the girl walked along, she smiled. She had just remembered what children used to say on long car trips and train journeys - “Are we there yet?”. She wondered when she would be there…Or if she was there… Or… A horrible thought occurred to her, as she reached the first patches of snow near the base of the mountains. Had she missed the place she was supposed to go? Had she gone right past it? Was she going in the right direction? Where was she going? What was she looking for? Was it a landmark, like a gate or something… or was it something in nature, like a special sort of tree? Surely the Goddess would have told her if she was not on the right track, and anyway, the old man said the journey would be long… and ever so hard.
As she inched her way up the mountain, thick blankets of icy snow began to appear on the ground, slowing the girl down. Suddenly, to her dismay, a wintry gale blew up, hindering her attempts to climb the mountain further. But she did not stop. Her legs ached from walking, the wintry snow burned her bare feet and she was hungry enough to eat a banquet for twelve. As one heavy foot took a step, the other was relieved, but only temporarily, before it was once again forced to the ground. The gale increased until it was a harsh blizzard, which whipped the girl’s face raw, like a thousand minute lashes applied to her every second. Her teeth chattered like a typewriter, uncontrollably. She was frozen all over. She pulled her thin cloak, which provided no warmth whatsoever, around herself tighter – It was too cold. She was too tired. Far too tired. She couldn’t go on like this. Finally, she gave into temptation, and managed to stumble over to a rocky outcrop on the face of the mountain. The girl sat down, and looked back from where she had come. All she could see was the dark, dreary grey sky, and the small shards of frigid ice that were blown and tossed by the blizzard. It was too cold. It was colder than freezing. It was then, for the first time that she realised that she wouldn’t make it – but she couldn’t turn back. She didn’t know in which direction back was, as she again tried to look through the grey of despair that surrounded her. The only thing to do was sleep. But she didn’t want to go to sleep for fear that she would freeze to death. Yet gradually, her eyelids closed and she fell into the realm of dreams.

The sound of air being pumped into their daughter’s lungs was the only thing that could be heard in the hospital room. Mr and Mrs Aiken could stand it no longer. They had been at their daughter’s bedside twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for a whole week since the accident, with no improvement in her condition. The relief they had felt when she first gave signs of increased brain activity had faded away, as had their hopes of their daughters recovery. They could stand it no longer, watching their only child lie lifeless, yet alive. If only she would wake up, if only she would open her eyes – if she would only give them a sign.

Warmth. She felt warmth. The girl opened her eyes, and at first, she saw blurry white. She was home! She had returned! She had made it! But then, as her eyes focused and adjusted to the light, she realised she hadn’t returned at all. Floating only a few steps away, unperturbed by the harsh blizzard surrounding her, was the Goddess, radiating her gentle white light. She peered intently at the girl.
“Why do you wish to live?”
The girl panted from the cold “I want to live because there is so much I haven’t done yet. I’m too young to die. I want life so I can go to university, travel the world, get a good job, get married, have kids, have fun. I want to make a difference to the world.”
There was a short silence before, “Your reasons for living seem rather… selfish.” The Goddess hovered closer, “Aren’t you going back to see the people you know? Friends, Family… aren’t you going back for their sakes too? To mend broken relationships, to reconcile your differences, to restore hope to those you love.”
The girl hadn’t thought of this at all, how her close friends and relatives would react to her death. But then her mind drifted to her parents yet again. She certainly didn’t want to go back for them, she didn’t want to reconcile with them, certainly not after what had happened.
“I suppose I would go back for them, but I wouldn’t want to go back for all of them.”
“It is because of something that happened in the past, is it not?”
The girl nodded as she was too cold to move her lips.
“My child,” The Goddess knelt down to talk to the girl face to face, ”You are not returning to life to live for the past, you are returning to face the future, and that is the most important thing to remember.”
The girl nodded again.
“Now, why do you think you want to live?” The Goddess asked.
“Because” The girl whispered, barely moving her lips, “life has so much potential”
The Goddess smiled kindly, “In times of trouble this knowledge will re-strengthen your resolve and remind you why you are making this journey”. Suddenly, The Goddess radiated a mellow warmth that seemed to dull the icy blizzard, and then in an instant she was gone.
With renewed strength, the girl shuffled up the mountain. Although it was still chilly, it wasn’t as freezing as it had been before the Goddess came. The sky seemed more the colour of placid silver now, unlike the depressing grey it had been. The snow itself also seemed softer, as if a hint of sun had managed to escape the concealing grey clouds and warm the hard icy snow to a softer feel. Gradually, the land became ever more steep, and the girl was forced to cling onto the snow. She no longer felt that the journey would be impossible, after her brief period of doubts. Rather, she attacked every rock and every crest with a renewed determination. She would make it. She knew it. After a while of treading on snow, the girl noticed that up ahead, the mountain seemed to level considerably. With one last mighty pull, the girl hauled herself up. Here, the sun finally showed its dazzling light once more, which warmed the cool, crisp air as well as the girl’s heart. She had reached the top of the mountain, and could see for miles around in every direction. She turned, and could make out the country fields she first encountered far in the distance. Turning in the opposite direction, she saw what lay before her. At the base of the mountain, a dark moss-green landscape began, and stretched on and on into the distance. It looked as if it were some kind of… well, it was difficult to tell. So she set off once again, this time down the mountain to continue on her journey.
Unlike the other side of the enormous mountain, the girl soon discovered that it was much warmer on this side. There was not very much snow to be seen, and that which remained was little more than pools of half melted water. At least, the girl thought, she wouldn’t freeze to death. The more she travelled down the mountain, the more humid the conditions became, and as she neared the base of the mountain she began to pour with sweat from the warm heat that seemed to surround her.
After what seemed like only a few hours, the girl reached the base of the mountain, her legs aching and her bare feet red raw. As she looked back, she realised how very large the mountain was, and how it had taken so long to climb. However, unlike the beautifully perfumed fields of green grass and flowers she had seen on the other side of the mountain, on this side, she faced a completely different landscape. A depressingly dank, humid bog lay before her, stretching away into the distance. Moss grew everywhere – on rocks, on tree trunks, even on the foul algae laced water. The girl slowly picked her way through the dankness, constantly in searching of solid ground. As she went along, she breathed as little as possible in an effort to avoid the rich, earthy stench that arose from the bog. Every step she took caused an awful squelching sound, reminding her of a mouldy sponge being relieved of its filthy contents. A couple of times, the girl stumbled, putting her foot straight through the thin layer of moss and into the warm, oozing layer of filthy mire that lay beneath. Yet, she was still unperturbed. After all, she couldn’t go back now, not after crossing the mountain. She felt that after crossing it there was nothing that could keep her from reuniting her soul with her mortal body. However, the moisture and warmth of the bog gradually caused her to tire, and soon got the better of her, as she sat down against a moss-covered rock to rest.
Suddenly, a warm breeze blew through the bogged landscape, causing the stagnant, grimy marsh water to ripple and the moist leaves on the trees to sway madly. A multitude of crimson red sashes billowed out, as the Goddess materialised, floating over a small patch of filthy water, a short distance from the girl.
“Are you wearisome?” Asked the Goddess.
“Yes,” The girl replied “I was just having a rest… I wasn’t going to go back, you know, not after what I’ve been through”
“Well,” the Goddess smiled kindly, “You must continue on your way immediately. Your quest is of the utmost urgency.”
The girl was puzzled, “What?”
“Time is of the essence. You must be reunited with your earthly body soon.”
“But why?”
Promptly, the Goddess reached into one of her wide sleeves, and withdrew what looked like an enormous crimson marble, which she placed in the centre of her elegant hand.
“Watch carefully, my child”. Suddenly, the static contents of the orb began to swirl, tumbling and tossing, billowing and twisting, moving ever more rapidly, until the redness was instantly dispersed and replaced by a crisp, solitary image.
The girl was mesmerised by what she saw. It was clearly a hospital room, with its clinical white walls and artificial life support machines. In the corner of the room, sat her parents, whose weariness and sombre concern showed in the large dark rings under their eyes. All of a sudden, a man entered, wearing a fresh, white coat. – obviously a doctor. Her parents rose as the doctor approached.
“Mr and Mrs Aiken, as you know, it has been nearly a week since the accident”
Mr and Mrs Aiken nodded solemnly. The girl was shocked “A week?” It had seemed years since the car had hit her.
“Yes” replied the Goddess calmly, then motioned her to resume watching the orb.
The Doctor continued “And since then, there has been little improvement in your daughter’s condition” The couple yet again nodded.
“At present, she is being kept alive by life support”, he motioned to the air pumps “Usually, if a patient shows little sign of improvement after a week, there is little chance that they ever will.” Mrs Aiken eyes were like a breaking dam, as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall in torrents.
The Doctor pressed on “It will be difficult for you to make this decision, but I would strongly advise that your daughter’s life support be turned off.”
There was a small gasp from Mrs Aiken, as she lost control of her tears and began to weep woefully. The girl’s father slowly nodded in reply to the doctor’s comment, then turned and gently held the lifeless hand of his daughter.
The girl stared in disbelief, as the image was abruptly consumed once again by the billowing crimson cloud.
The Goddess replaced the orb in her sleeve, “You must understand that although a soul can live without a body, a mortal body cannot live without a soul for very long. Therefore, you must be reunited with your earthly body before it is too late”
“Well how much further do I have to go before that happens” the girl asked desperately.
“Unfortunately, there is still much to travel.” The Goddess replied. And with that, the Goddess disappeared yet again, as if evaporated by the dank humid air of the marsh.
The girl set off again at once, but this time, devoid of any hope. There was still a long distance to travel and she had little time to do it. Despair hung over her, surrounding her like the dank humidity of the marshland. She felt that every time she stumbled into a pool of grimy green water or placed a bare foot into a thick sponge of peat moss that she was being bogged down, sucked into hopelessness. What made it worse was that her parents were expecting her. They didn’t want to loose their daughter, a matter that was totally out of their control. They needed her. They would be devastated if she died. With the possibility of her death, they had forgotten their bitter argument and only wished for their daughter’s safe return. Now, she was forced to carry their hopes, as well as hers, when she knew that all hope was lost. They were waiting for her, but she would never make it. Or rather, she would never make it in time. She was so far away, and the dankness, filth, stench and humidity seemed all to slow her down, to permeate her very soul, and extinguish every ounce of determination that remained. But she had to continue – what else could she do? After all, her ‘life had so much potential’, she gave a wry smile – it certainly didn’t appear that way now.
Soon, the tall, dark trees of the bog began to thin out. It seemed like forever that she had been walking through the marshland, forcing one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other. As one heavy foot took a step, the other was relieved, but only temporarily, before it was once again forced to the spongy moist ground. Her sore bare feet were encrusted with moss and algae, from the number of times she had slipped through the moss or stumbled into the filthy water. Every inch of her body ached, but she had to go on. Gradually, the air lost its heavy dankness, becoming drier and drier, whilst the temperature became ever more hot.
After what seemed like hours, the warm mossy covered ground suddenly rose sharply to a thin crest. Just beyond the crest, the sky was a light blue, not unlike that which had hung above the fresh grassy fields. The landscape that lay beyond, reasoned the girl, was probably like that of the beautiful fields too. In a short burst of eager excitement, the girl scrambled as fast as she could, clinging and slipping on the moist moss that covered the steep sides of the crest. She clawed into the soil, as she hoisted herself up onto the crest and surveyed the sight before her.
The girl stared in utter dismay – miles upon miles of sand dunes lay before her, stretching infinitesimally into the distance, in every direction, except from the swampy dank marshland from where she emerged. Not a single sign of life littered the landscape: no trees, no animals, no people, not even the remnants of anything that lived long ago. Just hot, golden sand that stretched on and on into the great expanse.
Despair engulfed the girl, as warm tears streamed down her cheeks and fell to the ground, instantly absorbed by the scorching sand – “I will never make it. I will die in this godforsaken desert”. Suddenly, every inch of hope that remained was instantly evaporated by the landscape she faced. The girl knew she would not survive this cruel desert, let alone travel fast enough to return to life. There was so much further to go, in so little time. Even her reason to live, to complete the journey gave little comfort against the harsh, scorching scene of the desert. She looked back from the swampy marshland she had trekked through. She could no longer see the beautiful, green country fields, nor the giant snow capped mountains, which lay far, far behind her. There was no way she could turn back now, although she wished with all her might that she could. If only she had gone to the Ultimate Destination when she had her chance. But she had come too far to turn back now, even though the return may have been shorter than the remainder of the journey. With that and an empty, dispassionate determination, the girl forced one aching, bare foot against the scorching desert sand.
Large droplets of sweat dripped down the girl as she continued through the desert, pounded by the hot, unrelenting sun overhead. Every step she took was agony, the scorching sand searing her already blistered bare feet. She was ravenous and thirsty – her whole body ached from her ceaseless travels. But she had to continue, she had to go on, even with the little hope that remained. A couple of times, dust storms swiftly blew up in front of her, hurling grains of sand into her parched mouth and tired eyes. They would whip her face red raw, as the blizzard had done, before vanishing just as abruptly as they had appeared.
It had been a while since she had left the dank, humid marshland and still the landscape of the desert had changed little. Dead, dry sand still surrounded the girl, and the bright, burning sun still radiated a heat that was unbearable. She raised her foot once more and took a step, one after another. She was exhausted from the heat, from the travelling, from the urgency of her quest, from the hopes of others she carried and from the barren surroundings that seemed to fuel the inescapable despair that mounted inside her. As one heavy foot took a step, the other was relieved, but only temporarily, before it was once again forced to the scorching ground. She didn’t want to go on, but she had to. She had to try. She didn’t want to die either in the desert all alone, or in the real world. She couldn’t die. She was too young. There was still so much potential that remained in her life, she reminded herself. She would leave so many people behind if she died. Her thoughts were drawn immediately to her parents. She would never be able to see them again. She would never be able to reconcile with them – come to an understanding with them about the girl’s desire to move away. At once it hit her. Her parents did not want her to go to university, for the same reason they had sat at her bedside in the hospital. All along that she had mistaken her parents concern for control. They would be devastated – absolutely crushed if she didn’t live or even if she moved away. They needed her – and strangely enough, she realised she needed them. They had been right all along. She had to get back to her family. She just had to. The girl forced her other foot into the scorching sand - she was determined to go on.
She raised her foot once more and took a step, one after another. The girl had been treading through the sand dunes, with no change in scenery whatsoever for what had seemed like an eternity. The scorching sun still radiated relentlessly overhead, as the sand dunes continued ceaselessly into the distance. Sweat poured down her, drenching the thin, cloak she wore, which was now ragged and discoloured from the sand, soil and snow she had crossed. Every inch of her body ached unbearably, and worsened with every step she took. As she trekked over the sand dunes and walked through the sand, fatigue began to cloud her mind and gradually slow her down. She was ravenous and her mouth was parched with no moisture at all, much like sandpaper. The more she walked, the more languished and lethargic she became. Drowsily, the girl took another step, placing her burnt foot into the scorching sand once more. She raised her head, seeing only dry, barren sand dunes devoid of any life or hope. She wanted to live again - to see her family again, but she would never make it. It was too far. She would die here, in this desert, alone. She took another step, but instead, stumbled, collapsing on the sand. She didn’t have the energy to get up, to keep going. It was too far. She wanted to get back, she had to get back, but it was too far. Far too far. She would never make it. She wished with all her might to see her parents again, to live again, to at get up again. But she knew she wouldn’t. Slowly, her face lowered onto the scalding sand and her tired eyes closed, as her determination was finally defeated by the darkness of exhaustion and despair. She would die here. She would die in this desert.
Suddenly, the desert silence was broken by a sound like the whistling of the wind. Slowly, the girl raised her head from the hot desert sand and stared in hope into the distance. Just beyond the rise of a sand dune, a short way ahead, the sand slowly rose to a whirlwind that spun ever more rapidly. A multitude of crimson red sashes suddenly billowed out from the whirlwind, before it subsided just as quickly as it had begun to reveal the Goddess, who appeared like a beautiful, delicate flower unruffled by the harsh, hot barren landscape of the desert. The Goddess approached, careful to disturb not one grain of sand, as she floated towards the girl. As she drew near, the Goddess stopped, and began to gaze compassionately at the girl.
“I…I can’t go on.” The girl rasped, lifting her head ever so slightly off the ground to see the Goddess.
“You must”
“Why?” The girl already knew the answer, but her question was one made in utter despair.
“You will have achieved nothing if you do not continue. All your efforts will have been in vain”
“But I will die here”
The Goddess gave a kindly smile. “You, here, are but a soul. A soul can never die. A soul may be separated from its mortal body and you would, in regards to your mortal state… die. But a soul can never die… and you will not die here.” The Goddess paused, ”But, You must continue on your journey, otherwise you may very well die on earth.”
The girl, weak with exhaustion took a while to respond. “But I … I can’t go on. I do want to get home, to see my family.” She rasped, a hot tear rolled down her cheek, ”But I’m tired… I’m hungry… I’m thirsty. I’ll never make it.”
“You must have faith and hope to continue, for there is always something more to come” And with that, the Goddess began to draw away, slowly floating towards the rise of the sand dune.
“Wait,” Rasped the girl, as she scrambled to her feet, collapsing and rising to her feet once more, “Wait!”. She hobbled along after the Goddess, who she hoped would help her find the faith she needed to go on. The Goddess was now at the peak of the rise, and swiftly disappeared over the other side. With every last ounce of energy that remained, the girl forced herself over the rise. She scanned the dry, sandy dunes that lay before her - The Goddess was no where to be seen. Yet, her eyes were suddenly drawn to movement below her at the base of the sand dune. She rubbed her tired eyes vigorously, with the purpose of removing any of their deceit. A small gush of water issued from the side of the sand dune, soaking the hot, thirsty sand. Its dark, thin course continued onwards, following the depressions in the sand like the writing of a fluid hand. The girl stumbled down the slope of the sand dune towards the spring and cupped the clear, clear water in her hands. She then took an eager series of refreshing gulps, which quenched not only her thirst, but also her deep sense of despair.
Soon, the girl set off once again, this time following the winding course of the stream. The water flowed around desert sand dunes, through barren valleys, and down steep slopes of scorching sand, slowly increasing more and more each time. Gradually, dry, withered trees began to dot the landscape as the sun began to loose its ability to radiate burning heat. The girl walked further and further, feeling her sore bare feet slowly begin to leave the searing sand and instead walk on soft, earthy soil. Yet the water continued to flow steadily, regardless of the severity or gentleness of the terrain.
After a while, the landscape began to change, with the withered, brown, solitary trees of the desert replaced by a scattering of large, leafy trees. There was a sense of renewed hope with every step the girl took, as she followed the winding path of the stream, which seemed to grow more and more as time went on. She could feel herself draw nearer and nearer to life as she continued to travel. Gradually, the sky faded to a happy, gentle blue as the sun finally relented, radiating a bright, hopeful warmth that seemed to energise everything it touched, including the trees, which now began to grow as a thick, dense forest. The girl was soon forced to pick her way past lush, green ferns and gigantic tree roots, which appeared to have been unearthed in an eager excitement. As she travelled further and further, the moist, woody smells of the forest became stronger and stronger, entering her lungs with every breath. Each step she took burned her agonised feet, but she didn’t care. She knew that she was getting closer to returning to life, and that was all that dulled the pain. By now, more streams and creeks had joined the mere trickle in the desert, combining to form a wide, swift, river that ran along side the girl.

Only the constant, soft bleeps of the heart monitor, and the raspy pumping oxygen shattered the still and silent hospital room. Mr and Mrs Aiken stood, as still as two pale marble statues, watching their daughter sleep for the last time. Mrs Aiken looked haggard and withered, as if her tears had removed every last drop of spirit and life in her that may have remained. Mr Aiken looked much the same, although his silent, invisible tears had been absorbed and quickly shoved aside for the sake of his wife. They both raised their heads as at that moment, the doctor who still wore his professional lab coat and carried his hard clipboard, entered the room. There was no way this girl would wake up and the hospital was in desperate need of a bed for an elderly patient with a severe heart condition. He felt awful telling this girl’s parents that she was already dead – that there was no hope for her. But they really needed to free the bed for someone who would benefit from it. He paused for a few seconds, carefully avoiding the fragile state of grief that encompassed the two parents, yet stressing his urgency. “Mr and Mrs Aiken, It really is time we turn off your daughter’s life support.” Mrs Aiken nodded numbly. It seemed to her as if they were killing their daughter, cutting her life short and not even giving her a fair chance. But she knew it had to be done, they had to stop the pain, for them and for her.

From far away, the girl, suddenly a heard the faint beating of water against rock. As she travelled, the sound became louder and louder, as the river built to a white, thundering torrent. Up ahead, the surging torrent continued to flow then ceased abruptly, giving way to the gentle blue sky. As she neared the edge of the waterfall, the sound of the water rose to a deafening crescendo. The girl walked to the edge of the waterfall and watched as the ceaseless cascade of crystal water surged into the small basin fifty feet below, dusting her face gently with a constant spray of lukewarm water. Suddenly, the deafening sound of the water became muffled, as if a pair of invisible hands had been placed over her ears. The girl slowly turned to face the Goddess, who hovered gracefully, a small distance away on the bank of the river.
“You have nearly completed your journey, my child,” She said, with a kind and gentle smile “All that remains is for you to enter the water”
The girl glanced back her at the thundering waterfall. Now she was here and so close to life, her doubts arose yet again. It seemed to her as if the crashing of the cascade on the water below would swallow her up whole if she dared to enter.
“You do want to return to life, do you not?” asked the Goddess gently.
The girl nodded vigorously, “Yes”. She wanted to live again, to go on with her life, to see her parents, to reconcile with them, to tell them they were right all along.
“Then you must hurry, time is short.”.
The girl turned to stand at the edge of the waterfall, watching the torrents of water thunder into the small basin below. She was afraid. What if she never surfaced again, either in the living world or this one?
“Have faith and hope” the Goddess’ soothing voice spoke behind her. She looked back, expecting support from the Goddess, who only watched her carefully, her gaze willing her to go on. She hesitated, gathering all the courage within her. She couldn’t bring herself to jump off the edge into the crashing water below. It was too high. What if she was consumed by the water and never came back. She wanted to go back. She wanted to see her parents again. She wanted to live - She had to live. She had to live. She jumped. The girl sailed down into the rush of cold water. The ceaseless cascade pounded down above her, forcing her head beneath into the darkness. She couldn’t breathe, She couldn’t see. Everything was dark. She kicked furiously attempting to resurface, but in vain. Suddenly, a sense of motionless peace surrounded her, as a small, white eerie shaft of light emerged below her out of the darkness.

Lying silently in the hospital bed, she looked alive, her pulse was strong, she breathed - but only with the assistance of machines. Mrs Aiken reached out one last time to her daughter, holding her cold, lifeless hand. Beside her, the doctor pressed a small red button on the machine’s display, turning off her daughter’s life support. Along with it, extinguished Mrs Aiken hopes and dreams, as well as every last drop of spirit and life with in her. Yet still the life support machines ran, continuing to register the girls heart rate and breathing as if they did not yet feel that it was time to give up on the girl. Mrs Aiken looked up in eager hope at the monitors, before the doctor said gravely, “It will take some for your daughters vital organs to shut down and for the her heart’s electrical impulses to stop.”

She swam madly towards the light, like a moth to a window. Her lungs were about to explode, as she held her breath under the water. Closer and closer the girl swam, desperately seeking something… anything apart from the darkness surrounding her.

Mr and Mrs Aiken watched their daughter’s life support machines continue to register life in their daughter. The longer the machines ran, the longer they felt their daughter slipping away, and the longer they felt they could not catch her.

The girl swam in furious desperation towards the light, propelling herself forward with every forceful kick she made. She would make it. She would make it. Suddenly, she emerged into the dazzling white light, blinding her with hope, strength and life. She had made it.

They wished that the machines would stop, stop telling them that their daughter was alive, when they knew she was not. Yet the machines continued to run and finally they realised they would not stop, for they had been right all along.

Two weeks later, the girl awoke. Now, she found herself in a new light, the light over the hospital bed shining incandescently. She eased herself up onto the soft white pillows, and surveyed the room. Beside the window, which reflected the cold dreary weather outside, stood her father, her mother sitting in a chair next to him. Both looked slightly tired yet hopeful nonetheless. Sensing movement on the bed, they turned. To their extreme delight and relief, their daughter had awoken. The girl gave a weak smile and her parents instantly returned it. She was home. She was alive. She had her family. What more could she ask for?