“So, tell me why they called this the Desert of Insanity,” Adani asked as he trailed after his brother.
Hameth glanced over his shoulder and said nothing. He was saving his energy for walking.
“Is it because you go insane walking through it,” Adani continued, “or because you must be insane for trying in the first place? I’d really like to know which it is.”
Hameth paused, waiting for his younger brother to catch up.
“You will get tired if you insist on talking all the time,” he said finally.
“I wouldn’t be talking if you’d just answer my questions. What are we doing out here?”
Hameth shaded his eyes and looked off into the distance. “Treasure, Adani. Riches beyond imagining.”
Adani squinted. He could see no riches; just the shimmer of heat rising from the sand.
“And that’s somewhere out here, eh? Somewhere out in the immense, formless landscape of the desert? Well, that’s easy then, isn’t it? We’ll be rich in no time!”
Hameth rolled his eyes. “Trust me, my brother. I know where we’re going.”
He set off again, not giving his brother a chance to speak again.
“Oh good,” muttered Adani, “As long as you know where you’re going, that’s fine. I’ll just tag along behind you…”
He carried on muttering for almost ten minutes before realising how much wiser it was to stay silent. The sand seemed to tug at his feet with every step, sapping his energy until he could barely place one foot in front of the other. It seemed to have no effect on Hameth, however, who apparently found the going easy. He forged ahead, waiting every so often for his brother to catch up before taking off again.
“We’re nearly there, Adani,” he said finally, holding out his hand. “Let me help you.”
Adani stubbornly ignored his brother’s hand. He could still see only the shifting sand around them.
“Nearly where?”
“You will see it from the top of this dune,” Hameth said. “Quickly now!”
He grabbed Adani’s shoulder with one hand and his wrist in the other, pulling his brother’s arm around his shoulder so he could help him up the slope.
“We must see this together,” he said. Adani grumbled, but he allowed himself to be dragged upwards.
They crested the dune and stood together, staring at what lay below.
“So beautiful,” Adani whispered. “It must be a mirage.”
“It is real,” Hameth said. “Many have sought Serenity. We stand among the few who have succeeded.”
Adani turned to his brother. “Is it true that the Last King buried his treasure here?”
“I don’t know.” Hameth smiled, a broad smile that his brother hadn’t seen for many years. “Shall we go and found out?”
Together the brothers descended the dune and entered the fabled Oasis of Serenity.
© Kari Fay
(Author’s Note – This week’s Three Word Wednesday challenge is to use the words “effect, immense, shimmer”. I immediately thought of a desert. This story could fit in to a fictional world I’ve been working on, so one day I might write more.)
Jae Rose said:
What an immersive story..I almost forgot you the word prompts as they were so effortlessly included..Jae
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you. Surprisingly, it was “effect” that I struggled to include- when I first saw the words I thought that one would be the easiest!
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RS Bohn said:
I agree, very immersive. And the characters truly came to life. Difficult to do in so few words, but you managed it seemingly effortlessly.
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you. The first line jumped into my head shortly after I heard the words, and the characters basically flowed from that.
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ThomG said:
The characters are so vibrant that I had to go back to see if you used the words. Great stuff.
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you, ThomG, this week’s words were a great selection. 🙂
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pia said:
The first sentence hooked me
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Kari Fay said:
Glad you liked it 🙂
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clare said:
definitely had my interest the whole way — lovely writing
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you Clare 🙂
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Deborah said:
You write with such ease it’s compelling and a pleasure to read!
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you Deborah. I’m always glad it comes across as easy 😉
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ms pie said:
a story teller indeed… the destination along with the relationship of brothers was a great mix… loved the heat, the pull and tug, and the suspense to the top of the dune… now what the heck awaits them at this oasis… one wonders if it is indeed heaven…
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you. I may continue the story of Adani and Hameth at a later date, so you might find out! 😉
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Amity said:
Beautiful Kari…nicely and crisply narrated…have you read the Alchemist? I find this scenario in your story also existing there!
You’re a very good writer, are you a published author? Just asking Kari!
Have a nice day! We all wish to find that Oasis of Serenity!
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you. The Alchemist – you mean the Paulo Coelho book? I haven’t actually read any of his, although I’ve heard so much about him I think I probably ought to! As for being published… well, currently only here and in my dreams!
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John Wiswell said:
I hope the Oasis of Serenity isn’t a mirage.
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Kari Fay said:
Well, I’m going to leave you wondering about that 😉 Thanks for reading.
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Julie Jordan Scott said:
I hope you do write more. Enjoyed this a lot… (and after your comment on my poem about poetry chairs, I think I will branch out into story chairs. LOL)
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Kari Fay said:
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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