The Desert's Secret

Author's note: Finally writing a short story after two years was definitely a big task, a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Thank you S. for collaborating with me and giving me the motivation I needed 😘

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A man covered in sweat and mud trapped in the underground labyrinth, lost in a dizzy state of fatigue, resting against the rocks while coughing up blood and pressing his wound on his stomach. But no, he couldn’t give up. Not yet. He willed himself to get up, his mind a mirage of hope. He could hear the shadow came closer and closer. It’s snarls growing louder. Screams echoed as it clutched him into its claws leaving nothing but dust in its wake. 

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Somewhere in the southern part of the great Zaytun desert, often referred to as the curse of nature. Its hot  and dry lands and winds supported little vegetation and wildlife, making it a inhospitable haven for humans. Amidst the extremities stood a small village- Payum. driven by their strong beliefs and traditions, people of Payum believed in a simple ideology- mind your own business and never ever disobey the king. No one anticipated the miracle of life happening right in this dead desert. Life was thriving in this little community of 10,000 people until....the earthquakes came, which soon would be the reason of a huge catastrophe and test the faith that the natives believed in. 

It started as small cracks on the dry and sandy exterior but soon took the form of giant pits and cavities which gave the look of the unknown black abyss beneath.... Dark yet captivating. A black hole drawing in every gullible. People gather around to watch this strange phenomenon.  A wave of terror spread across Payum, the cry of doom coming to them as if the Gods weren't merciful enough to them or they did something wrong. 

Prayers, rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies, none of it would suffice which deepen their fear into the deep crevices of their mind. 

But this time it was different. It started with mere tremors and small cracks of sand, growing rapidly as it whispered to the winds, warning the people of the new beginning of the end. 

A big cavity was opened up far north in the desert where an indigenous mystical shrine was revealed in an enclosed space, under the rubble. Spotted in the daylight, people gathered around to see the fantastic structure.

While everyone knew better and stayed away from the shrine, to little Awan, it seemed like just another challenge. Another win to belt in his adventurous spirit.  

The challenge of sliding down the peaks and rocks , and making sure to not get buried under the sand and gravel was one of the little things Awan was proud of and when he reached the ground he observed his environment with widened eyes and said to himself “w-what is this place exactly? Gosh! Gives me the creeps, w-what if some of the t-tales mother talks about comes true? okay no, okay okay Awan, you are not scared and definitely not going to turn back now!", he calmed himself down and gulped at his own imaginations. Awan was of a rather small stature but he kept the fire inside of him alive and bound to his resolve to unravel the secrets of this expanded darkness, mocking at the 13 years old boy every now and then. 

He went further in the untouched abyss and saw the shrine glowing blood red in the enclosed space. Awan's eyes dilated and he looked at the shrine. Trembling fingers closed over his mouth. This was unlike anything he has ever seen before. Blood roared in his ears as he stepped forward. Tall pillars rose from white marble tiles. He ran his fingers through the engravings, symbols he had never seen before as they began to glow beneath his touch. 

Come to me, son 

A deep growl echoed through his mind. He whirled around in panic. “Who-who’s there” he choked. 

Come to me, son 

The voice repeated. Awan turned to leave just to realise the way he had come from was now sealed by a huge rock. Wiping his slick forehead with the back of his hand, he tried to remain calm. “It was alright. It’s all gonna be alright. Baba’s gonna find me. He'll save me.”

A thunderous laugh echoed, loud enough to make his teeth chatter. 

No one can save you. Except me. Come to me, son. If you help me, I’ll help you. 

“Wh-what help?”

Come to me, son 

With his heart in his throat, Awan stepped forward. His feet leading him closer and closer to the voice till he stood in front of a massive door. Made of wood, the door shined with intrinsic golden carving. Awan wondered at its immensity. His hand hovering over the knob. 

Come to me, son  

The voice now seemed louder than ever. Awan covered his ears but it won’t stop. Like a chant, the words kept repeating in his head. He closed his eyes. What was happening to him? 

So close, son. So close. Help me and I'll help you. 

That was when the walls he had built around his head crumbled down. He caved in and opened the door in one go. 

In front of him stood the ugliest and disgusting creature, he never would have even imagined. Its entire body was covered in slick green slime. Where there should have been a face, there was a green globular with nothing but three eyes staring back at him. The one in the middle seemed as if it had been carved out or smashed as white puss leaked from it. 

Before Awan could scream or make an attempt to save his life, the creature drew out his sharp talons and slashed the boy’s chest into shreds. 

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“Oh there you are! Where were you? I was so worried about you.” 

Awan smiled at his mother as he removed his shoes before entering the house. “Just wandering.” he said before stopping in front of the mirror, assessing his face. 

Suddenly his mother was by his side, holding his hand. “By the skies, why is there blood on your hands? Are you hurt?” Her voice mixed with worry. 

“Amma,” he placed his hand on her tiny shoulders. “It’s not my blood.” The woman gaped at him in horror just before the hands on her shoulders turned into claws and carved her throat out. 

“Awan, is that you? Did you see your Amma?” Baba yelled from the kitchen. The monster smirked. 

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It was much easier to move in Awan’s body than his father’s…but it wasn’t complaining. It had been long since he had seen the human realm, much less had a feast. But that wasn’t why it was here. Revenge gleamed in his eyes. It was gonna make them regret what they did to it. Return the cruelty they once inflicted on it and held it as a prisoner for more than a century. It can finally take revenge for all those years. 

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The sun had set and dusk began to cover the vast horizon, giving it an eerie yet an beautiful look. The king was having his evening tea, made with wild fruits and berries of the desert, while sitting on his throne and looking over the court session that was taking place in front of him. Discussions ranged from statistics and figures about the produce that was coming in the desert to the information about every single activity that was occurring in the region. 

One of the king's loyal ministers came barging and almost stumbled into the court, disturbing the decorum that had been established and not showing the manners that were expected from a high class minister like himself. He was looking so haggard and distraught with his hair going into places that gave him a comical look and his face as pale as the moon and coughing.

He gained a couple frustrated groans and mean whispers due to the commotion he created but he could care less, as what he was about to tell would start a whirlwind of chaos in the court itself. 

The minister, still heaving, crouched down on one of his knee and bowed to pay respect to the king and began in a stuttering tone yet carrying the seriousness of the situation he has assessed before coming to the court " G-good evening, His royal majesty. I am sorry for my insolence of barging into the Royal court like that but this matter is of extreme importance and need your immediate attention". The minister paused and looked at the king, who was giving him a questionable look with the golden glass in his hand but soon nodded in acknowledgement for him to proceed. 

The minister gulped and took a long breath in and continued  " My Lord, the T-thing.... I-it is o-out and now terrorizing our people.. M-maiming them and making sure to make its motives clear". He said that in one breath and could no longer look at the king, afraid of the wrath that was going to come next but all he could hear was the silence of the court, as if there weren't any people in the first place. 

But suddenly, the sound of the glass breaking and shattering into million shards could be heard and the bright color of the tea stained the carpet which was worth thousands. Soon the king jolted up from his throne and shouted in a commanding tone while seething with anger underneath, "HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE??! OUR ANCESTORS MADE SURE TO SEAL THAT SINISTER BEING  IN THE DEEPEST CORNER OF THE LABYRINTH SO THAT IT COULD NEVER ESCAPE BUT, THEN HOW?? ANSWER ME! "

The minister shuddered where he was at and prayed to himself for the king to calm down. The king's breath became more shallow as his anger and concern rose in his body, sucking the energy out of every fibre in the body, he started walking back and forth, contemplating how such a disaster would unfold in his watch. 

He again spoke but this time with control, masking an unknown fear that kept looming over his head like dark rainy clouds ready to burst any time, " Oh heavens! All these years I kept the secret safe, even with earthquakes becoming a common occurrence here, I knew well that the being would never come out and the people would stay aloof to whatever exists. But no, now that it is roaming free amongst the people, they all are in danger and their distress is a challenge to my power which I can't afford ". 

 He paused in a deep thought while all the ministers kept their silence, the bowed minister looked around thinking to himself how could such a thing happen with all the safety that was taken years ago. 

Eventually, the king stopped in his tracks and a victorious grin appeared on his face. He looked at the court and stood before all of them, proud and tall and said, " My dear servants and ministers, I know it's a time of calamity we are going through but fret no more, we shall set up a trap, just how it used to be done in the old times'', his eyes gleamed with determination and he snickered and whispered under his breath " Let's see if you would be able to escape from this twisted game of fate, you pathetic hell being. "

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The minister bows before the king, “My lord, we have brought what you asked for. Samara, the seed of the Ash Tree, imported specially from Java.”

The king grunts in response. 

The minister hesitates for a bit then asks, “M-may I ask why?” He takes a step back anticipating the wrath. Instead the king smiles and says, “Look at this. Scrolls left by our ancestors. The key to capture that creature and finally bring peace for once and for all. Are the priests ready?”

The minister smiles in return, “Yes, my lord”

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From up close, the shrine looks majestic and even more dangerous. Covered in red patterns and strange language, pillars rose from the ground, as if depicting a story. A story of death. 

In the middle, a fire was lit up, it’s flames licking the edges of the ceiling and casting a warm glow around it. Four priests wrapped in a white cloth wearing a golden headset sit around the fire and in the middle sits the king, chanting the mantras learnt from the scroll. Each word feeds the fire. 

After what seems like an eternity, they finally hear the first screech. The priest shudders but the king just smiles. Good, it’s coming. He keeps chanting the mantra, even louder now. The screeches grow closer and closer. 

Finally, the king reaches for his bag and brings out the Samara seeds, slowly trickling them into the fire. A loud growl reverberates through the floor, loud enough to form cracks in the pillars. The priests start to panic but the king only laughs. 

The creature comes into view, as if being pulled by an invisible force, it’s nails digging into the walls. His growl turns into a painful plead. 

The force clutches the creature, pulling it closer and closer and finally, into nothingness. 

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The whole city is glowing with a thousand lights, dancing and drinking in celebration. The king sprawls on his throne, drinking wine and swaying in its taste. 

The minister enters and bows in front of him, “His Majesty, you asked for me?”

The king smirks before digging his claws into the minister’s neck.