othelladub's Diaryland Diary

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the boy in the desert

There once was a boy in the desert. He had been part of a wagon train, heading west, and the party had abandoned him as he swam in a stream.

Several youths had spent hours swimming, but one by one, they trailed off. The boy had enjoyed the water so much that he remained. Soon, the boy was the only one left.

He emerged from the water shimmering like a rainbow trout, yet he could not find his family. His family had vanished - along with the rest of the wagon train.

He walked and walked. He came upon trees and hills, valleys and scattered assemblages of rocks. He looked at the moon, at night, and thought of his friends.

In the morning, he felt a great hunger in his stomach. He ached for food. He remembered his family, and walked on.

He found himself at the edge of a great salt lake. He sat down next to a joshua tree. The heat punished him, as his skin dried up, and his eyes hurt. His vision was blurry, and he could feel nothing but pain.

The boy remembered the watch his mother had given him. He reached inside his small knapsack, and removed the watch. It glimmered in the sun.

"She gave this to me," he thought. "To me!"

Soon, the boy was up and walking again.