The InkWell Prompt #101
Jet stood there at the top of the hill staring at the large expanse of land before him. He was more even intrigued by the amount of fog that covered the Land, he hadn't seen that much fog before. The amount of fog he had seen in the village was only a very small fraction of what was before his eyes.
Jet, with his arms akimbo, wasn't so sure of moving forward anymore but on a second thought, he had come too far and he needed to get a cure for his mother's illness.
Standing at 6'3 and with a machoman buildup that he had acquired from working jobs at different farms in the village to make ends meet, Jet didn't have trouble manoeuvrering the hilly terrain that led to the city, however it was already getting late and needed to rest for the night.
He dropped the sack that had been hanging down his shoulders to get something to make fire with for a start. But to his surprise, he found out he had left out flint stones and steel while packing.
And although he was in a rocky environment, it was already getting dark to start looking for such rare stones.
But on the other hand, it was also too dangerous to stay in the dark without light.
So Jet set out to beat the light before it was completely dark. And while he was looking for flint stones, a spider got unto his hands and bit him. He quickly took out another stone, which he luckily had packed, and made a cut on the point where he was bit to let the poison flow out.
Jet opened his eyes and was almost blinded by the light that met his eyes. It was morning, he had slept off after trying for so long to fight the pain from the spider bite. He took a look at his hands and it was swollen and red, he thought himself lucky to had survived the night and thought to himself that the universe must be on his side.
The Journey to the City wasn't so long anymore, it was just half a day's journey but there was one last obstacle to pass, a turbid river.
Jet was determined to get a cure for his mother but he knew quite well that he had to be alive to be able to do that.
He struggled to cut a branch from a tree by the riverside and used it as an anchor.
Luckily the river wasn't so deep, although it came up to Jet's Chest, and Jet was able to cross over. From there henceforth it was a stroll into the city.
Jet stood at the entrance to the City with his mouth agape. The city was not at all how he had imagined it. It was almost like the village, if not even worse. The City looked deserted, the buildings were looking old and the streets littered with dirt. As he walked down, he found sick people lying all over the street. They were coughing, groaning and some bleeding.
Jet was disappointed at what he met but was more worried he wouldn't get a cure for his sick mother. He was walking down the street dragging his feet and with his head hanging down and then someone called to him, "'hey" "hey!, what are you doing out there?". Jet stunned, lifted up his head to see who was talking, "me?" he answered, "yes you, come in fast!".
Jet turned in to the lady who had been calling him. The lady explained to him that a few days ago the city was alive and buzzing as usual until a strange fog filled the city and the whole city was plagued with a strange disease. She told him, she could tell he was a stranger which he agreed to and told her why he was here. Luckily She was a doctor herself and when Jet had explained the state of his mother to the lady, he was relieved to know that she had medicine for his mother's illness.
And although Jet was asked to stay back a few days and the journey back to the village was not an easy one, he was not worried one bit. All he thought of was seeing his dear mother on her feet again and smiling.
That thought alone is strengthening and is the type of motivation he needs to finish his quest successfully. I wonder what will become of the town covered in thick fog.
Thanks for reading
You certainly create a story rich in atmosphere here, @bahnhoft. We feel the dreariness of it. We feel the fatigue of our wanderer. We see the sick people in the City. You raise issues that beg for explanation. Why the fog? Why did you introduce it? Or the sick people. What do they have to do with Jet's quest? This is a classic hero's quest but you raise threads throughout that don't seem to be connected to his challenge. It would serve your story to explain how the illnesses and the fog enhance our appreciation of his journey.
Thank you for sharing this story with us, @bahnhoft. Have you engaged with at least two other members of the community this week? Thank you!
Thanks for the tips. They've been all noted.