Adam's story

Part 1:

That night, Adam's dreams were disturbed by a violent storm. He couldn't sleep because of fear. Another lightning illuminated the room, and Adam gritted his teeth, waiting for the thunder. He was so scared, but he decided to face it.

He wanted to watch the storm and fight that feeling of terror. He got out of bed, being careful not to bump into his sister's bed, who was sleeping peacefully. Another lightning illuminated the room, and Adam could see better where to put his feet.

He had to fight against the wind to be able to open the window wide. In front of him lay the grassy plain, followed by the cliff and the immense ocean. The sand was attacked by large waves, and the dark horizon of the sea merged with the huge black clouds. They overlapped and collided, creating crooked and tangled shapes. The thing that scared him the most was the sudden lightning.

He was absorbed in his thoughts when a lightning illuminated something on the sea for a few seconds. Adam squinted to understand what it was. In the midst of all that blackness, he saw a ship. Who could be so crazy as to sail in such weather? He decided to wait for another lightning. The sky obliged, and a lightning bolt arrived rapidly.

The lightning's light allowed Adam not to lose sight of it. At that point, he had no doubt that it was a ship heading towards the beach. As he followed it with his gaze, a lightning bolt attacked it with all its power, breaking it in two. Those poor people were so close to the shore.

He recoiled in fear, bumping into the bed. He turned abruptly to see if he had awakened his sister, but luckily, Ima was still asleep. He quickly closed the window and got back under the covers. Before falling asleep, he decided that the next day, he would go look for the remains of that ship.

Part 2:

"Wake up, Adam!"

The little girl shook him while he struggled to open his eyes. The sun was already high in the blue sky, and the curiosity to go see the remains of the ship on the beach convinced him to get out of bed.

"Come on, Ima. Leave me alone! I don't feel like playing!"

"And why not?" protested the girl.

"I have more important things to do."

"Oh, really? Let's see what Mom thinks then." And she ran out of the room.

Adam didn't have time to stop her before he heard her crying to his mother. The boy went downstairs for breakfast. His mother had just returned with a bucket of fresh milk, and Ima was dancing around her long skirt.

"If you go out, take your sister with you. I have to take care of the livestock with your father," said his mother, "and take Bon with you."

As soon as he heard his name, the big black Newfoundland raised his head and started wagging his tail. Adam already knew that there was no point in arguing, so he reluctantly accepted. The beach was covered in shells and seaweed, carried by the stormy sea.

Bon and Ima were having fun jumping on the shore, while Adam scanned the horizon looking for the wreckage. It had been almost an hour, and there was still no sign of the ship. At one point, the dog froze and looked towards the village. He was tense and growling.

"What's wrong, Bon?" asked Ima worriedly.

She didn't have time to pet him before the dog dashed towards the village, barking. The girl called him back, chasing after him. Adam didn't stop them. He had just caught sight of some pieces of wood scattered here and there. He decided to continue, after all, Ima was safe with Bon.

As soon as he turned around a rocky wall, Adam saw the stern of the semi-destroyed ship and a man lying face down on the sand. The boy approached slowly but froze in fear when he heard a groan. That man was reaching out for help. Atrocious screams from the village diverted his attention from that man.

Glows of red light rose in that direction. Overwhelmed by anxiety, he ran back as fast as he could.

"Adam, no!" he heard someone shouting behind him as he ran.

Could that man know him? He kept running, praying that nothing had happened to his family.

Part 3:

Adam was frozen. The village houses were burning, and people were lying on the ground, dead. Raiders were cleaning their blades on the corpses' clothes. His parents were on the ground, pale and cold. Ima was in his mother's arms, motionless. He heard one of those bandits scream and a whimper right after. They did not spare Bon either.

Fear and immense pain suffocated him, but more than anything else, it was anger that overwhelmed him. He kissed his loved ones on the forehead and sneaked away to the fishing boats at the dock. Without being noticed, he untied the rope and began rowing away from that tragedy. He could not think of anything. His head was so full of emotions that he was stunned. He rowed until he felt the smell of blood coming from his hands.

Now the coast was a distant line. He was alone, in the middle of the ocean. He had no idea how long he spent staring at the sky. Eventually, darkness and hunger also came. Fortunately, there was still a crate of fish and a little water on board. He lay down and observed the endless constellations and the blue sky for days.

He could not sleep, and as soon as the food was gone, stomach pains began. He cried for the pain and injustice. One morning, he heard screams in the distance. A big shadow covered the fishing boat, and as a hand was grabbing him, he lost consciousness.

He felt water on his lips. When he opened his eyes, dozens of people were around him, looking down at him with concern.

"Boy, drink." A voice told him.

Adam drank, keeping his eyes fixed on those men.

"Don't worry, you're out of danger."

"Thank you...but who are you?"

The man smiled at him. "I am Ian, and we are explorers. We are searching for new lands and cultures."

Adam felt safe with those strangers. A feeling of hope gave him the strength to keep living, although deep down he still nurtured a desperate desire for revenge.

Part 4:

In the following period, Adam became stronger and smarter. He learned how to manoeuvre a ship and navigate even in bad weather. He owed all this to Ian and his crew.

"Land!" shouted the lookout man.

As they approached, the shoreline became more visible, and the rows of trees and green mountains appeared. Once they docked, they set up camp on the beach to rest, and the next day they prepared for their excursion. After a few hours, they finally arrived in a clearing full of houses and people.

A large white stone building towered over all the others. The inhabitants looked curiously at the explorers and, seeing them exhausted from the walk, went to help them.

Some elderly men dressed in long, elegant tunics also came down from the white building. They spoke in an incomprehensible language, but their gestures seemed welcoming. The explorers settled in that village to learn about their culture and rest from their long travels.

During that time, Adam grew curious about that particular building that stood out from the others. He learned their language and became familiar with their past. Every day, the people of the village went to the temple, located at the top of the white building, and prostrated themselves in front of a perfect, luminous sphere. It was placed on a pedestal, but it did not touch the surface, instead floating in the air, motionless.

"Wise one, what is that precious object that you venerate?" Adam asked curiously.

"It is what the first men asked the ancient Gods for. It is the representation of time. It makes life a balanced repetition of events, so that creation can exist in harmony. Everything begins and then ends, and everything must end to begin again. It is a gift intended for all human beings. However, the needs of the greedy could condemn the entire creation, so we guard it to preserve order."

A dangerous thought, buried for a long time, flashed in Adam's mind. In the following days, his mind was tormented by a single purpose.

Part 5:

Time passed, and with it came nostalgia. The men prepared the ship for the return journey. Some of them decided to stay, while Adam chose to leave and wanted to celebrate with one last great feast. In the evening, wine brought laughter, and music filled the clearing. Adam sang and danced until, at some point, he moved away from the crowd.

He looked around and ran quickly towards the temple. He approached the sphere and, without hesitation, took it. Touching it, he realized that he could no longer go back, but the thought of being able to have his childhood and his loved ones back give him strength. When he made sure that everyone was sleeping, he walked towards the ship and hid it.

The next morning, the men set sail and said goodbye to the gathered villagers on the beach. Adam saw their smiles and their tears. Looking at them, he hoped he had made the right choice. Every day, Adam prayed in secret to be able to regain what had been taken from him. Bitter memories and warm tears finally convinced him of that choice.

At the moment they saw land, the moon was quickly covered by large black clouds, and it began to rain abnormally. The men were unprepared for the violent lightning strikes. The storm destroyed the ship, and the sphere went out, sinking together with the crew. The waves, however, dragged Adam onto the shore, barely alive.

He regained consciousness when he felt someone approaching. His vision was blurred, and he reached out to a shadow standing in front of him. It was hard for him to speak, and suddenly that figure turned and fled. It was then that he understood.

"Adam, no!" he said weakly.

Exhaling his last breath, he realized that he had condemned himself and the people he had loved to an infinite pain. He suffered the wrath of the Gods. His end brought him to his beginning and his beginning to his end, forever.

The End.