A Land Beyond

Word count: 1599

If the current of a river is too strong, there's no contending it. Some people manage to oppose it more, others less, but there is always a river too strong for a person to swim against. I don't know how or why, but I managed to conquer them all. But being the best in the world didn't bring me the gratification I craved. I know I can do better.

There is a valley up in the mountains that is the most natural environment to be found in today's desolated world. The river there flows abundantly throughout the whole year, and the neighboring mountains prevent the wind from finding a way into this resort. As a consequence, the trees grow strong, and a forest has naturally developed over the years. All kinds of animals live there, making it a complete and closed auto-sustaining ecosystem.

I couldn't care less for any of it, if it wasn't for the river that forms an enormous waterfall upon reaching the end of the resort. Even when the rain is scarce, the waterfall measures some twenty meters in width and a whopping thousand meters in height. It wasn't always so. This used to be a regular river flowing smoothly down the mountainside, before a whole mountain was blown away during the last war, that was supposed end all wars. Indeed, in the desolation it ensued, what was there left to fight for?

The resort was considered a jewel of nature, a symbol of hope for what once was, before the bombs started falling. It was therefore heavily guarded and I needed to plan my move carefully. I am in quite a funny situation, where both my goal and the road to it can easily get me killed. Still, I will either swim in that waterfall and survive it, or die doing something I love. I don't really see a downside to it.

With these thoughts, my goal was clear and my strength returned. I stood up, stretching my hands, legs and back. I stepped outside the cavern behind the waterfall and enjoyed the sound of falling water. It was so loud it drowned all other sounds, and I felt exhilarated thinking:"Oh yes, soon I will be falling with you!" Indeed, only 100 meters of altitude remained before I reached the above-standing resort. I decided the best and safest way to approach it was using the most dangerous road: climbing the almost vertical wall behind the waterfall. No guard in the resort will expect anyone to be so reckless to do it.

I packed what remained of the sandwich I've eaten only partially, because all the adrenaline cleared my sense for hunger and without hesitation, started the climb once again. I had to be extremely careful, because drops and jets of water were constantly flying away from the main waterfall, spraying the wall and myself, rending us completely wet and slippery. But concentration and patience paid off, and soon enough I was nearing the end of the wall, and the beginning of the falls. Looking up I rested with my hands and legs safely secured in the holes and crevasses of the rock.

Only a few meters separated me from the water. I thought for a second about quitting. Or trying a different route perhaps. But deep down I knew there were none. There was an electrical fence positioned all around the perimeter of the resort, and guards actively patrolling the place. The only part where the fence was omitted was the waterfall itself. I had to breath in and exhale to calm myself. In the critical moments it's either all or nothing, so I tried reassuring myself: "I have to do this. I want to. Come on, just a few more solid grips, and then through the water. I'll have to be really careful when grabbing for the rocks up there, because they're slippery, but that's about it!"

And I went upwards, extending my hands on the wall for positioning, legs following after. There was not really much to grab on to, but I was prepared. I could almost smell the water as I neared it from below. I extended my right hand onto the ledge above, and the current almost tore my arm off and flung me off balance. Anticipating this strength, I positioned myself solidly and grabbed a crevasse with my left hand, not wanting to let go. So when the water threw me off balance, I remained dangling there, with only my left hand still holding onto, not giving up. "Wow, that was stupid." I thought, as I repositioned my hands and legs into the highest standing crevasses and rocks I could find. I was standing on my hands and knees, like a predator waiting to jump on its prey. The only difference was I was on a vertical surface.

"Now or never", and I extended my legs, and pulled with my hands, launching myself into the air for a brief second. I reached with my hands for the ledge where the river was falling down. As I grabbed a solid rock, the strength of the current slid my hands and the whole body with me nearer to the fall. I didn't have any time to lose, so I called upon all my forces, hoping I trained enough. Little by little, my hands flexed and I was pulling myself towards the ledge. Now the water was violently flowing over my body, I've become a new rock on the edge of the paradise, shaping the course of the water. But as the water adapts, so did I steadily pulling myself onto the ledge. Once my upper body was at the river level, I quickly pulled up the legs and immediately grabbed for some solid ground.

I looked around and my eyes got bigger in disbelief. The whole paradise was a goddamn hologram! It was impossible to see it from afar, but being only meters away from trees that extended their leaves above the water, it was painfully obvious. It also made complete and utter sense! There were no paradises left on Earth. The only thing that remained was an illusion of hope - because without that the people would revolt and take up arms. I strengthened my grip on the stone, thinking "Yes, yes, I'm going with you soon water, but not just yet!" With my left hand, I took out my impermeable mobile, raised it up and took a picture of what I was seeing: "Perhaps I do have a new goal to look forward to if  I make it out of this alive."

But while I was relishing in the prospect of having a new goal in life, I completely forgot that there were guards all around. And while I was still with my left hand raised, I felt an incredible force of impact and pain coming from my right shoulder. The sniper was waiting for the right moment to strike, and I was thrown back, into the water. "No no no NO NO!" With my left hand I was still holding the mobile phone, with the priceless picture on it and my right hand was completely useless. I tried to get a hold onto something with my legs, but before I knew it, the current had dragged me back, towards the end of the world.

And so I flew down, head first into the thousand meters deep precipice. Trying to keep calm in an impossible moment, I knew I had to get to the center of the fall, where there was more water in it. I started agitating and skewing my body, to fall in the direction I wanted. When I saw the surroundings flashing by, and the ground getting visible, nearer and nearer, I couldn't contain the panic. Still, I moved towards the center and at the same time did some kind of a flip, so that I was falling with my legs down. As soon as I did this, I started kicking like a crazy person, and agitating my left hand. My right hand was still numb, especially combined with the feel of the water bringing me down "Come on bastard hand! I know you're ok too! A bullet can't stop you after all me and you went through!" I felt incredible pain, but my right hand was alive again. Having regained my senses, I started pushing the water down, and myself up, against the natural flow.

It hurt like hell, but my body did its job, and soon I could see the ground coming closely, but at a slower speed than before. This gave me even more confidence and a final stretch of strength that I needed to keep up the swimming. And then I was already on the surface of the water underneath, hitting it hard with my legs and the whole body after. I felt an incredible surge of shock and pain, before submerging and finally feeling that I was done moving. I tried moving my limbs, but nothing worked. "Ah well, fuck it, I did what I originally wanted to. I tamed the waterfall, and with a bullet wound at that!" I closed my eyes and smiled.

Through either luck or some unimaginable force of destiny, the water floated me ashore, unconscious. When I opened my eyes again, my left fist was still clenching the mobile phone. I checked, it still worked and the photo I took was still there. I obtained an information, a secret, which is a powerful weapon to be used at my discretion. I smiled. How should I use it?

Behind the keyboard

I wanted to write one story yesterday as well. But weekends are always scarce on time, always something to do, someone to see. So this story is actually a blend of 2 ideas, one from yesterday and one from today.

I was jokingly told by Luisa that I should write some stories without the war in them. I agreed, since these short stories are exactly my way of experimenting with different themes and ideas. Thanks for pointing it out though! Today I only marginally hint at war. Next time perhaps I'll avoid the theme entirely.

And that's a reason why I always encourage anybody to give me feedback. Critiques will help me get better at writing, while hearing good things is always nice, and gives additional motivation. Thanks for reading!