Curiosity

• Talia Elias, Grade 7, Beaconhills College - Village Campus
• Short Story
• 2022

Finalist in the 'Unleashed 2022' competition

The cool, crisp air drifted around, dancing across the leaves in small gusts. The fresh soil extruded water when my heavy feet pressed down on it, I deeply inhaled, the air was fresh, untouched. I roamed around the pristine oasis, taking in the sight of all the marvels surrounding me. This was the dawn of earth.
No human had ever touched this land, it was newly formed from volcanic rock and precipitation. I looked around to find more of my kind, they were playing in the distance, joyous from the thrill of this unspoiled country, they pranced around, primitive yet gleeful. I ventured to the shore, yearning to catch a glimpse of the sparking pale blue ocean, gleaming with innumerable native pelagic creatures. I felt the urge to dive in, but my logic stopped me. I couldn’t control it I needed to experience the swift cold touch of that beautiful vast ocean, my instinct overweighed common sense, as I called over the rest to join me in this endeavour, shame kept harping on at me, deep inside I knew this was wrong, we can’t dive and prance about the ocean like a frolicking fish. I brushed off the shame for I poorly decided it was irrelevant.
All of us, every known human on earth plunged down to the bottom of the briny sea. I was at bliss as I looked around at the enthralling scenery. As I inhaled I quickly realised it was not as enthralling as it was before, it was insufferable having to watch as everyone I know and loved began to drop to the floor of the ocean, they were going out like lights, myself included. I awoke. It was dark. Very dark.
I could see nothing but my own two hands stained with the guilt of my misjudgement and impulsiveness. I angle my head forward, looking straight into the dark abyss, a shimmering light flickered in front of me, glaring down on a small area of what seemed like endless darkness. A tall figure slowly walked until it was directly beneath the lustrous light, it stopped and stared at me, yet I could not see it, a dark shadow was intertwined into its physique, blocking the small yet radiant light from being cast upon it. A sharp angle above what seemed like a neck, began to move, it was about to talk. As the first word slipped from its mouth the whole area vibrated with echoes, it sent chills down my spine “Guilty.”
I was falling, it seemed endless. As I prepared for whatever punishment awaited me, I reflected on my life, full of marvellous endeavours to new land with the people I cared about most, yet it felt empty. There was this void within me, the natural human instinct to explore weighed down my judgement, that was my downfall and the one thing that stopped me from living a long life, I pondered what was the purpose, what is my fate.