Greek Tribe Narrative

To There and Back

Set off in search of a place. Not just any place, but a place said to be everyone's hopes and wishes. My friend, Homer, and I were out on our journey. It was just my friend and I in the woods. I took everything I needed for my trip, not knowing how long it would take. We packed a knife, matches, sleeping bag, water proof gear, a tent, pots and pans, walkie talkies, money, food, water, summer gear, winter gear, a GPS, and a dog. It was midsummer so it was warm outside. We are traveling through mountainous woods. Up top a ridge, we could see nothing besides the sea of evergreens that extended out off into the horizon. The red colors of the leaves reminded me of the maple trees that used to be outside of my house. I
remember looking at the valley below and seeing a faint glimmer, as if there were a lake. So we continued on in that direction. The floor of the forest was damp.
There were some moss covered stones that laid in clusters, as if someone piled them there on purpose. Some rocks were rough and sharp as broken glass, others, smooth as a new baby's skin. Red and gray they created a unique look to the forest. They ranged in size from the smallest pebble, to the largest bolder. They lay loose so we used precaution when we descended into the valley below. We continue on because we both know that ahead of us was water. After a long hike, we finally reached the body of water. Bigger than a pond, but smaller than a lake, it was fed by a natural spring. Crystal clear and glistening from the sun, it was a place of extreme beauty. I decided that we would stop and rest here. Then Homer turned to me and said, "This place is beautiful. I can't believe that nobody is living here. There must be something wrong with this place... It's too perfect!" Then I replied, "Well maybe there are, we just didn't find them yet. But I do agree that this place is a little too beautiful. Maybe if we continue on then we will see if there are any other people around
here." Just then a huge deer walked out of the brush.
He walked down the to the side of the water and took a drink. Then its ears perked, it picked its head up, then looked right up at us. It didn't seem to be frighten by our appearance. It stayed calm. Then it looked like it was motioning to the other side of the lake and disappeared into the brush from where it came from. After a quick exchange of looks we decided to continue on in the direction the deer was pointing. The trip around the lake was quick. Once we reached the other side we encountered a garden. The garden was very healthy and appeared to been well taken care of. It was full of bright, vibrant colors. The garden was filled with exotic beauty. Every type of flower you can think of. Some rare and some not. Vines were hanging everywhere and the ground was covered in a spongy moss that made you feel like you were sinking into it. In the distance beyond the garden we saw a small cottage. It was a little run down
and

appeared as if it had been abandoned. We walk over to it, and peer in the window. In side we saw what used to be a living room. There were some chairs and other furniture laying on the floor. In the center of the room was a vase. The vase sat on a single table in the abandoned cottage. It was huge, made of glass, and had a very complicated design. It held flowers that were cut from the garden. Surprisingly, they were all still alive. It seemed as if it lit the whole room. Puzzled at the sight we decided to continue on. As we were leaving we noticed some old crooked stairs. They twisted up the side of the cliff then disappeared around a bend. So we continued our accent. There were trees on both sides of the path. We had no idea where they lead but they had to lead somewhere. The steps were slick at times because of the moss. Stopping often. The steps seamed to continue forever but they had to lead somewhere. Finally, after hours of climbing steps we reached a gate. The gate was large and golden, as if it were made by the gods. shining and sparkling from the intense sun. Now what laid beyond it? It was a heaven. Once you passed through there was no turning back. We had a choice. Either continue on or turn back.