The Map

 “Help!” John cried as he lost footing, “Help!” Crash! “Ben!” John called out, tangling himself in the ropes. Then suddenly, John was falling down into the mouth of the cave. He landed on the sandy floor, coughing. “John?”

John slowly opened his eyes. Ben was towering on top of him, holding a map in his hands. The map shone with an ancient air, the crumblings and remakes it had survived. Now it left itself in Ben’s hands, not abandoned any more. Ben pointed to the markings excitedly.

“Let’s follow this map!”

 John thought it was too dangerous, for who knows what could be coming for him. It could be the choice between life and death. Ben persuaded him to come and when John could stand it no longer, he followed Ben into the trecharous waterways.

John came out of the waterfall, his clothes soaked and muddy. He took off his jacket and put it in his backpack. They both came to a stop because there were seven holes and they weren’t sure of which one to go through. “Ben?” questioned John, fearing they were lost. Ben glanced at the map and said, “We have to take the second hole.”

  After passing through the narrow tunnel, Ben and John found green lush forests. “Hooray!”Ben cried, his eyes twinkling. “We’re out in the open air at last!” said a relieved John, gazing out on the bushes and trees that were waiting for them. John sprinted into the green, with Ben right behind him.

As they finished venturing through the forest, the map told them they had to swim in the river. Ben leaped into the river, swimming like an expert. John slowly swam beside him and no one noticed that the map had fallen out of Ben’s pocket.

As they came out of the river, John asked Ben “Where do we go next?” Ben looked in his pockets, but the map had disappeared! John looked wildly, his body shaking with fright. Suddenly, rocks fell out of nowhere, surrounding them.“John!” Ben shouted, “Where are you?” but only silence answered him.

Bens saw a ruby glimmering in the light. He lunged at it and his hands snatched the gem as an enormous rock came toppling Ben’s way. Ben ran for his life and jumped out into the cold river, before swimming faster than he had ever before and prayed that he wouldn’t get hurt.

His prayer was answered; the rocks rolled into the river, but didn’t float after him. Ben wiped his forehead with relief and found John standing in front of him. They hugged each other, happy to see each other after everything that had happened. They both then slowly made their way back to town, with the ruby held tightly in John’s hands. From that moment onward, they both always thought about going on the route a map tells them to.