The Great Mystery. Travis Ph.D. Slone
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a while, it went away, but his voice remained slightly deeper than before. Her friend had grown taller and more broad-shouldered as well.
While Amir failed to notice his changing characteristics, his mind was not eluded by Eva’s own remarkably strange transformation. In addition to gaining a few inches in height, she had developed curves in her figure at the hips and chest. He struggled not to stare, but found himself constantly tempted. Soon, he became accustomed to the changes, and learned to respect her for the virtue that she possessed within.
Suddenly, he put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her from walking any further. Unable to contain his observations any longer, Amir finally spoke up.
“Eva,” he said, “you’ve grown at least six inches, since we picked up this box on the ridge. Something weird is going on.”
“Now that you say so, I think you’re right,” Eva replied. "I guess I was paying more attention to you than to myself. It is strange, isn't it?”
“Strange?” Amir asked awkwardly, “It’s incredible. We have only been moving for a short time, but you seem to have aged at least five years.”
Eva considered the possibility. We do seem to be aging rather quickly, she thought.
“Perhaps it has something to do with this mysterious box,” she suggested. “Do you think the box is the treasure?”
“No way,” Amir answered quickly. “I’m sure of it.”
Eva was curious how he could be so sure. The box seemed to have given them power, as the old woman had said it would. Then again, she also said they would be given the tools for the journey.
“You’ve grown nearly a foot since leaving the ridge,” she explained to Amir. “You have a bit of fuzz growing on your face too. Your shoulders and chest have broadened, and your voice has deepened quite a bit.”
Eva paused as Amir felt the hair that had begun growing on his chin. “If you noticed that I was changing, why didn’t you say anything sooner?” she asked.
“Look around,” replied Amir. “Everything changes. There’s nothing to worried about.”
“Save me the ‘follow the stream’ speech this time,” Eva said with frustration. “I know how the seasons change and all that. But we aren’t like them. We shouldn’t be aging this fast.”
“We are part of nature just like everything else,” he explained to her initial disapproval. “Some things change slow, and others fast, but everything changes with time. Don’t think of it as a bad thing. Maybe we’re just aging in preparation for our positions as world leaders. Did you think of that? Nobody would ever permit us to unite the world as little kids.”
She saw what he was getting at, and realized he was right.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Things haven’t exactly been normal in the past day or so. Sorry if I’m a little short tempered. I don't know what has gotten in to me lately."
“Just relax and enjoy the journey,” Amir said as he attempted to calm Eva’s unusual anxiety. “In case you’ve forgotten already, we’re in this thing together.”
Eva was feeling better about the changes. She allowed Amir to finish offering his wisdom with hopes that she could learn from his unique outlook on life.
“We can learn everything we need to know from nature,” he said confidently. “If we pay attention in life, few things will come as a surprise. In fact, change alone, is what we can count on.”
Eva smiled at the awkwardness of such words coming from a young teenager. “You learned all that from the trees?” she teased. “Unbelievable.”
“Nature is more than just the trees. Our bodies, our ideas, our relationships... change is the pattern of our lives. Why act like it’s a big deal?" Amir replied, apparently not getting the joke.
With both teens now confident that their rapid aging was part of the old woman’s ongoing series of unwarranted gifts, they continued to advance along the path.
“Do you know what I see when I look at the trees?” asked Eva as they traveled happily toward the base of the great mountains.
“What’s that?” Amir asked.
“Trees,” Eva answered. “When I look at the trees… I see trees.”
“Very funny,” Amir said sarcastically.
“But to me, they are very beautiful trees,” Eva continued. “I guess I just don’t see past their beauty like you do. I notice their many types, sizes, textures, and colors. I’ve even thought about how they compliment the land, as if placed there by a great landscaper.”
It was becoming clear to Amir that, even though he was wise, he could stand to learn a few things from Eva as well.
“I’m inspired by the trees, and the water too, for that matter. I just don’t see life lessons when I look at them like you do.”
Having realized that the peasant girl was much more intelligent than he had originally assumed, Amir responded.
“Well,” he said, “I’m starting to see why we were chosen to find this treasure together.”
Chapter 12
As Amir and Eva traversed the foothills and approached the great mountain, the sun began to set. With nowhere to stop for the evening, they faced another frightening night in the dark, this time much further from home. Having nothing but the scroll to guide them, they pulled it out and surveyed the map. With what was left of the daylight, they tried to pinpoint some trace of nearby civilization. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort.
Eva pointed out the three human symbols on the map, and noticed that one was near the base of the mountain. They waited for the old woman to appear and save them once again. Yet as the sun disappeared over the horizon, it seemed they would have no such luck.
Fearing another night in the cold shadowy woods, they hurried on ahead in search of shelter. Worst-case scenario, they would at least make their way closer to the summit; where they were sure to find the treasure. Just the possibility of ruling the world was enough to keep them excited while they walked. They moved onward throughout the night.
With endless energy flowing through their bodies, and a newfound sense of invincibility, Eva and Amir walked as fast as they could. While it presented little challenge, the weight of the wooden chest put a slight strain on their shoulders and hands as they lugged it along.
The darkness was thick in the absence of the moon. Nevertheless, Eva and Amir marched on with determination. Finally, the sun began to rise, and they waited anxiously to see how high they had climbed during the night. To their disappointment however, what they discovered left them both in shock. They could not understand what they saw.
“What’s going on?” Eva turned to her friend and asked. “We walked all night as fast as we could, but it seems we haven’t moved an inch.”
“You’ve got me”, replied Amir, equally confused. “It seems we would have been half way up by now. This place looks just like where we were when the sun set last night.”
In fact, it was.
They checked the path carefully to ensure they had not gone astray. As expected, the weathered stones remained perfectly arranged on the trail beneath their feet. They looked up at the mountain, confused. Nothing about the journey has been normal thus far, thought Amir. Why would it change now?
As Amir continued looking around in disbelief, Eva spotted smoke rising from somewhere up ahead. Excited at the possibility of making social contact, they hurried up the trail. After rounding the final corner, they were struck by the beauty of the architectural masterpiece that appeared before them. Built right into the base of the great mountain, the magnificent stone temple was like nothing they had ever seen.
They approached