This is a short story I wrote for school. It is about 1500 words long, a 5-10 minute read. Enjoy!
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Cradled withing the dust-laden embrace of an ancient archive, Teo Alvarez’s fingers brushed against the weathered spine of a forgotten journal, it’s yellowed pages whispering untold secrets of a lost expedition into the depths of the Amazon rain forest. The letters, set back into the binding were shimmering and bright, looking like real gold. The surrounding binding was worn and tarnished, yet the title shone brightly: El Dorado - The City of Gold. Teo excitedly pulled the book out of the shelf and meticulously opened to the first page, making sure to not damage anything he might find hidden inside the crumbling manuscript.
“I, Professor Alejandro Cruz, have made the most important archaeological discovery of the last century.” Intrigued by this peculiar journal, Teo read on. “Deep in the Andes, a lush refuge exists among the eroded peaks and snowy mountains. A booming village enriched with extravagant amounts of fresh fruit, wild animals, dense jungle, beautiful scenery-and most importantly-gold.”
Teo spent the next 3 hours poring over the endless stories hidden inside Professor Cruz’s journal. Myths of a city made of gold were written about all the way through, the city of El Dorado. Teo had finally found his next expedition.
Planning began almost immediately. Teo knew that this must be kept a close secret, so he would need a small crew that he could trust. He decided to enlist the help of his fellow colleagues: Ana Flores, fellow archaeologist based in South America; Rafael Castillo, survivalist who knew the Andes better than anyone else; Mariana Vasquez, historian who could tell you exactly who made an artifact and when with just 5 minutes of examination; and last but not least Ricardo Gomez, Teo’s childhood friend and renowned treasure hunter.
The team met up withing 48 hours and began the expedition. Treacherous mountain ranges, blistering cold, and man-eating animals lay ahead of the team. The journey began in a bus, traveling as far as they could until they couldn’t anymore. Using the journal, Teo guided the team into the jagged wasteland ahead. Very soon, the team found themselves looking up at an enormous cliff, weather-beaten and slippery. Rafael, the team survivalist, began the ascend first, strategically placing the cams so that the team could easily and safely make the ascent. After several hours and a couple of scares, the whole team had made it up. The view was absolutely breathtaking. A medley of colors blended together to form a watercolor painting; shades of blue, purple, gray, tan, green, all mixing and creating a picturesque view. The team decided that this was a signal to stop for the day, enjoy the view, and rest up.
The next morning the team was woken with horrible news: the journal was gone, as well as Ricardo. The team was devastated. They didn’t want to continue on thinking that their friend had betrayed them. Teo-feeling the most betrayed of them all-made the hard decision to continue the expedition. It would be hard, but they could do it. The day began slowly, nobody was talking. The nature seemed to pick up on the mood, and all of the vibrant colors from the previous day were gone, only to be replaced by the dark, monotonous colors of the morning sky slowly being warmed by the sun. The expedition was doomed, and Teo was going to save it. He reviewed the clues he remembered with Ana and they decided to continue East. Rafael continued helping them traverse the dangerous terrain and Mariana helped by reviewing artifacts that had been found. Late in the second day, the team found their first big lead. Carved into a stone, in large letters, “The Treasure is Near, but you shall fear. Three score clicks to the East, it awaits. Be careful, do not take the baits.”
This was wonderful news. The stone confirmed that they were heading in the right direction, and it would only take three or four more days to arrive at the mysterious city. The team decided to stop for the day with this good news. The next day, they continued on. The more farther they ventured into the Andes, the thinner the air got. The air was particularly crisp and cold as they set out for the day, forming the slightest of a fog after every breath. Teo couldn’t help but think about Ricardo. He would have never expected him to do that, but he acknowledged that money can change people. Almost as if on cue, he heard the distinct thumping of a helicopter far up in the sky, reverberating against the surrounding mountains and creating an absolute cacophony in the valley below, echoing up to the team. Teo looked up, and gasped in horror. On the side of the helicopter, the words “Ricardo Gomez - Treasure Hunter” were printed on the side of the helicopter.
“That’s were he went!” Exclaimed Ana.
“The little rat!” Spat Rafael.
The team were now racing Ricardo to the treasure, and he had all the odds in his favor. He had a faster mode of transportation and he had the journal. The team collectively decided to continue on through the night, not stopping once. Around noon the next day, the team came across a huge mountain directly in the middle of an eroded, gray valley. The mountain stood out like a sore thumb, the flat peak a jungle refuge in the middle of the barren Andes, just like how the journal had described it. Seeing it gave them a new hope.
“There it is,” said Teo. “El Dorado.”
The teams decision to not stop had been exceptional. They raced up the steep path to the top, all completely out of breath, but so excited that they didn’t stop. Teo got to the top first, and his jaw dropped when he saw it. In this lush jungle sanctuary, all sorts of birds and frogs could be heard, calling from all directions. A small creek making life possible at such an altitude, all sorts of delicious fruits surrounding him. And in the middle of it all, a giant temple made of gold. Teo rushed over and discovered more gold-gold was everywhere possible: on the leaves, on the ground, in the trunks, everywhere. Teo and his crew felt overjoyed. However, their happiness was short lived. Out of nowhere, the familiar thumping returned, and a quick peak through the jungle canopy confirmed a helicopter circling around. The helicopter quickly lands on the outskirts of the peak, and Ricardo runs out, making a run for the temple through the creek. Teo and his crew see it happen, and dash towards the temple, but Ricardo’s lead is too big and he makes it first. Ricardo runs in and Teo hears him scream. Teo looks in and discovers Ricardo in the bottom of a pit, mere inches away on all sides from giant, sharpened spikes sticking straight up.
Teo decided to leave him in the pit for the time being, to teach him a lesson. The team continued slowly through the maze-like structure that made up the first floor of the temple. Dodging several traps, the team came across the main room, the mere view making the entire trip completely worth it. The entire team shed at least one tear of joy as they explored the seemingly never-ending room piled with all sorts of brilliant, glowing gold. Cups, chalices, coins, jewelry, statues, figurines, pots, everything made of gold. This could make every single member of the team a billionaire-but Teo had other plans. He wrote his own journal detailing the experience, and called it Quest for Gold. He put his journal back on the shelf in the same archives he had found the other journal, waiting for the next enthusiastic explorer find it. And to this day, ElDorado has remained safe and untouched, left in pristine serenity, for nature to enjoy.
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