Choice+1+Continue+the+Mission

After a difficult inner battle, you decide to continue the mission. Skeeter is in severe pain, but he has told you that he wants to continue the mission because it would be such a waste to come all this way just to turn back due to him. He wants to do it for his father, and you conclude that you will carry out Skeeter's wishes. The journey is treacherous and exhausting on foot. Each day you barely cover any distance with aching limbs and the heat. Each night sleep is limited because the darkness brings frigid temperatures that make rest unbearable.

Finally, after what has been an endless number of days, your little group has reached the "X" on the map. Unfortunately, this spot does not appear any different from the other parts of the desert. It is only more sand going in for eternity. You decide to take a look around, so you leave Skeeter with Dr. Frankenburger and start scouting. With each step further, you notice a change. Maybe the sand is really deep, or the elevation is dropping. It is a bizarre feeling, almost like you are sinking. That is when you look down an realize that you are in a bad situation. The sand is definitely much deeper than the other sand, becuase it is quicksand! You scramble to get out, to release your feet from the firm grip that the sand has on your ankles. Any training you have had to deal with such situations flies right out of your memory. You thrash about, screaming for help. Dr. Frankenburger decides to leave Skeeter in order to come to your rescue. With his help, you are elevated from the sand, and placed back on solid ground. Sweat drips from your brow, and you shake with the recent memory of that traumatic event. You take deep breaths to calm yourself and regain control. Once your composure has returned, you grab the map and your eyes dart left and right scanning the map attempting to decipher it. The positioning of the "X" seems to indicate that the genie should be where the quicksand is. That doesn't make sense, you think to yourself. Dr. Frankenburger walks over, and for the first time, seems to show his intellectual ability while speaking. It is almost as though he has been hit on the head with extreme force and brought to his senses. He tells you that the genie might be located beneath the quicksand, but it is a great risk to allow yourself to be swallowed by the sand. Your eyes wander to Skeeter and back to Dr. Fankenburger's serious face. It must be done. Skeeter has suffered so long to reach this place. You know that he is feeling much more pain than he lets on, and to stop now would be disrespectful, ridiculous, and utterly selfish. Knowing Skeeter, you believe that he would not want you to pass up this opportunity when he has fought so hard to be at this destination. Yes, you are aware of what you have to do and you have come your conclusion. You inform Dr. Frankenburger and Skeeter of your decision. It is difficult to tell, but you think that you catch an upward twitch of Skeeter's lips. He approves of your decision.

You walk over and pause at the very edge of the quicksand. Sigh. Another deep breath and you are on your way. As your foot steps down on the sand, it is engulfed and you lose your balance, falling into the death trap. Suddenly, all the consequences of this action rush through your head, but it is too late now. Slowly, blackness clouds over your mind as your air supply is cut off.

Thump. You hit a hard surface and your eyes open. You are in dark cave, that is ever so slightly illuminated with torches along the sides of the walls. Your legs are sore and burning from your large crash. Akwardly, you clamber to your feet and begin to follow the path of the tunnel deeper into the cave. After many winds and turns, the meandering hallway comes to a close. There, sitting in the center of a brightly lit room is a genie lamp atop a small stone table. The flickering fire of the torches bounces off of the gleaming gold and casts loomy shadows across the walls. The intense color and sparkle of the lamp mesmerizes you. You catch yourself and snap back into focus; this is no time for fun and games. The lamp simply sits there, begging for you to grab it, but you feel that it cannot be that simple. You pause for a few minutes and think about all of the possible traps. You chuck a small rock into the area surrounding the table to check for laser beams. There is no reaction, so you assume that there must be some other form of a trap. Clearly it is well hidden because there is no sign of anything anywhere. You decide to approach with caution, constantly alert your eyes searching high and low for something that could fatally pop out and kill you. So far so good, you think to yourself. Almost there, when suddenly, you slip. Landing hard on your head all you can think about it your carelessness. How could you have not seen that trap coming. When the throbbing reduces, you sit up and look about to see what attempt to slow your progress had emerged. Your eye catches something on the floor. In complete embarrassment, although no one is here, your face turns red and you laugh loudly. It was a pebble that had chipped off of the rock. You feel dumb, and climb to your feet to continue. You reach the lamp with no problem, except you hesitat. You are afraid to touch it. The glistening handle awaits your hands, but you are terrified something will happen with contact. After a few deep breaths, you decide that you have to hold it to bring it back to Skeeter. You grab the handle and walk away from the table. Strangely, nothing has happened. No tingling sensation, no vibrations, and no genie has appeared. Your heart sinks with the thought that there might not be a genie in the lamp. Maybe that is the explanation for no security. Possibly your trip was all for nothing and your best friend might die for no reason. Anger pulses through your veins and and fury builds up in your mind. Filled with hatred at the stupid genie lamp, you throw it with all your might to the ground, kick some dust over it, and storm off.



"Ouch! That really hurt!" complains a deep bellowing voice. You whip around in surprise. A glowing blue figure with undefined edges and a goatee floats in the air, its tail seemingly attached to the spout of the lamp. You don't know what to say. He introduces himself as Genie and you tell him your name. According to Genie, he can grant you one wish, and one wish only. It can be whatever you want, except you cannot wish for more wishes, and your wishes must be physical objects or you can heal someone. You ponder long and hard. Many ideas pop into your head that would be so wonderful. You are about to wish to have billions of dollars, when you remember what really matters. Money and material goods don't buy you happiness, it is being happy with what you have and having a family and friends that love and support you that matters. You know that one person that fills you life with joy is about to die, and it Skeeter who you have to wish for. You tell Genie that, and he seems shocked. He tells you that you can have anything in the world, but you choose that. You keep your ground and stand up for Skeeter, confirming your wish. Genie sighs and with the swish of his hand brings Skeeter and Dr. Frankenburger down into the cave. Another magical swish, and the coughing Skeeter is instantly and miraculously better. He is grinning from ear to ear as he rushes over to hug both your and Dr. Frankenburger. You thank Genie for his kind services before he returns to the lamp. You place the lamp back on the stone table, hoping somebody else will one day find him and learn a valuable lesson about what is important in life too. Grateful for Skeeter's health, you all return home and live happily ever after.