Hernan's journey

Looking around Hernan noticed a cave in the woods behind his quaint cottage, which he had just purchased with his retirement money. Hernan went into his cottage, and stared at the filth. The house was dusty and dirty from the floor to the ceiling. "My old house was never like this!" Exclaimed Hernan. Exiting the hut Hernan looked out towards the ocean. The sun beat down on this island exposing the deep wrinkles in his skin, wrinkles that marked the years of hard work he had done. Hernan's eyes fell upon his bags on the beach. There he saw the bag he needed. Arriving back from the beach Hernan set the bag on the ground, opening it he sighed looking at the tools of his old trade. Hernan pulled out a folding broom and extended it to full length. He then started the tedious task of cleaning the hut.

Two hours had passed and Hernan was finally done. He sat down in his favorite chair, which he had lugged from the beach, and looked around at this small palace of his own. It almost sparkled except for the extreme lack of light. Noticing the light of day was leaving for its rest. Hernan got up slowly realizing he was no "spring chicken". He walked over to the table and lit the candle that set on top of it. He looked around once more to see if there was anything left to do, Hernan started making a mental checklist Free of clutter, have furniture, clothes, tools, and of course food. That's about it he thought.

Gazing out the window at the moon that he loved to look upon, Hernan's eyes set upon a small object in the windowsill. Strolling over to the window Hernan realized this object was not one of his possessions. The object was a small key with an inscription on it, it read "So he who finds the door may enter." Looking out the window Hernan saw the cave he had noticed earlier. It looked like it was almost beckoning to him. Hernan grabbed a flashlight and his good walking stick. Hernan decided it wouldn’t hurt to explore a little bit before bed. Hernan walked to the cave and noticed as he did that the trees seemed to be creeping in on him.

Hernan shuddered when he arrived at the mouth of the cave. It seemed even colder here then it did any where else. Hernan grasped his walking stick tighter and raised it a little. He pointed his flashlight inside the cave. It landed on rocks and nothing else that he could make out. He stepped inside. Suddenly he felt a rush coming him and he was knocked backward by a huge rush of horrible flying creatures. “I hate bats” he said as he rose to his feet. He pointed the beam of his flashlight farther into the cave. He started to walk forward and saw the incredible formations on the walls. As he was looking at the walls he didn’t notice the hole in front of him. Whoosh he fell sliding, gliding into the darkness. As he fell he let go of his flashlight and stick in order to grasp at the walls of his slide. But the rock was smooth, too smooth to grab.

Whack! Hernan fell on his bottom at the bottom of his hole. He felt around and his hands fell upon his flashlight. He switched it on and gasped as his light bounced of the crystal sides of the room. The light continued to reflect and it brightened the room up like a cathedral. He picked up his stick and started to walk around. On the wall he found a torch. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket and lit the torch. The room was lit even more than before. Hernan switched off his light in order too conserve the batteries. He saw what looked to be a hallway too his right he walked that way. When he reached the hall he saw more torches he lit the first one which in turn lit the next one and so forth. He walked down the hall in a daze. He seemed to be walking for hours before he reached it.

A door, but not just any door a huge, masterfully, carved, ornate door. It had been carved with pictures of a forest with a huge stag in the middle. The stag’s eyes seemed to pierce through Hernan. He pulled the key, which he had found, out of his coat pocket and stuck it in the lock below and to the right of the stag. He turned the key and the door creaked as he pushed against it. The door finally swung open and he peered into the room. To his amazement he saw a necklace lying just before the darkness began. He sauntered over and picked it up. It was an emerald inset in gold necklace. He put the necklace in his pocket. He switched on his flashlight and shown it into the darkness. He screamed as his eyes and his beam fell upon the most terrifying creature he had ever seen. Its eyes were blood red, its teeth razor sharp, and its claws like steel. He raised his stick and hit the creature across the head with it. The creature didn’t seem fazed it only moved to the side slightly then back. It stared at him hungrily. He hit it again from the top its head went down and as it did the room burst into light. Hernan was so shocked he stepped back and fell on his backside. He looked at the creature it stared into space. He then realized he had been attacking a statue.

Hernan jumped to his feet and ran to behind the statue. There lay mounds and mounds, piles upon piles of treasure. He stared at the rubies, gazed at the diamonds, longed after the gold. After a good soaking in of the nature of his situation he looked beyond the treasure and spied some stairs. He ran over to them and walked up them. they led to a hatch. He inserted his key into the old rusty lock and pushed open the door it swung up and into his new closet! He had gone all that way and bruised all those old bones, been scared out of his mind just to find he could have found his journey’s end by not starting it at all.