Endless Journey

Written for https://melissalemay.wordpress.com/2023/09/25/4793/ who has taken over Fandango’s Flash Fiction.

An endless journey, where it is difficult to find where you started, and how far you have come. Sometimes it feels like there are so many mountains, Sam couldn’t figure out whether it was worth waking up at all. Each day was the same, full of self doubts as big as the desert itself.

Nobody knew the struggle it was to actually get out of bed in the morning. Nights, filled with dreams, or perhaps more nightmares, where all his problems were lined up in a row like camels with leaky humps. He wasn’t sure how to get the answers, only that the growing pressure had to burst at some point.

Casting long shadows, his memories battered him into oblivion, so hard, he didn’t know whether to put one foot in front of the other, or just stop. Stop, give up, and let fear be in control. There were other days, when he could climb each sand dune, and look over to the other side.

Yes, he had a long way to go.

His stomach lurched from one unforgiving thought to another. Focus on the positive; his therapist said. Do what you enjoy the most. Travel past the fear, and understand, mistakes are made along the way.

Nobody is perfect, life isn’t perfect, and even perfection has its limits.

Today, his strength of mind was overpowering, and despite his worries, he managed to follow the camel trail home. Each particle of sand, sifting through his fingers, allowing time to pass in a linear fashion. Tomorrow? He wasn’t sure, but at least he got over today.