Discovering the Fountain of Youth
narrative Essay
4210 words
Discovering the Fountain of Youth
I met this girl last summer. How can I describe her? She was really weird, and that's the nicest thing I can say about her. Okay, that's not exactly true. Even though I didn't know her that well, I consider her a "special" kind of friend. We went through a lot together that summer, and I'll never forget what happened.
When we met, it was just one of those days: when the sun's shining so bright that you're afraid it'll burn your eyes out right through your sunglasses. I was away at summer camp and so no one back home ever heard this story before. In fact, Gwen had wanted me to keep this secret for at least a year.
Gwendolyn and I discovered the Fountain of Youth.
Don't believe me, right? I didn't think you would . . . but listen to my story before you make any judgments.
Gwendolyn and I were on those long mountain hikes we had to take each weekend in camp. You see, Gwen and I didn't meet until that summer, but we were in the same hiking group. We both hated hiking and that's how we first met, while we were both resting. I still remember her funny-looking camping gear. Her canteen, binoculars case, and backpack were all pastel blue, like matching luggage. But Gwen looked like the type of girl to have ugly pastel camping gear. Her wire-rimmed glasses and her hair pulled back in a ponytail didn't make her look like the camping type. I'm not, either, but I wasn't about to spend another summer at home, doing nothing.
Anyway, like I said before, we were both resting. I took my canteen out and squatted close to a rock.
"Why do they make us hike when it's 100 degrees outside?" Gwen asks me, out of the blue. Of course it wasn't 100 degrees, but when you're hiking uphill for about more than an hour, it sure feels like it's 100.
"'Cause they're stupid," I said, bluntly. "They think we're mules or something." I poured the canteen's water all over my face.
"You should've drank that instead," Gwen told me. It wasn't like I really wanted to hear advice from her. "Now you'll get dehydrated on the trip back to camp."
"Oh, I have some more water in my backpack," I lied. "Speaking of camp, we better catch up to the others."
"Okay."
Gwen and I got up and started walking in the direction the group went. After walking for about five minutes, we came to a crossroad. Our group was nowhere in sight and neither of us could ...
... middle of paper ...
...re this morning," one of my counselors said. "We've been looking for you two ever since." He looked around, still very concerned. Then I remembered why. "Where's Gwendolyn?" he asked.
Uh-oh. I searched my mind for the answers. "She went to this river, and I never saw her again," I said, slowly, and unsure of my statement.
"What?" the counselor said more alarmed than ever. "Did she drown?"
"Nooooooo!" I yelled, suddenly. "She wanted to go."
The counselor looked confused so I continued. "She's alright, I mean," I said, trying to sound convincing. "She found family and they took her home because she said we were lost. But I didn't want to go. I said I'd wait for you guys." I had to change the subject. "Um… I'm real hungry … " I said, whining.
"Okay," my counselor said. "Let's go back."
I sighed, silently and got up to answer the eruption of questions that were directed towards me.
As we headed back to camp, one song kept playing in my head:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord …
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on . . .
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how gwen nodded. "one of the newspaper clippings i have states that his belongings were last found near a waterfall."
- Narrates how they felt bad for teasing her, especially because of all the trouble she had been through to look for this "fountain."
- Describes how gwen's wire-rimmed glasses peered into the darkness and an incredulous look appeared on her face.
- Narrates how it started laughing sadistically and carried the axe to the sharpening blade.
- Describes how the axe slipped and stabbed it in the gut. the blood dripped down it's stomach and it collapsed onto the floor.
- Narrates how gwen said she knew everything about the'stupid' fountain.
- Explains that marshal barrett was gwendolyn's great-great-grandfather, and if he was, how did she recognize him?
- Narrates how the counselor looked confused so they continued. "she's alright, i mean," they said, trying to sound convincing.
- Describes how they sighed, silently, and got up to answer the eruption of questions that were directed towards them.
- Explains that they're not a saintly type, but don't swear on every other word. when they are upset or distressed, they have to let it out someway.
- Narrates how an old man had spent his entire life searching for the fountain of youth. everyone assumed that he had died somewhere along the way.
- Narrates how they met a weird girl last summer, and they consider her "special" kind of friend. gwen wanted them to keep this secret for at least one year.
- Narrates how gwen and i were on long mountain hikes in camp. they didn't meet until that summer, but were in the same hiking group.
- Describes how gwen and i got up and started walking in the direction the group went. after walking for about five minutes, they came to a crossroad.
- Describes how they picked up their backpack and walked down the path on the right. after a few minutes, gwen started humming the battle hymn of the republic.
- Narrates how gwen sung "i'm singing," like it should've been obvious, but why was she singing? "we'd better stop here and rest."
- Narrates how gwen sighs, "i believe in it" and "wouldn't it just be great if we went looking for it?"
- Narrates how gwen yelled at her for the first time that she had read the newspaper clippings about the fountain of youth.
- Narrates how they were happy to finally discover the truth about this totally bizarre girl to be really upset. gwen strapped her backpack onto her back.
- Explains that marshal barrett was successful in finding the fountain, because they never found his body--only his things.
- Narrates how they hurried to the waterfall and were shivering in a dark cavern. they couldn't tell if the monstrous captor was hideous or not.
- Narrates how they muttered about the fountain of youth. it chuckled ferociously and yelled as loudly as they could.
- Analyzes how gwen became excited. "is it here?" she almost exploded with eagerness. it pushed a hand against her face, stopping her in mid-step.
- Narrates how gwen said, "you don't believe in the fountain. since all this was my idea, you should he sacrificed!"
- Narrates how gwendolyn screamed, "you admitted that you wanted company" and "you knew that when you reached the fountain, someone would have to be sacrificed."
- Narrates how gwendolyn's ugly pastel backpack was in front of them. they yelled, "gwen!" and waited for her to be beheaded.
- Narrates how they refused to turn around to look at her, instead, they watched the sparks flickering from the sharpening blade.
- Narrates how they felt guilty for what they had said about gwen's pastel stuff when a scraping noise startled them. they hurried to catch up with her and saw the fountain of youth.
- Describes how gwen cupped her hands and brought them slowly but carefully to the fountain, as if she was scared to touch the water. they turned to look for whoever kept talking to them.
- Describes how they rushed to the fountain with their hands cupped. they didn't think much about eternal life; they were just thirsty.
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