Dog Days

There is a prize waiting for you on the mountain summit

Once you get the prize, use it well

If you use the prize well it will make your dreams come true

It was dawn and the air felt hot already, or maybe instead of "already" I should say "still". It felt as though the place had barely cooled at night, if it ever did. The sky was completely clear and a few bright stars were still seen. A hot sunny day was on the forecast. It was humid, I would soon be sweating gum drops but it did not matter, I came here prepared.

I had to climb a mountain so high that the summit was not seen from the base, but I was ready for this because I knew about the prize I was to get once I climbed all the way up. I packed some energy food and iced water on my backpack.

It felt as hot as I've ever felt, I could feel the sun burning my skin but it didn't matter, I was determined to get that prize. I found some relief along the way as there were large thick trees in a few spots. I took short breaks every now and then in order to replenish fluids, but I was running out of water after a while. I had finished all of my water when I saw the summit for the first time. It seemed to be relatively close, but there was still a long way to go. I was probably less than half a mile away when I realized how thirsty I had gotten. I felt my mouth and throat drier than ever. I remembered all those times in which I'd felt desperately hungry and never was the desire for my favorite food as strong as the one I had for a cold drink. It felt as though you are thirsty and instead of drinking something you spread peanut butter all over your mouth and throat.

I got to the summit and suddenly I began to feel a bit cold and started to shiver, I sat immediately afterwards because I felt that I was probably about to pass out. Surprisingly, the ground was burning hot. I had forgotten the symptoms of heat stroke and dehydration and I realized that I was feeling them now. I was perhaps about to faint until I discovered a water fountain a few yards away. I took the empty bottle out of my backpack and I drank. The water was perhaps near freezing despite the bright sun and the hot weather, but it did not make me feel colder, I began to feel all right. I might've been drinking almost continuously for about ten minutes by refilling my empty 20 ounce bottle. After eating what was left in my backpack and drinking some more water, I felt satiated. I was not aware of the rest of my surroundings until I was done eating and drinking.

There was big house a few yards away, and behind it, there was another mountain just about as high as the one I just had climbed. Was the prize in there? Just as I was thinking about that, a woman appeared. I could not deny it, she was beautiful, but she was perhaps five years older than me. She had red hair and her eyes had a deep blue color. She looked at me as though she had pity on me.

"I know why you are here, you must be tired, come in" she said. I felt confused as I did not expect this. The house felt cozy and it was also beautiful, the air conditioner made it feel even more comfortable. "I'll show you your way to the guest room, you may take a shower. There are clean clothes for you." I realized for the first time that I had not said a word, this woman seemed to be reading my mind. I was eager to talk, but I could not even make a sound. "Don't worry about that, I'll explain later."

She left me alone as soon as I entered the room. I took a shower. I came out with my clean clothes, my own clothes, the ones I use every now and then. I wondered how she got them all the way up there.

I got to the lounge and the red haired woman was standing there. "The prize that you're looking for is not here. I wish I could do something about it but I can't. The prize was taken away. The prize has always been here at the summit, but for the first time ever, third party powers have made this mountain grow. I cannot tell if or when will the mountain stop growing, but I can tell you that if you quit now, you'll have to climb all over again. The fastest way for you to get to the summit is by continuing right away. What I can do for you, now that you've reached this far is give you an alternate route. The path on your left will take you to the summit as well, though it will give you shade from the sun. You'll find food and water along the way anytime you need. This mountain is yours, only you can go ahead. As for the third party forces, they may or may not be aware of your attempt to get to the prize, as many others have their mountain to climb and they are treating others just as they are treating you. What I can tell you is that those third party members need people like you, they can't be doing what they just did to you to everyone else forever. The sun will not set until you either reach the summit or get back down where you came from. You need to hurry, as everything may fall apart if you take too long."

There are many questions that I wanted to ask, but all I managed to say is: "When I get back down, I would like to see you again and talk to you." The woman smiled and vanished along with the house.