The Shifting Sands of Time
In the forgotten outreaches of the Sahara desert resided an old man named Arif. A hermit by choice, Arif preferred the company of winds and the incessant shifting sands over people. He was no ordinary man, but a harbinger of tales, stories that made the impossible possible, blending reality with the fantastical. One of the most popular among these tales was the story of the ‘Time-Sand’.
Fabled to be a hidden treasure of the vast desert, the Time-Sand was believed to possess the power to travel through time. It was said that a mere pinch of the sand was enough to let you roam freely into the past or the future.
On the annual ‘Telling of Tales’ night, Arif narrated the story of the Time-Sand with unparalleled enthusiasm. Young Ali, an inquisitive 12-year-old boy, was completely captivated. He dreamt of unraveling the mysteries locked within the grains of this sand.
‘I will find this Time-Sand,’ he resolved, his heart fluttering with excitement. Armed with relentless determination, he embarked on the search for Time-Sand the very next day. Arif only smiled knowingly, letting the sands of the desert envelop Ali in the thrilling quest.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks morphed into months. Ali prowled extensively across the desert, scouring through shifting dunes and clandestine caverns. The desert was unforgiving. The scorching sun bore down upon him during the day, while chilly winds threatened to freeze him at night. But Ali's determination remained unscathed.
One day, while traversing through a seldom-visited part of the desert, Ali tripped over something. Clearing the spot, he found it to be an ancient-looking chest half-buried in the sand. The box was sturdy and fashioned in a way that could only hint at its antiquity. The carvings on the chest depicted various scenes from what looked like pages from time. Elated yet anxious, Ali pried open the box.
It was filled with sand.
Carefully, he took a sample and compared it with regular sand from the desert. The Time-Sand looked different, shimmering in hues of gold. Trying to remember the stories he had heard, he decided to put the sand to the test, not before leaving a note behind for Arif, his anxieties reaching a peak.
He held the sand within his closed fist. ‘The Trojan War,’ he thought and opened his palm.
The ensuing gust of wind sent him into oblivion. When he regained consciousness, he could not believe his eyes. Clad in armor were soldiers, the famed horse towering over others, and the city of Troy ablaze. Ali had traveled to the past.He witnessed the war in all its magnificence and horror.
Not staying long, he closed his eyes and willed himself back. Another gust and he was in his room, his heart pounding in a peculiar mix of fear and exhilaration. That night, Ali lay wide awake, marvelling at the treasure he had discovered.
News of Ali's adventures stirred the village. Scholars arrived to study the Time-Sand. Kids fantasized about time-traveling while adults regard it with incredulity. Meanwhile, Arif passed away, leaving behind a legacy reverberating through his tales. Ali continued to explore the realms of time, using his knowledge for the well-being of the village.
Years later, Ali, now a revered figure, still held onto the treasure he had discovered as a boy. Not everyone could see the desert with the storyteller’s eyes or even as an adventurous youth. But his words echoed Arif's legacy, teaching the villagers that time, just like the sands of the desert, was fluid, ever-shifting, and full of possibilities.
The mysterious Time-Sand and its voyages through time left behind lessons of honor, bravery, and a testament of the human spirit's indomitable will to adventure and discover. The desert henceforth not just held shifting sands but the shifting sands of time.