Faith's Choice

Faiths
Choice.

If you knew the fate of the entire world and the future didn’t look pleasing, but telling the world of your knowledge will only rapidly seal their fate what would you do? What if you had another option but to follow that path will require of you to make a great sacrifice, what would you do? For us adults that choice would be unthinkable, to hold the fate of all humanity in the palm of your hand. It would tear you apart so; imagine what that responsibility would do to an innocent child. With such power comes a greater consequence. But for one 14 year old girl, such decisions will be harder than she had ever imagined...

In the peaceful town of Ridge Valley, there was a young girl by the name of Faith Howard. She used to be one of the most cheerful girls in town, and then it all changed when she started high school. With the vast unknown and complex campus she was prone to the horrific mental contamination that was taught in this institution of torture. She was forced to witness the pain that was knowingly inflicted on the weak and innocent, seeing all the suffering that the human race has caused she became a lonely and masochistic teenager intent on ending her life before it was too late, before she could cause more damage to the world and the innocent people in it.
She strongly believed that over a course of time almost every person would turn a destructive corner in their life and others would have to pay for it. She truly hated the evil, black hearted people surrounding her, but pitied the weak, meek and innocent who were cowering under the rath of people who she perceived as the villains of every day life.

Let us take a trip back in time to where this all began. Millions of years ago Rubyhellous, the chief priest to Faro Ramsey king of all Egypt, was sent a vision of the end of all mankind. He immediately set up a secret society that would leave powerful clues, hidden in special places around the world waiting to be discovered by the prophesized girl who had the power to change the course of fate and human existence.
He saw that imbedded in each clue was a magnificent power that in the wrong hands would cause mass destruction. In each clue was the power to control the elements. Fire, Water, Earth and Air. But there was one other, very special, very powerful and very, very, very dangerous. This was the power of mind control. Now to see to it that all the clues where planted and kept safe Rubyhellous was granted the gift of immortality until the day the child came of age to fulfil her destiny.

Dear Diary
I feel too confined. It’s as if there is only one way out of my current situation but going with it is too drastic and who will it harm but me? Is suicide the only answer that I truly know of or can that be avoided completely? I need guidance. I crave someone to talk to but there is no one out there for me. I’m alone. Afraid. Who will save me from myself? And when will they come?
Suddenly to my delight there was a knock at the door. I slowly marched through the corridor down the steps and opened the door. I saw a peculiar man, tall, very thin and tanned. His garments were as if he had fallen out of an ancient Egyptian history book.
His knee length pale brown cloak looked as if he was hiding something under it. With a gush of wind, the cover cloak fell to the floor to reveal all the antique beauty hanging from his neck. Gold and jewels shimmering in the mid morning sun light. He spoke “For you o child of redemption.” Struggling to make sense of what he had just said, I took the strange box he thrusted towards me. I stood there staring at this little box wrapped in soft purple silk in wonder. The man spoke again “follow the instructions exactly or you shall seal the fate of the entire world.” With his last word he vanished as if blown away by the wind echoing his final command “Use the name Rubyhellous to activate the guider and you shall find your way.”
I slowly backed away from the door in horror then in a second faster than a heart beat I slammed the door and ran upstairs to my room. Once inside I placed the box on my desk and began to open it. A shiver of fear ran down my spine, millions of questions racing through my mind. Who was that man? What did he mean? Where did he come from? Why did he come to me? Was it a mistake? What if this is a bomb? Then the box was open and before me there was a small amulet, with a round gold base and a ruby, red as a rose petal and probably just as fragile, in the centre with the shape of a heart. I could see the small carved hieroglyphics surrounding the ruby.
There was also an instruction sheet under the amulet that stated;
Step 1: Call out the key code three times while holding the amulet close to your heart.
Step 2: Once activated place around your neck and ask for the next instruction. If you need guidance simply say “Ruby, ruby guide my way” And for the next instruction say “Ruby, ruby instruct my way.”
I followed the instructions word for word, then there was a howl of wind and the Ruby turned dark blue a small voice whispered to me ‘good day child, how may I serve thee?’
I jumped back in utter shock and wonder. I felt as if I was going mad, hearing voices is the first sign then you’re off to the nut house. With all these things rushing through my mind at the same time I very nearly forgot to breathe, after I had time to take it all in I was able stutter the words...
“Who said that” Then the strange amulet started glowing. This time the colour was velvet pink once again I heard the voice this time she said
“Call me Ruby. I am honoured to be your guide, to help you make the right choices enabling you to change the fate of the world and all in it.” Hearing this there was a sense of relief, just the fact that I was not hearing voices in my head was a good sign but there were so many unanswered questions. I felt so lost and helpless. Next I asked, “why is this happening to me, what have I ever done?” Then she replied
“You are the one we have been waiting for, the one who has been prophesized to have the power to save the entire human race. You were born for this moment seize the opportunity before it passes you by, take it now, and fulfil your destiny!”
“Hold on! Stop the bus, I can’t do this! I’m just an ordinary girl, there’s nothing special about me! You’ve been misinformed. I hate the human race the pain and suffering they’ve caused it is just disgusting. I would rather see them crash and burn before I save their skins.”
Suddenly I felt horrid at what I had just said. I sounded just like the rest of them, hollow and merciless. But then Ruby reminded me of all the innocent children who would suffer for my stubbornness and I would be to blame for their untimely deaths. Some how she knew my weakness for the innocence of the world and I couldn’t say no. I was finally convinced and said, “Let’s get to work, Ruby Ruby guide my way”.
With a stroke of lightning and a howl of the wind I was suddenly transported into the most famous Egyptian museum located in the very heart of Cleopatra’s great empire.

It was twelve noon at the time and the museum was completely packed, because today marked the death of Queen Cleopatra. Because of this event people here allowed to touch and examine the exhibits, but only under close observation by the tour guides and security. In the Cleopatra exhibit, in the middle of this enormous room was a solid gold tablet at least five feet tall; it had to be the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen. The Ruby then said to walk towards the tablet. There just right of the central point was a hole a, piece of this glorious work is missing.
As I got close enough to examine the hole properly, Ruby dragged me to a small chest. The tour guide then announced that no one but Cleopatra has ever been able to open that chest. On the chest I saw a sort of key pad with small hieroglyphics engraved on each slate. Ruby then instructed me to select five of the twelve different slates and pull them out till I heard a click but they had to be in a certain order or else the clue hidden inside would be lost for ever.
With all that pressure thrust on my poor shoulders, it was torture knowing that a slip of my finger I could possibly loose one of our precious clues to humanities’ survival.
Carefully and slowly I did as I was told. The chest flew open revealing its treasure hiding within. It was the missing piece of the tablet, the lost piece of the puzzle, the connecting object we’ve searched for, over thousands of years.
Ruby then instructed me to place the missing piece into its correct spot. By this moment in time there was a massive mesmerised mob gathered around me, there was some thing bothering about it though, all these people looking at me steering , gazing, pointing and the only thing I truly feared was their unknown thoughts. As I slowly marched towards the tablet I heard the people suddenly gasp and the odd camera taking a picture of to them, the most momentous moment in their lives.
Once I’d placed the final piece in its rightful place the entire tablet rearranged itself to form a map which looked like it lead to the undiscovered tomb of the great Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. After studying and photographing the map we made our way to the near by library it reconstruct the images of the map. Once we had the reconstructed map we, Ruby and I made our way through the traitorous and perishing desert, finally we came to the never before found magnificent tomb of Queen Cleopatra. Stories said that just days after the queens death her priests stole away her body and hid in a secret and special location, many say that they here not permitted to leave the tomb and were condemned to stay and die to protect the location.
On entering the Tomb we found winding stair cases that seemed to go down passed the gates of hell. On the reconstructed version of the map it showed so many booby traps it was as if this would be the ultimate test of the mind. So on we, Ruby and I walked down the steps and through corridors, leaping over obstacles, dodging death blades. At long last we come to the very chamber we seeked. However there before us, on a table near the northern the wall I spied the treasure we came to find. I saw a scroll and in a golden sand draped with spider webs and dust there was a gleaming orange light that reflected, my only source of light the torch I held in my quivering hand.

Mesmerized by this strange orange light I took a hasty step towards it like I was being pulled by invisible strings. Suddenly the wall next to me shot small silver darts which were filled with the deadly poison of the Bahooma Black Beatle Berry. A poison so rare that the only reported death of this berry was the death of Cleopatra herself. Knowing this to retrieve the second clue would be a momentous trial of speed, courage and agility. The pounding of my heart was the only thing I could hear, my continuance pleading me to turn back and my amulet readying me for the next life threatening challenge that I stood before.
With great hesitation I conjured up the strength and speed needed and flew forward dashing for the clue with all my strength and then as it being just out of reach I was striked in the heart by one of the all powerful darts aimed just right. I crashed to the floor, the pain was excruciating, as if my internal organs where slowly being eaten away. I clawed at my chest panting and screaming seeking relief, and so I was back to square one of my inner turmoil, it was overpowering and all that was left to do was to give in to my successor the forces of nature.
The pain stopped and there was a slight sense of relief. I’d been healed by the power of the Ruby. Her little voice her healing touch had provided me with a second chance to save the world and concur my inner successor. I’d not realised until just that moment that Ruby and I were connected it seemed that we shared the same body, MY body the body that had her to thank for its close escape from immanent death. As I dodged the darts that flew past my eye I was ready for round two in this game of life or death.

When I grabbed the clue time stopped in its tracks and I was then transported in to the centre of a maze. There was a foul stench of corpses that was almost choking me to death; in front of me was a table where I laid the scroll which I recovered from the death tomb. As I examined the scroll I realised that there where images imbedded in the depths of the maze. I identified the symbol of Poseidon and there was a code of ancient Greek text. On the table in front of me were a razor sharp dagger and another gem this time the gem was green and round. The other I had collected in the Tomb looked very much like a primed. Only then did I realise where we were. I was standing in the maze of Theses and the minator. Ruby told me not to be afraid you see she had already lit the area around the table. She told me that to activate the next gem it needed one single drop of pure human blood and one hair from the beast. Shock and horror crossed my face in the same instant.
“What! You know you failed to tell me that the monster is still alive. What do you want me to do go up to it and ask it politely if I could pluck a hair off the top if its head. Do you enjoy seeing me in life threatening situations? Or is that just one of the perks of being a guider, Ooh lets see how many ways we can frighten or even kill Faith shall we!”
“Are you insane Faith, You know you should really try to live up to your name. Sheesh. The minator will be killed by Theses is twelve seconds.” She replied in a smug tone. Suddenly I heard a loud roar and a wail of pain. The sound nearly gave me a heart attack, but I guess I should be used to fear by now. Ruby guided me to the place of the minator’s corpse. Thick warm red blood was spilling from a wound in the beast’s chest. With shaking hands I pulled one singe hair from the monsters head and using the dagger from the table I pierced the palm of my hand. With the dagger I dropped the blood and the hair into the centre of the sphere. With a sudden bright light the second gem was activated.

After I got the notes and the dagger and activated gem, I was taken to the Temple of Poseidon in Greece. I arrived right in front of the statue of Poseidon. In all the statues of Poseidon his Trident was always at an angle as if it is pointing to something. I created an invisible line with my finger and the trident seemed to point to a small door in the roof of the temple.
I was able to sneak in and found another chest except this one had the mark of the God Poseidon. I once again entered the code but this time there was a glowing golden staff and a third gem shaped like three waves, on the staff there was place for the missing shape I found In the Cleopatra exhibit it was shear luck that I managed to swipe it before we left for the lost tomb. I then placed the Cleopatra piece in to the staff. While placing the golden puzzle into the slot on the staff I noticed that there were more missing shapes on the back of the puzzle there were five slots for five different shapes. I wondered if I was constructing some sort of wand with ultimate power. Ruby interrupted my thoughts and said Prepare your self for the final piece of the puzzle, you now need a tear from the dragon of Camelot. To activate the last gem which you have in the staff, and she was right there before me was a jewel in the shape of a flame. I just kept wondering what all these different symbols meant. But I had to focus now and complete this mission to save the human race.
And so with a gust of wind we were off to the cave of Camelot where the Dragon lay asleep. As I was in a hurry to complete my last mission I became hasty and careless as the Dragon awoke I dashed out of sight to avoid a certain BBQ as so many others had become. Once the dragon fell back to sleep I slowly made my way to his enormous eye, as it slept his eye began to water. One single tear fell from his eye and I caught it in the flask I had brought with me. Ruby then transported me to a strange tower she then instructed me to place her in the centre of the staff and drop the tear onto heart of the flame gem. I also placed the other gems in their rightful places in the staff

I did so thinking of all the lives I was saving from a terrible fate and I felt proud to know I was the one who saved the world from certain destruction. Ruby then said to me “Oh child, you poor naive child you still think you are going to save the world. Well I do have to thank you though you have just given me the power over the entire world. You know if it weren’t for you I would still be dammed in the form of your guider. Thanks to you the entire world is now at my commanded If only you had died in the tomb of Cleopatra then this nightmare would all be over. Say goodbye to your pressures innocent people for they will now burn alive for all eternity. Haha hahaha!”
“But I don’t understand... I mean... how could you... What ... Why... What have we ever done to you?”
You see once again I was fighting against the inner turmoil but this time it was different, this time I was not fighting the urge to end my life. I was fighting for control. I was not going to be shoved away and be ruled by another in my own body. I was going end it once and for all! So to destroy Ruby I had to be destroyed and so I shall. For you see she and I were connected and to destroy her I had to destroy myself.
Still fighting for control I grabbed the dagger from my bag and aliened Ruby and the amulet to my chest and plunged the knife through them and into my racing heart. To the floor I crashed and wailed in pain but still felt the slight sense of accomplishment. That I saved the innocence of the world. And so I die in peace
My choice was clear. My path was straight. My destiny was not to hold ultimate power and put it to good use; it was to make a sacrifice, one that not any person would freely give. But to end this it was my duty to humanity and to my heart to end my life so the future could start. What I then did was no act of glory or courage; it was my love for the innocence of the world; to let that grow and flourish. This is truly worth the sacrifice.

For one girl, her one life or death choice changed the fate of all worlds.
This was her story
Faith Howard’s Choice.

The End