Come with me and I will take you on a journey, far from the comforts of civilized society. To a place that exists on the edge of a dream, but the trek there is more akin to a nightmare. Have you made cup your mind, or should I leave you behind? Come, come now, my time is valuable and I haven't any to waste. Make your decision, make it now, or be left behind.
Have you decided? Oh that is good. I knew you would. So here, take my hand and follow along, but do not expect me to hold it at all times as there are many trials and tribulations that you must face on your own merit, but I will be there always to guide you along, just from the back. Don't give me that look, for you know not what it costs me to do this, and pray you never will.
First, leave everything behind and take only the bare essentials. Chief among which must be a jar, I'll tell you why later, for we are about to embark on a pilgrimage and it must be approached with all the reverence due such an outing. So, say goodbye to your love ones and give them one last kiss, as it's likely you won't be coming back.
What? You didn't expect so important an undertaking to be without sacrifice, did you? Such a wise sage you must be to overlook so obvious a consequence. Wait. Where are you going? Do you intend to return to your boring albeit safe life? Will you truly pass up a chance at greatness simply because you have a simple fear for your life?
Here is a mirror and I want you to really look at yourself. You are aged, your best years behind you. You have sampled all that life has to offer and now you have lost the taste for it. Will you then return to your warm bed and sleep away your years as you fade into obscurity, or will you answer the call and take with me to a new destiny?
You have made your choice and I will leave you to it. What's that? A single moment of contemplation is all it took for you to change your mind. You are a fickle one. Such a mind as yours must make it difficult to determine what you should eat for that night. All the same, let us not dwell on such simple matters and take to the road. After me.
The road is long and there are no stops along the way, for few, if any, dare to travel so far from the protection of modern society. But there are those who are drawn to us like a moth to a flame, an apt metaphor for they do not know of the dangers that lie ahead which may very well take their lives. All they understand is this will be a journey unlike any other, and in this they are not mistaken.
But the way forward in arduous and not all have the stamina to see through. Look there and you will find that of our merry group, a few have already dropped out and languish by the wayside. But cry not a tear for them as you will need them for yourself, since the trials to come will test your mettle even down to the bone.
Come along now and do not dawdle and soon we find the beaten path has left us behind and we are now surrounded by unmarked greenery as far as the eye can see. But worry not and trust in my direction and I will lead us along the invisible trail with only the whispering of the grass to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Take my hand, dear traveler, and hold on for dear life, for we are now surrounded by a most dark, most dense forest, with all manner of dangers ready to reach out from their place of shadow and drag you down with them to the underworld. Worry not for our wandering companions as theirs was always the fate to be lost and never found again.
Keep your eyes forward and don't dare look back, for that way will only take you to the same fate as all the rest. So, unless you have a death wish, I advise you retain continuous motion without the need for proof. Aren't you aware, that curiosity killed the cat? What more do you think will be in store for one who is overly inquisitive?
Look now, we are free of the terrible nocturnal creatures, only to find the glaring sun beating down upon us as we descend a steep, sloped hill into a wide spanning, barren land with sparse bits of vegetation that are more dead then alive. Here we must be careful to conserve our water lest we fall beneath the burning ball in the sky and bake without mercy.
How many are there of us left? Half? A quarter? No, only you and I remain. Where the rest have gone, is anyone's guess, but do not dwell on the matter too long, for that way leads only to indecisiveness and you'll need all of you conviction to see you through to the end. Let us instead focus on the road ahead where our next obstacle awaits us.
Do you see it there, the looming shadow? A steep hill it would seem, but draw closer and it rises to the height more akin to a mountain. It towers over the land, creating a deep ravine that runs all along its foot, making it seem that much taller than it truly is. Take a moment to collect yourself for it must be climbed and it will tax all of your strength.
Careful now, watch your step and be mindful where you place your hands, as there are brambles hiding inside every crevice, ready to jump out and snag you but good, and keep you to your dying breath. Don't believe me? Just linger too long and you will find out for sure. But be warned, learning the truth will come with irreversible consequence.
Trust me though, all the hardships were worth it, for here we are at the tip top where we find the very object of our travels. A most ancient well whose construct is worn and cracked, but still serves its purpose and is overgrown with vines and weeds. So magnificent a sight I am moved to tears. Therefore, I need a moment, one I am sure you'll gladly give to me. There now, I am composed.
Take now the jar, you remember the one, and unplug the stopper. Look inside, it is filled with the very essence of your travels. Your blood, sweat, tears, hopes, dreams, aspirations, all the things that make up the individual that is yourself, have been collected and stored for this very moment. Pour it now into the well and watch your essence mingle with all the rest.
Finished? Good. Now watch as it all swirls within itself, the many aspirations of all the ones that I have brought to this point, the same as I did with you. The many forms of inspiration that take on their own hue while mixing with the others until there is naught to tell them apart anymore. Worry not, there will always be a tinge of originality leftover.
Now then, leave me to my task, for I am one who takes and does not give back. Into my own jar the swirling liquid goes, as much as it can hold, and I secure it so not a drop will be spilt. Surprised are we? You did not think my generosity in being your guide was without cost, did you? I am never so benevolent as all that.
Now, dear traveler, I bid you adieu as I allow my wings to break of their restraint and unfurl to their full range, while my body lifts effortlessly and I fly higher than anyone can possibly see. Taking with me everything I should need, at least for a time. After which, I'll have to find a new traveler to take the pilgrimage.
Don't worry, it won't be you, for I have taken all you have, and will ever have, to offer. Don't believe me? You will. Once you put your hand to anything creative you will find that there is nothing more than simple, mechanical activity. There will be no life, no soul in that which we place your time and your effort into. It will be lifeless as you now are from inside out. Fare thee well.
Exercise #789: Craft
What do you use for resources? While a technical how-to piece might require a schematic of the item and a travelogue might require a good visitor's guide, even day-to-day writing sometimes needs resources. What are yours?
Show us a scene of using resources, or give us an essay about writing resources.