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Description
Gi woke up in the desert.

The sunshine covered him like a warm blanket, and for a while Gi was content to lie there bathing in the light. Despite the warm feeling that reminded him of safety, somewhere in the back of his mind was a feeling that he was there for an important mission, for which he first of all needed to stand up.

He stood on uncertain legs and looked around. Yellow-white sand reflected the sunlight and half-blinded him. He could see nothing except emptiness and the sun, and even that was hovering over the horizon in a celestial limbo. For the first time in his life Gi was afraid. He started walking.

He found that walking somewhat dispelled his fear. If he kept his mind on walking, he could stop thinking about why he was there. Where he was going. What he was afraid of. The emptiness. His feet were already aching, but this was infinitely preferable to the alternative, standing and waiting. He tried not to stop. In this he was successful. He walked in a strict rhythm, breathed in that rhythm, thought in that rhythm. Perfectly natural, he thought, that everything should follow the rhythm of his steps. Right now, the only thing he had to define his life by was walking. He momentarily wondered about this extreme homogeneity of his life, but quickly pushed this thought away.

Gi walked for some time. Soon he found that he could not possibly remember how long he had been walking. He vaguely remembered that he had not been walking for an eternity in the desert, but had started off in a better place. He remembered being safe and warm, and looked around in disgust at his surroundings now. Barren and empty. He hoped that he would soon reach his destination.

After some time, Gi came upon the first real landmark he had seen. In the middle of the vast desert, he spotted out of the corner of his eye a red speck in the distance. His heart skipped a beat when he realised that he wasn't mistaken. Could this be it? Was his journey finally finished?

Walking towards it, Gi realised that the red speck was some kind of sign on the surface of the sand, engraved or drawn by some mysterious method that he certainly didn't understand. As he got nearer and nearer, he could see the shape more clearly.

It was a footstep.

Two thoughts went through his mind like lightning bolts. He wasn't alone! In the desert there was someone else, walking, just like him. What was even more exciting, that person wanted Gi to join him! Why else would they have left a sign for him to find, pointing him in the right direction? He looked up, in the direction the red footstep pointed. The desert still stretched out over the horizon, but now it offered hope instead of emptiness. Gi looked at the sun, still hovering over the horizon and shining. He set off.

Some time passed before Gi found another red footstep on the sand. This one and the one before did not seem to get covered over with sand like everything else, which made it visible from long distance away. Happy that he was heading in the right direction, he kept on walking.

As it turned out, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of these curious signs, each pointing him to the next. Gi kept on walking, tired but happy, trying to keep a stricter rhythm and think in stricter time. He counted the number of his heartbeats between each new footstep, noting with satisfaction that as he walked longer, the number became more and more predictable.

Some time passed before the footsteps stopped.

At first Gi thought he had counted wrong, or that his heart was beating quicker. He kept on walking, past double the usual number of heartbeats, triple the usual number, and then some more, before he realised that he had lost the footsteps.

For the first time in a long while, Gi stopped. And for the second time in his life, he was afraid. He looked around desperately, but there was nothing other than yellow-white sand and the sky in sight. He looked at the sun, hovering over the horizon. He could see that he didn't have much time left.

Gi stomped down on the ground, again and again, as hard as he could. When he had left a deep and well defined footstep, he knelt down next to it. He paused for a minute, wondering whether this would really work, and bit his left hand, as hard as he could.

The pain shot through his head instantly, but he could see that his plan was working. His blood fell down and made a distinct red mark, in the shape of a footstep, pointing him in the right direction. He looked in the direction the footstep pointed at. Painful though it was, the footstep filled him with hope again. He got up and started walking.

Gi soon found that this was even better than following the earlier footsteps. He now reached each footstep at the same number of heartbeats every time, because he could make them wherever he chose. His hand had become numb, and he felt lightheaded and dizzy. Both were better than feeling the pain from the self-inflicted wound.

Some time passed again.

After making another footstep and struggling to get up, Gi staggered onwards. His skin seemed paler. He found it hard to walk straight now, and couldn't see as well as before. He nearly walked over the precipice when he reached it.

Gi stopped. Was he daydreaming? Was this a mirage? He knelt down and put his hand over the edge. It was real. He could feel the ground end as the desert plunged down into the canyon, and he could see over the edge the canyon floor, thousands of feet below.

He stared in wonder. The desert, it seemed, didn't continue forever. What should he do now? He looked at the canyon floor again. Even in his light-headed state, his instincts kept him from leaning over the edge. Could he go around it?

The thought filled him with despair. How could he? The footstep pointed in this direction. That was the way he had to go. His could not feel his hand at all now. If he went around it would take too long.

He may never reach his destination at all.

He couldn't quite remember where he wanted to go, and certainly couldn't remember why it was so important that he get there, but the thought of not getting there terrified him.

It only took Gi a fraction of a second to come to a decision.

He held his left hand, weak and lifeless now, with his right, took a final breath, and threw himself over the edge. He watched the canyon wall move farther and farther away. The wind rushing past his ears became louder and louder. As he watched the canyon floor come towards him at speed, he told himself that there was no way he could have avoided this. He closed his eyes.

Gi woke up in the desert.

The sunshine covered him like a warm blanket, and for a while Gi was content to lie there bathing in the light. Despite the warm feeling that reminded him of safety, somewhere in the back of his mind was a feeling that he was there for an important mission, for which he first of all needed to stand up.

Description
Gi woke up in the desert.

The sunshine covered him like a warm blanket, and for a while Gi was content to lie there bathing in the light. Despite the warm feeling that reminded him of safety, somewhere in the back of his mind was a feeling that he was there for an important mission, for which he first of all needed to stand up.

He stood on uncertain legs and looked around. Yellow-white sand reflected the sunlight and half-blinded him. He could see nothing except emptiness and the sun, and even that was hovering over the horizon in a celestial limbo. For the first time in his life Gi was afraid. He started walking.

He found that walking somewhat dispelled his fear. If he kept his mind on walking, he could stop thinking about why he was there. Where he was going. What he was afraid of. The emptiness. His feet were already aching, but this was infinitely preferable to the alternative, standing and waiting. He tried not to stop. In this he was successful. He walked in a strict rhythm, breathed in that rhythm, thought in that rhythm. Perfectly natural, he thought, that everything should follow the rhythm of his steps. Right now, the only thing he had to define his life by was walking. He momentarily wondered about this extreme homogeneity of his life, but quickly pushed this thought away.

Gi walked for some time. Soon he found that he could not possibly remember how long he had been walking. He vaguely remembered that he had not been walking for an eternity in the desert, but had started off in a better place. He remembered being safe and warm, and looked around in disgust at his surroundings now. Barren and empty. He hoped that he would soon reach his destination.

After some time, Gi came upon the first real landmark he had seen. In the middle of the vast desert, he spotted out of the corner of his eye a red speck in the distance. His heart skipped a beat when he realised that he wasn't mistaken. Could this be it? Was his journey finally finished?

Walking towards it, Gi realised that the red speck was some kind of sign on the surface of the sand, engraved or drawn by some mysterious method that he certainly didn't understand. As he got nearer and nearer, he could see the shape more clearly.

It was a footstep.

Two thoughts went through his mind like lightning bolts. He wasn't alone! In the desert there was someone else, walking, just like him. What was even more exciting, that person wanted Gi to join him! Why else would they have left a sign for him to find, pointing him in the right direction? He looked up, in the direction the red footstep pointed. The desert still stretched out over the horizon, but now it offered hope instead of emptiness. Gi looked at the sun, still hovering over the horizon and shining. He set off.

Some time passed before Gi found another red footstep on the sand. This one and the one before did not seem to get covered over with sand like everything else, which made it visible from long distance away. Happy that he was heading in the right direction, he kept on walking.

As it turned out, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of these curious signs, each pointing him to the next. Gi kept on walking, tired but happy, trying to keep a stricter rhythm and think in stricter time. He counted the number of his heartbeats between each new footstep, noting with satisfaction that as he walked longer, the number became more and more predictable.

Some time passed before the footsteps stopped.

At first Gi thought he had counted wrong, or that his heart was beating quicker. He kept on walking, past double the usual number of heartbeats, triple the usual number, and then some more, before he realised that he had lost the footsteps.

For the first time in a long while, Gi stopped. And for the second time in his life, he was afraid. He looked around desperately, but there was nothing other than yellow-white sand and the sky in sight. He looked at the sun, hovering over the horizon. He could see that he didn't have much time left.

Gi stomped down on the ground, again and again, as hard as he could. When he had left a deep and well defined footstep, he knelt down next to it. He paused for a minute, wondering whether this would really work, and bit his left hand, as hard as he could.

The pain shot through his head instantly, but he could see that his plan was working. His blood fell down and made a distinct red mark, in the shape of a footstep, pointing him in the right direction. He looked in the direction the footstep pointed at. Painful though it was, the footstep filled him with hope again. He got up and started walking.

Gi soon found that this was even better than following the earlier footsteps. He now reached each footstep at the same number of heartbeats every time, because he could make them wherever he chose. His hand had become numb, and he felt lightheaded and dizzy. Both were better than feeling the pain from the self-inflicted wound.

Some time passed again.

After making another footstep and struggling to get up, Gi staggered onwards. His skin seemed paler. He found it hard to walk straight now, and couldn't see as well as before. He nearly walked over the precipice when he reached it.

Gi stopped. Was he daydreaming? Was this a mirage? He knelt down and put his hand over the edge. It was real. He could feel the ground end as the desert plunged down into the canyon, and he could see over the edge the canyon floor, thousands of feet below.

He stared in wonder. The desert, it seemed, didn't continue forever. What should he do now? He looked at the canyon floor again. Even in his light-headed state, his instincts kept him from leaning over the edge. Could he go around it?

The thought filled him with despair. How could he? The footstep pointed in this direction. That was the way he had to go. His could not feel his hand at all now. If he went around it would take too long.

He may never reach his destination at all.

He couldn't quite remember where he wanted to go, and certainly couldn't remember why it was so important that he get there, but the thought of not getting there terrified him.

It only took Gi a fraction of a second to come to a decision.

He held his left hand, weak and lifeless now, with his right, took a final breath, and threw himself over the edge. He watched the canyon wall move farther and farther away. The wind rushing past his ears became louder and louder. As he watched the canyon floor come towards him at speed, he told himself that there was no way he could have avoided this. He closed his eyes.

Gi woke up in the desert.

The sunshine covered him like a warm blanket, and for a while Gi was content to lie there bathing in the light. Despite the warm feeling that reminded him of safety, somewhere in the back of his mind was a feeling that he was there for an important mission, for which he first of all needed to stand up.