While waiting for Microsoft Word to recover from an apparent panic attack. Our courageous hero John turns his focus to other matters. There is a great thirst in the land and to quench this thirst a man must travel into the deep dark, into realms seldom travelled and from which few return. Contemplating his time and purpose, weighing the odds of success and the consequences of failure John makes his choice. The thirst must be quenched.
John did not know the perils of this journey, but he prepared as best he could. Rumours about the deep dark abound. Most spoke of endless descending valleys, some reported an empty flat land at end of the last valley. As a young boy John had the good fortune to hear the last story ever told by old man Sol, who claimed to have been through the countless valleys, each colder and harsher than the last. Travelled the flat lands, featureless and void of all natural life. In the end he did find the thirst quenching waters, or so he said. But for all the perils of the valleys and plains, nothing was more terrifying than the guardians of the waters. Beasts of such awesome dimension and savagery as to render a man mad with fright. And old man Sol was mad, of that there was no doubt.
With this in mind John prepared his pack with a length of rope, a lethally sharp potato peeler (the only weapon he could find) and such provisions that he could carry with out being too weighed down.
He dressed casually in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, but thought better of it and decided he'd put on his thick woollen overcoat as well. After sliding on his sturdy boots, John hoisted up his pack and walked out the door. Outside was a mild sunny day, John hoped he would not get too hot in his woollen overcoat. He turned toward the horizon and started his journey at a march. He did not get far before he heard the scattering of feet on rocks coming fast behind him. "John, what's happening mate? Where are we going?" It was Albert, John's closest friend. "John, are you going somewhere? I'm coming with". John nodded but kept his pace, thinking Albert would quickly lose interest once he found out where they were headed. The two travelled in silence for a long while until Albert could take the silence no longer. "John, where are we going?" John ignored the question. Allowing a crooked smile to crease his lips, he continued walking. "John, are we visiting your parents?" Silence. "I know John, we're going to the market aren't we?" More silence. Finally Albert had had enough. He stopped in his tracks and demanded to know where they were going. Stopping a few steps ahead John turned and said "I am going to find water in the deep dark and bring it back so nobody has to be thirsty ever again. I'm not sure where you are going." Albert was speechless. John turned toward the horizon again and started to march.