The Fountain
by Adele Nickerson
Looking at the steep mountain made me sigh. I still had a long way to go before I would find the fountain. My parents nearly had a heart attack when I told them I wanted to go searching for it. They didn’t believe the traveling preacher’s words, but they struck a chord within me. He said there was a great kingdom where we could all be free. None of my people had ever experienced freedom before. The preacher said that the kingdom was ruled by a man who would protect and love anyone who chose to pick up their burden and follow him. So that’s what I did.
My burden currently rested against my shoulder. I adjusted it to lay across my back so I could better maneuver my way down the hill. The preacher’s directions were vague, so I had only a little to go off of. But he did say the gates to the kingdom were marked by a large, glorious fountain.
I marched into the forest and began making my way up the mountain. If I was going the right way I would find the fountain on the other side. I trudged slowly upward, my burden only growing heavier. The lush green trees gave me cover from the burning sun, but also made it hard to see very far forward. By the time the ground finally leveled out, I feared I wouldn’t make it another step and fall backwards down the mountain.
I collapsed to the ground and rested for a long time watching the grass blow softly in the breeze. When I was rested enough, I hiked up my burden and continued walking. The breeze whistled through the trees creating a lilting melody that kept me company on my journey. But soon the trees began to grow sparse, and the sun began to set.
As the darkness crept in, I continued on trying to find a good place to spend the night. The farther I traveled, the more my fear grew. My back ached from the weight of my burden, and my breath quickened with the increased fear. Just as I was about to give up and fall to the ground, I saw a light ahead. I made a beeline for it, and as I got closer, I saw it was a man holding a lantern. He smiled softly at me, and I knew. I knew. This was the man the preacher spoke of. This was the man I had taken up my burden to follow.
I tried to run for him, but as I drew closer, he only drew farther away. I ignored the pain igniting my body as I ran after this man. I knew he was more important. The sky only grew darker, and the trees enveloped me again. Just when I thought I was almost caught up to the man, he disappeared. I gasped and felt the sudden urge to cry.
But before a tear could fall, I noticed the man had led me to a hollowed-out tree. The perfect place to spend the night. I let the feeling of relief relax my body as I settled in for the night. When I woke the sun was shining brightly and I felt more hopeful than I did when I started my journey. I yawned and took in my surroundings. Just off the right I saw something sparkling in between the trees.
Intrigued, I began to make my way over to it. As I drew closer, the sparkling revealed itself to be a fresh spring that the sun was shining down on. I knelt beside it and drank the cool water gratefully. When I stood, the weight of my burden almost made me fall back down. It was considerably heavier than I remembered it being yesterday. I leaned against the tree to steady myself. I’ve gone too far to give up now.
Huffing, I slowly made my way up the rest of the mountain. When I reached the apex, I stared down toward the valley below and let out a triumphant whoop. The sun turned the sky gold on the horizon and gave me just enough hope to outweigh the fear and uncertainty I felt at the thought of trudging down the mountainside.
I barely took one step down before a rock shot out from under me, and I went tumbling downhill. I could feel every stick and stone as it scraped across my skin and could feel blood trickling down my arms and legs. I slammed against the trunk of a tree, which finally stopped my unwanted shortcut down the mountain. The breath had been forced out of my lungs, and for one horrible second, I feared I may never be able to breathe again.
Then, air swarmed my lungs, and I sat up with a gasp then a groan. My arms and legs stung, but thankfully nothing was broken. Shaking, I attempted to stand up and only succeeded in falling down. As I sat waiting for my strength to return, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head slowly, and came face to face with what was probably the biggest lion in existence.
I froze, unable to move or react, waiting to see what the lion would do. He sat observing me with a curious look on his face. He tilted his head, and his ears twitched slightly before he stood up and slowly ambled his way over to me. When he finally closed the distance between us, he looked around lazily then turned his gaze back to me, almost like he was waiting for me to do something.
Cautiously, I began to stand up, and as I did the lion pressed against me and allowed me to lean on him. Surprised, I placed a hand on his back, and he began to lead the way through the trees and down the mountain. Our progress was slow, but I didn’t mind. I was still stiff with pain and was grateful for my companion. As we traipsed through the trees, my pain eased to a dull throb. As my mind was taken off my pain, I realized I had no idea where we were going, and I was relying solely on the lion to lead me.
I decided I had trusted the lion this far, so why worry now? I continued to follow the lion and lean on him even when the sunset and the stars came out. I couldn’t see the moon through the trees, but a few rays slipped through and lit my path. We walked a few hours more before the lion finally stopped. He laid down next to a tree and looked expectantly at me. I laid down next to him and settled in to sleep. Knowing the lion was beside me, I felt safe and comfortable enough to quickly fall asleep.
When I woke, the lion was gone. I sat up and looked around frantically, but he was nowhere in sight. Now that the sun was out, I could see the lion had led me to the bottom of the mountain. The valley stretched out in front of me, and hope surged through me.
I stood up and set off at a fast pace. I was almost there. I could feel it. As I walked on, the old pains from my fall returned and I was forced to slow down. I walked and walked until I feared I could walk no more. My stomach growled and I realized I had no food or water. Just as I was afraid I would collapse, I saw it.
The fountain loomed just ahead of me. The water poured freely out of the giant stone cross. He stood just beyond the fountain, smiling at me, waiting for me.
The burden laid heavily across my back, and I feared I couldn’t go any farther. I was bloodied and bruised and felt utterly broken. He would never let me into his kingdom looking like this.
He nodded at me and suddenly I knew what I had to do. I fell to my knees and bowed my head before drinking. Suddenly, He was beside me and lifted my burden onto his own back. The weight that had held me down didn’t seem to faze Him.
My sorrows were replaced with joy, my wounds were healed, and I finally felt whole again. He flung his arms open wide. I fell into Him and He held me tight. I felt like crying, but nothing came out. He held me for a long while before taking my hand and walking me through the gates and into His kingdom.
About the Author
Adele Nickerson’s favorite things to do are read, write, and spend time with her large family. She has been writing practically her whole life and it’s a big part of who she is. Adele’s biggest dream is to make others happy and glorify God with her work.
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