The Other Earth by Derek Schumacher (reading like a writer .TXT) 📕

Some guy who had a trident and stuff, and was like the god of the oceans or lakes or whatever. Maybe drinking water he made was like super powerful, or something like that. Neil figured that might be a thing people say in Greece. Actually, now that he thinks about it, he wouldn't want to drink any of that guy's water. That's kind of weird. Neil isn't about that life.

When was the last time he ate meat? He couldn't remember, must have been before he ever came to this planet, because there doesn't seem to be any animals anywhere. Maybe he was just in the wrong side of the planet, or something like that. Neil used to love meat, but now it doesn't seem like he'll be getting any for a very long time. Guess he's going to have to become a vegan, or whatever they're called. Weird people who don't eat meat, and stuff.

Neil glanced up, and watched the mountain slowly get closer and closer. It must be only a few hours away now, and that meant that it would only be a few more hours before he would finally get to see it in all it's glory. There weren't too many things before this that excited Neil to this level before. Or else he most certainly would have remembered. But this, this was on a whole other plain of existence. This was something greater than anything on Earth.

Mainly because where he lived, there were no mountain lakes. Or no mountains in the first place, because it was all level forests and woods. Still, it was nice, but not as thrilling. Maybe once he finished enjoying the lake and all of it's surroundings, he should scale the mountain. First man on Other Earth to do that, he bet.

Neil popped a few grapples and smiled. He still can't get over how good this stupid little fruits taste. Maybe one day he'll be able to share the flavor with other people. Wait, are they actually fruit? Or do they just taste like fruit? Guess it wasn't really that important, but maybe it was an idea to save for the future.

Speaking of the future, he wondered just where he'll go after this. Maybe back to the fields to explore that hill region he saw while forging the axe. Or maybe to follow the river all the way until he reached the other end of it. That sounds like a good one, to fully explore this huge river, from start to finish. Maybe then Neil will get a chance to name the body of water.

Question was, what would be a fufilling name for it? It has to be something catchy, so that tourists from all over the place will come to check it out. But what would technically be something these days that draws attention from people? What's hip with the kids? Neil for sure didn't have the answer to that question. Not many people do, because it's always an ever changing thing. One thing is in, and before long, it's out the door, and something else takes it's place.

But, the man had better things to do then contemplate the current trends of young people in the twenty-second century. The great stone mountain grew ever so closer to Neil with each step. It had to only be an hour or so away now. This was it, the final stretch of the journey. Soon he would be able to bask in the glory of the amazing mountain lake, and fufill his life dream! Or, at least his goal for right now.

 Neil smiled at his thoughts of happiness, and how great it would feel, to watch the sun set upon the mountain, the shadow of it growing across the water. The dim light shining on the lake, the reflection shining with little light there would be left in the sky. Like something straight from a fantasy. Or, at least Neil's fantasy.

The man always wondered if he acted as old as he was. He was sure the reviews would be mixed on that one, some claiming he was childish, while others thinking he was old and senile. Either way, he was still himself. A man who loved the outdoors, travelling, and keeping conversations with his own concious. He was sure there was someone else who understood his way of life. Hopefully.

An hour passed, and finally, the time had come. Neil's footsteps grew more frantic, and excited. The river had begun to open up, and grow wider with each step. The trees on each side began to spread out farther, and began to move around a large central area, which was just now coming into view. Just a little inclined hiking, and he would be there, he could feel it. It had to be up ahead.

Neil slowly made his way up the slope, and reached to the top, pulling himself up and over the side. As he got back up and onto his feet, he gazed upwards, and his jaw dropped. The river, once it topped at the point of the slope, and widened, and expanded. It connected itself to an opening, an opening to a giant body of water. Around that body of water was a stone bank, and past that was dense forest as far as the eye could see. And, behind all of that, to the far west, there was a massive, magnificent, beauty of a creation. A giant stone monument created by nature itself, a mountain, the top peak coated with beautiful, shining, white snow. It was nothing like Neil had ever seen before in his entire life. The mountain lake was here, infront of him. He had finally made it, after all of this time. The man began to tear up as he made his way to the bank of the lake, gazing up at the mountain, and then moving his gaze to the rest of the area. This was fantastic.

He sat down on the edge of the eastern part of the lake, next to the area where the river and lake merged together. The man rested and unstraped the bag on his back, setting it down beside him. After that, he slid the pouch off his belt, and ate a few grapples, in honor of this self victory. That's it, he knows what he'll call the river! The Grapple River!

Neil laughed and patted himself back on that one. He sure was proud of his own ideas, which was vital when he had no other ideas to go off, since he was alone.

But none of that stuff really matters for now, because he finally made it. Nothing would ever be as great as this moment for Neil. He wanted to bask in this feeling forever. It took him this long, but now, he was here. All the things before had led up to this. The knife, the axe, the shades, the bridge, the hut. It all tied into this one moment.

It wasn't over yet, though. There was still daylight, and that meant that there was still exploring to be had, and to be done.

Good Afternoon, Today is September 28, 2118.

First, of course, the thing to do would be to drink from the mountain lake's rich pools of liquid. Neil kneeled down and scooped up some of the water and put it to his lips. The taste was incredible, plentiful of minerals and other things, this water was practically ten fold of what he was originally drinking.

Maybe when made it back home to his camp, he should go back to the forge at the fields, and melt up some more of that metal rock, to make himself a jug or canteen to hold water. Then he could take even longer trips, especially away from the river. He just imagined all the places he could go with that one small addition to his equipment stocks.

But that of course would have to wait a while. Because right now, there was more exploring to do. The outer areas of the lake, past the ridge around the body of water, was littered with trees, and large ones at that. The woods over here was much thicker than the original eastern forest, which in itself was impressive. Neil wasn't sure anything could be have beat it.

Picking up his things, and restrapping the bag onto his back, the man began to investigate the surrounding forest. He wondered to himself just what kinds of vegetation could grow in such dense parts of the forest. Especially since it would block out a good deal of the sunlight, which means plants on the ground floor wouldn't be able to survive, or at least very well. Cruel, the way of life, even in a forest, teeming with it. There is always conflict over the source of energy, causing power to swell for some, and others to die off, powerless and with nothing left for themselves.

It's sad, as humanity is much of the same way. How political rulers attained heads full of swollen thoughts of power, and their followers backing them agreed to whatever they'd say. It was a nightmare, without the aid of sleep needed. People would be killed because of unruly reasons, some of them close to the ties of the past, and discrimination. Many people had hoped that they could have outgrown their old ways, but it seemed that no matter what, darkness was always part of man's heart.

Neil stepped into the forest, pushing aside brush and twigs from branches. The amount of trees and the like was practically suffocating inside the woods. The man looked up, and could barely see the sky, let alone the sun itself. After he stepped in a good ways, he looked down, and noticed that most of the things at the bottom were dead, just as he suspected. But, as he looked closer, there was something that caught his eye.

Vines had begun to wrap around some of the gigantic trees, which towered over all the rest. Vines are plants that sap the life from others, usually causing the affected plant to die, and the vines to prosper. Even thought the mighty wooden towers overshadow everything, these vines will try and find anyway they can to survive, even if that means killing their parents, the trees which may have been home to the things which bore seeds, that created the other plants in the forest. A murderous cycle of parent and child, where the guarantee of survival exists for no one, not even the strongest.

Before Neil had a chance to step out of the forest, after a good fifteen minutes of snooping around, viewing the plant life, he saw something on the forest floor. Something different than the rest of the plant life down below.

There was a small little bud, it's color a faint green. This little plant was no taller than Neil's ankle, and yet, it was surviving past it's brothers and sisters, which surrounded it, all dead. This one plant was pushing past the limits, to be able to grow strong enough to raise it's own family, and prosper, just like the trees above