THE JOURNEY TO THE DAGGER OF DREAMS, by Dylan Novacek 8th grade

My Heart pounded in my chest, faster and faster I couldn’t look back, they where getting closer and closer. I ran like I have never ran before, threw the Arabian Desert. So hot and so sandy like a never-ending track. They where coming. Unknowingly just straight ahead was I fall on a rock & I bust open my knee. Sand quickly fells the cut. I couldn’t get up or move. I just lied there on the ground, broken, beat, and scarred. I saw 3 faint shadows over my face, I closed my eyes and saw nothing but black. It felt like it was just for a second or two. But when I had opened my eyes again I was in a hospital room, hooked up to an IV with my knee all wrapped up. I slowly get up and look out the window.
Outside I see miles and miles of sand. I was just standing here in a hospital dress. I hear foot steeps in the hallway. Frightened, I open the window and jump out. “Where did he go?!” a man said. “He got away!” said another. “GET HIM!” I have no idea what happened or how I got in the hospital. All I know is, that the Arabian’s want my knowledge of where the dagger of dreams is located. I ran for about a mile, and then I stopped. I feel my head and I realized the men shaved my once blond hair, there where going to operate on me. I know stopping would be a bad idea, but I just couldn’t run any longer. I look up and see a copter in the sky. I didn’t know if it was my team or the Arabians. I ducked down low. I saw a hand wave from the copter . “Lonnie!” I shout. “Its me , Lyn!” His hand goes back into the copter then it came back out with a rock. He threw it at me. POW! Right in the face. I knew just then that I had been tricked. I tried to run but then men on ATVs came roaring by and hit me straight to the ground. From that point on I was screwed. Motionless on the ground. A hurt head and a hurt knee, dehydrated. I knew the info I had would soon be theirs. Before I knew it a man walks off of the ATV and picks me up and throws me on to the back.
I couldn’t let this happen. About 5 min into the ride I jumped off and rolled out. From there I got an epic second wind & once again ran as fast as I could. I jumped into a rock area where they couldn’t find me. I found a hole to hide out in. I stayed there, with out a sound. I herd nothing but the sounds of bugs and the sound of crackling sand. I had been hiding in there for about 2 hours. As the sun set things got cold. At first it was a nice feeling to actually have a cool breeze come by. But it got to the point where it was like I was at home in Alberta, Canada. I closed my eyes and feel asleep. I recall hearing noises that night, of men talking and searching. The thing I recall most was a loud gunshot. I got up and as soon as a man saw me, I got pistol-whipped. I was half asleep and knocked out.
I woke up in a dark room alone, knowing that is was over. I thought of the dagger of dreams. And what it could do. Fight away any demand, it was worth so much money. Plus it looked really cool, HA. The Arabians wanted that dagger. They wanted to use it for domination. They want people to fear them, they wanted to sell it and make millions and use that money as they’re vice on others so they may rule. Yes I know, it is really lame, but around here people will do anything to be the best, to get by. I wanted that dagger for money as well, but also for history. In fact it was rightfully mine. After years and years of research I figured out the location of it. But all of that didn’t matter at all anymore. Here I was in this dark room. As anxious as I was I fell back to sleep. I dreamed of the dagger. How it glowed in the light, the jewel incrusted blades, the feeling of it in your hand. It glowed as if it was a symbol of vanity. Money and dreams. But what will it even matter anyways. Is it really worth dyeing for ? Dying for gold, dying for lust. My shaven head on the floor, my busted bloody right knee, all my pain that I could feel with each and every gasp of air I took.
After sleeping for a while I woke up, still in the same dark room. Nothing has changed. For a moment I felt safe. I thought to myself, “Where am I? Why am I here?” wishing I never came to this place. Vanity kills. As faith would have it something wicked came my way. I herd footsteps. The big doors slowly cracked open, a small glow of light shined into the pitch-black room. A man violently took me by the arm and took me into the next, extremely bright room. My eyes where still adjusting to the light. I allowed them to take me, I had no other choice. I was thrown then tied up to a chain. The Arabians hitting me. I finally lost it. “STOP! STOP! STOP!” I yelled. They did. “If you continue to beat me then how in the world will you get the location of the dagger?” I asked using my amazing whit. “Tell us now.” I mad said. “Well the dagger is-“ the window breaks open. Came in was Lonnie, my partner, jumping in threw the window. Kicking 2 men in the face. Both fall to the ground. 3 men come running towards him. Hitting him in the gut and in the face. But Lonnie blocks one punch and flips over them with style. With his spiked black hair, white teeth, and ugly vest(it worked on him). As the man fell the ground. He unties me. “Nice job, boy scout.” I say to him. I take the chair and hit one man over the head with it. Lonnie goes all out and aggressively beats down several men. I help him, but yet I’m still too weak at the moment. We team up on one guy then we jump out the window. “Lonnie, I can’t run. What should we do?” I ask him. “ATV! Quick lets roll out!” Lonnie says. No one was chasing us. After an action packed 2 days we where finally in the clear.
“Man , what the hell happened?!” Lonnie, extremely mad at me. “I got lost.” I slowly responded. “I told you to stick by me. How did those men find you?” Lonnie’s anger grew. He was the leader of our team. We are a team of archeologists. We where searching for the dagger of dreams. Our team is a team of 5. Lonnie, Jack, Ben, Bud, and me. I got lost on our way there. The Arabian’s saw me and must have knew I was looking for the dagger.
“Dude?!” Lonnie yells. “Sorry, I feel sick. I was walking to the site and the Arabian’s hit me down. They asked who I was, I told them my name was Lyn. They asked why I was here. They where hitting me several times. I got up and ran, they took my bag and saw all this stuff about the dagger of dreams, that’s how they found out . So the chased me down looking for some info.” I explained to Lonnie. “Lyn your weak. Now listen the others are went home, I stayed back to find you. Now we are going to find that dagger!” Lonnie kept yelling. He was like the leader of our team. But I was sick of it.
“Damn it Lonnie! Don’t you get it? Everything happens for a reason. I’m dying out here. And for what? Gold? Money? Power? I have done research for years and I think that is going to be enough to make some money. After my expericance out here I know more about it. I still have maps at home, the stuff they took is nothing.” “We came to far to stop now!” Lonnie said. “For vanity. Don’t you see it kills?” I yell. “I have research at home. Its to hard to go and find the dagger, and we are going to die out here. This is the end of the line!” I tell Lonnie. He stops the ATV. “Why are we stopping here?” I ask. He gets off the ATV and walks forward. “Does this look like something you’ve seen before!” he yells. The tomb of the dagger. I get up and run into the tomb. It was right there out in the open. I take it and run out with it. “YES! YES! We got it! After all these years!” I yell. “It feels good doesn’t it? You have what you wanted. After you just told me how much we don’t need it.” Lonnie says. “Your right man. But I think after years of searching we dissever it. Vanity may kill, but something like this is worth it. If we can make it we can get it.” I tell him and smile. “We better get out of here.” Lonnie says, smiling back. After years of searching we did it. We got on the ATV and went to the airport and went home. We got past the Arabians and did it all. My life was complete.
This goes to show if you want something get it, but you need to think, is it worth it. For our team it was. I know things got wrapped up pretty fast in my tale. But I got to get going. Tonight is my night…
“The winner of the noble peace prize is, Lonnie Buckwelt, Jack Bertleson, Ben Callies, Bud Gibson, and their leader Lyn Venson, for the discovery of the Dagger of Dreams.”
We made it to our dream. The Dagger of Dreams.


Fin…