Naeem's Blog

THE DISCOVERY
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PING!

What the hell did I just hit?!

The sound was more than a shovel hitting a hard rock. In fact, it was much too high-pitched to be a rock. I tapped it with the shovel a few more times. More ringing sounds, almost like metal-on-metal.

I tried to get underneath it by poking the shovel to either side, but nothing. This sucker is big. It was too big to dig up with the shovel.

I looked around and noticed that I was about waist deep into the hole. I purposely had dug it in the shape of a square – didn’t want it rectangular, looking like a grave – that would be too morbid. I got down on my knees and started clearing away the dirt to get a better idea of its size.

It was two weeks since I last came out and I thought I had gotten over the urge to dig. I thought the voice wouldn’t return. But last night it did and here I am.

After wandering around for hours looking for the pile of dirt from my last trip out here, I had finally found the spot.

Seems like the desert wind blew some of the dirt right back into the hole. But how did some of the shrubs and bigger rocks also make it back in there? Odd.

As I lowered myself to the ground, I was immediately awestruck by the serenity of the desert.

It wasn’t this peaceful last time or maybe I’m just more in tune with my surroundings. The sun does seem more crisper and the wind is a bit more biting. Not sure what’s changed.

At first, I was a bit leery of getting down on all fours. If I lost sight of the area around me, anyone could come up from behind. My apprehension slowly faded as I used my hands to clear out the dirt away from the huge object in the ground. I was becoming more intrigued by it and less concerned about my surroundings.

It was massive. It stretched the entire width and length of the pit. The object could have been a huge pipe or some old container. I was able to chip away some sharp pieces of metal with my fingernail. The metallic rust had this odious stench unlike anything I had smelled before.

I grabbed the pick I had brought this time around and figured I could try and poke a hole into it. I stood up, cocked the pick back over my head and wailed away. A resounding TWANG followed and the pick forcefully bounced right back at me.

Aaawwgghhh! That hurt like a...

I clenched my teeth trying to regain my composure after that body-rattling smash. Once I gathered my senses, I smelled the aroma of fresh bread brought in by a sudden desert breeze and realized how hungry I was.

Man, I’m famished. I’ll come back tomorrow and finish up.
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Part 1 - The Beginning
Part 2 - The Discovery
Part 3 - Memories
Part 4 - The Opening
Part 5 - The Caretaker