Arta's Desert Duel

by ALC

Long, long ago, where nobody to this day knows of,  lived a small girl who went by the name of Arta. She was very petite, her blonde wavy hair flew in the wind wherever she went. Her freckled face, so beautiful, nobody could believe she was real. Her bright emerald green eyes shone even in the dark, and a small nose held up circular glasses. She wore little jean shorts and a yellow tank top. Her plaid white jacket tied around her skinny waist, and on her feet she wore pastel yellow sandals. 

Her best friend, Amina, with her short red hair and ice blue eyes that were astonishing, yet they didn’t shine like Arta’s. She was tall. Quite the opposite of Arta, she would wear a small sun dress, patterned in teeny, tiny, sunflowers. Sun hat on her head, she wore yellow sunglasses to hide her eyes. Her strappy shoes topped her outfit, and there was one thing she wore every day. She never took it off. It was an anklet, a small, navy, beaded anklet with a sapphire right in the middle. 

They would set out into the desert every day to go to their favorite spot. This day was different though, Arta wanted something more. And can I say, Amina wasn’t one to take things lightly. 

Wind rolled over the warm sand dunes, leaving sand flying gracefully through the air. Amina’s anklet reflecting light into the air. Amina and Arta skipped through the desert, each footstep blown away by wind. 

“I bet I can stay here in the desert longer than you, without water even,” she said.

It was true. 

Arta wasn’t weak. In fact, she could go without water for a very long time. “I bet I can do even better than the goddess of the desert herself,” she said. 

Although Arta was very strong, she thought very highly of herself. Her friend got very angry with her for that reason. Except, she had put up with it for so long, she snapped. She was done.

“That's it!” her friend shouted. “I will not be your friend anymore. You are a boastful girl!” 

“Hmph,” Arta said, “Well before you go, I challenge you to a contest.”

“What kind of contest?”

“A desert contest, no water, as long as you can go without it out here.”

“Oh, alright, I accept.” 

Arta emptied her water, tossed the bottle in her bag, and sat on the warm, soft sand. A few minutes into the contest, Arta got annoyed. 

“How are you still out here? You're not supposed to be as good as me!” she snarled. 

Amina jumped, twirled in the air, and disappeared. In a quick sandstorm, she was replaced with someone new, someone bigger. Arta was no longer confident. She feared the friend she once had. Her friend was huge. Seriously. Huge. About as tall as Mount Everest huge. Tall like a statue. Arta ran and jumped and screamed and tried to get attention. But did it work? No. 

“Someone help! This thing is huge! Ew.”

“Arta…” Her new form said, “You’ve made a horrible mistake insulting someone, especially me.” Don't lie. Don't boast. Don't insult the goddess. Apologize. Those were the rules Arta should've followed in this particular situation.

“What! No. I am better than that, better than you. I’ve no regrets.”

Just then, Arta realized what she’d done. Her friend was a goddess, namely Amphitrite, the goddess of the sea. Arta’s mind told her to apologize, but she once again, did otherwise.

“N-no regrets, I have no regrets!” Arta put hands on hips. “I will not take back my words.”

“Really, A boastful girl you are, Arta.”

“Not boastful,” Arta said. “I'm just better than you.”

“Apologize now Arta, then the world will live on. You will live a better life, You will not be such a selfish girl.”

“No. I said it once, I’ve said it twice, how many more times do I have to tell you?”

“Why won’t you apologize, Arta, it will make you better. It will get rid of the sickness in your attitude.”

“Because. I’m better than that.”

“Enough Arta,” She sounded calm, “Stay right there.” 

In a flash of sand, Arta was stunned, she was frozen in time. A big rain cloud appeared over her head. Soon, Arta was gone. She wasn’t there. Arta vanished. She was deceased. Gone. She had left, but this time, she was still there at all the same time. She was melted into the ocean. This ocean still lives today, the Arctic ocean. Now, everyone remembers, never judge a book by its cover, don't insult someone you don't know.