Board :Story Contest
Author :Archon Iyagi
Subject :1st Place by Quota
Date :3/4
Shen had always been obsessed with finding hidden treasures. Sometimes it was for the thrill of the hunt itself, but to be honest, the real treasure was usually the treasure he found along the way.  He spent his whole life searching for the perfect score.  He had spent countless hours poring over maps and studying ancient texts, always convinced he was close to discovering the location of fabled riches. One day, after almost a year of fruitless searching, he stumbled upon an old map that promised to lead him to a treasure trove buried deep in the desert. Ignoring the warnings of his friends and family, Shen set out on his quest, determined to strike it rich.

With a team of hired hands, Shen set out on the perilous journey into the harsh desert, following an ancient map that promised untold riches. But as they delved deeper into the sand, things began to go wrong.  As they trekked through the unforgiving desert, their supplies steadily dwindled, Shen's obsession began to take a dark turn.  He grew increasingly desperate, driving his team harder and harder in his quest for treasure.  He refused to rest, even as their water supply dwindled and his feet grew blistered and sore. Several of them perished in the desert, left to be swallowed by the shifting sands.  

Finally, after weeks of wandering through the dunes, they reached the spot indicated on the map. As they began to dig through the sand and rocks, the oppressive heat and shifting sand made it difficult to make progress. But Shen's heart raced with excitement, convinced that they were about to strike riches beyond his wildest dreams. Hidden beneath the sand was a cave, just as the map said there was.  Inside, Shen found himself surrounded by glittering jewels, ancient artifacts, and piles of gold coins. His eyes widened in amazement as he surveyed the vast treasure trove before him.

 For days, Shen and his remaining crew collected the treasure, carefully packing it into sacks and preparing to take it back to civilization with them. A sense of growing unease crept over Shen's crew, but they brushed it aside, telling each other it was just their imagination, and they would be home soon, wealthy beyond measure. Shen himself only noticed the crew speaking to each other, and lost in his obsession, thought of it as proof they were plotting against him to steal his riches. Every time they spoke, his paranoia intensified.

Night after night, he was plagued by nightmares of the desert sands rising up to swallow him whole. He became increasingly paranoid, convinced that someone was out to steal his treasure.  One night, as the crew sat around the campfire, Shen decided that he couldn't take any chances. He waited until the rest of the others had fallen asleep before creeping over to their tents, knife in hand. One by one, he silently slit their throats, leaving a trail of bloody corpses in his wake.

The next morning, Shen set out on his own, with all of the treasure packed in bags that were clearly too much for one man. And yet, he dragged them back, determined to live out the rest of his days in unabashed luxury. Days turned into weeks, and supplies ran out completely. He began to lose track of time and his mind, consumed by greed and guilt. But he was close to civilization, he was sure of it.

And maybe he was. But well into his second day with no water left, he heard a low rumble in the distance. It grew louder and louder until he realized that a sandstorm was coming his way. He panicked, unsure of what to do as the storm approached. With the sandstorm upon him, Shen was unable to move. The winds howled around him, whipping up a swirling vortex of sand that engulfed him. He screamed in terror as he was buried alive

The storm swallowed all trace of these events. Shen, his crew, their campsite, and all of the treasure, lost beneath the ever-moving dunes. In the end, all that was left was the wind, whipping through the empty desert.

-Quota