Forbidden Treasure

Forbidden Treasure

Nicolas Mazo

04/19/2023

There he was, standing there helpless. Everything that they went through together seemed so insignificant in the face of the tragedy. Right when they thought they had won, everything came crashing down.
RING,RING, RING!!!!! The phone rang loudly, which made David wake up.
“Hello?” David said in a confused tone. “Who is this?”
“Hi, David, its D’siree. I know it has been a while, but I need your help…its urgent. I need your help finding a crystal. I have been trying to locate this artifact for years. I have heard rumors that it may be somewhere in the Floridian Aquatic Zone. I need your help! Please!!!”
“Is everything okay?” David said in as he began to be worried. “Are you—”
Before he can even finish his sentence, the phone hangs up.
“What is even going on? I haven’t spoken to her since our high school days” David tells himself.
His phone vibrates, and he receives a message from D’siree. The message reads, “Meet me at our old hangout spot”.
D’siree, a lifelong friend of David, is a marine explorer. She has a history of retrieving historical artifacts that have been lost due to the sea level rising. However, she has been trying to locate a particular artifact for years.
David was hesitant at first because he did not know if the artifact was a real thing or not, but he gets ready quickly and drives down from his hometown of Tallahassee, all the way down to the Florida Aquatic Zone. As he gets closer to the destination, he notices that there is flooding everywhere. He soon parks his car and proceeds to rent out an airboat.
“What is going on here?” David told the cashier for the boat rentals.
“Man, ever since the Big Flood, things haven’t been the same. I am this place looks unrecognizable to you, right?” The man said as he is issuing the transaction.
“You right, you right” David said, while nodding his head. “All right man thanks for everything, see you around.”
David hasn’t been to the Florida Aquatic Zone in over 10 years. He was part of the thousands of people who left the area to try and find safety to not be hit by the Big Flood. As David makes his way into the Florida Aquatic Zone, he finds signs that read “Beware, your safety is not guaranteed here”, and “NO POLICE WELCOME”.
“What has this place become?” David asks himself as he is going through the entrance of the Florida Aquatic Zone
David has seen it all. From petty theft to even acts of terrorism, during his years as an FBI agent. However, nothing prepared him for the sight he saw in the Floridian Aquatic Zone. What once was a thriving city, filled with fun and beautiful views, now looked like a ghost town, with only the tall skyscrapers standing in the six-foot waterline. The streets are now canals, and the two main rivers running through the city, Aquapike and the Deepwater Boulevard.
He eventually arrives to the destination. Wall’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. A local staple to this day, and it is one of the few places that has not been touch by the Big Flood.
“Oh my god, D’siree! Long time, no see” David shouts as if he just saw Jesus himself.
“Hey Dave, it’s been a while!” D’siree says whilst giving him an awkward hug.
“Alright so let’s cut right to the chase” David says “Why am I here?”
“Well, you are here because I need your help. Over the phone I explained to you how I need your help to find a crystal. That is why you are here. I need to find it because if it gets in the hands of the wrong people, it could be bad for the Florida Aquatic Zone.” D’siree explains.
“Ok, so when do we start?” David said enthusiastically.
“Now” she said.

David has heard of such crystal during his time at the FBI. But he was not sure if they were true because it was just off speculation, but there was no evidence to back it up. They only thing he consistently heard about the crystal is that it is purple, and who ever wields it will hold great power. The only reason why David agreed is because he had nothing to lose anymore. When he left, what used to be Miami, so did his job. All his dreams, valuables, and memories were left behind to drown.

They eventually go to the airboat and go about on the adventure. As they embark on this journey, they are talking to the locals.
“Let’s talk to him Dave!” D’siree yells to try and be heard, due to the loud fan on the motorboat.
“Ok, lets go!” he says.
As they go towards the man, everyone stares at them. As if they have never seen an outsider before. David parks the boat and stays there to make sure no one steals it. D’siree goes off to talk to the local.
“Hey, I just wanted to come by and ask you if you have heard people talking about a purple crystal that has been circulating in the Zone” she explains.
“Yes, I actually have.” He speaks. “People have motioned that there might be a crystal, that can give someone infinite power. But those are just the rumors. If you are trying to see if there is actual evidence, your best bet might be going to the FBI building up north to find anything that shows it exists.” The local explained.
“Thank you, you are a real hero” she said. “You know you seem familiar. Have I seen you—”
Before she could finish what, she was saying, the local ran off in a panic. Which seemed odd because D’siree did not think that she did anything wrong.
Their search eventually led them to the former FBI building, that is now rundown and is a staple for graffiti artists. As they walk through the building, they realize they must act quick because the amount of mold that is in the building can be lethal to a human being. As they search the building they stumble across a laptop.
“What is this” D’siree asked.
“Can’t you see it is a laptop. I have to try and unlock it to see if there is anything about the crystal.”
As they dig through the files of the laptop, they realize that a private contractor has been hired to retrieve the artifacts. A lot of the information was redacted, but one file was unlocked.
“Hey, take a look at this” David said. “Isn’t this the guy we saw? The local?”
“Oh my god, it was Robert!” she said. “No wonder he looked familiar, I used to know him.”
Robert was a former colleague of D’siree. When she started her marine exploration adventures, it started with Robert. However, they split apart because Robert’s intentions were always questionable. He would always wonder how much the artifacts were worth. He would always worry about the value of the artifact, rather than the importance. That did not sit well with D’siree because she started this journey because she always valued the importance of these artifacts. She never cared about the value of them, or how much someone would pay her to get it out of her possession. She always thought about preservation of the artifact. That is why they split up because of their ideologies.
With the new information that David and D’siree have retrieved, they set out to go try and find Robert, to put an end to his operation. So, they head south to “Kendal Lakes” to find him. They eventually find him, and he reveals that he has been selling artifacts to government official in exchange for immunity from prosecution. And that he sold the purple crystal to the highest bidder that remained anonymous. He explained that the only reason why he led them into the FBI building was that he did not think that there was going to be anything about the crystal or even information about him. This made D’siree worried because once these government officials get a hand on these artifacts, there is no stopping them.
“We have to set up a plan to stop these tyrants” D’siree said.
“What if we form a coup with the local to go against these officials” Dave said. “I know they won’t budge at first but if we explain to the importance of the issue, and how it will affect them.”
They both agree to start the coup. The locals did not budge at first as expected, but the two explained how their livelihood may be ruined if the government officials get a hand on the artifacts. With the explanation, it swayed their view on the matter, decided to help. Over the next coming days, they would retrieve the artifacts one by one, overpowering the officials that are in possession of it. They eventually let the people who joined coup keep the artifacts. D’siree stayed with the purple crystal.
“I can’t let nobody have this”. She explained to David. “The only way this will be safe is if it is in my possession.”
“Yea that is a great idea” David said. “So, I am guessing that this is goodbye?”
“Yes, it is” she replies.
They eventually part ways.
Months later, David visits D’siree to check up on her.
“It is finally nice to see you again D’siree” David says. “It has felt like forever since we saved the world.”
“Ha-ha, yes it has felt like forever. It is crazy how time flies” she tells him. “You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun.”
“That is very true.” He replies.
As they are catching up, with what happened the past months, David’s FBI instincts go off.
“You hear that?” He speaks.
“No, what is it?” she replied.
“I think we are being follow—”
David stops what he is saying. As he is checking his surroundings, he sees through the window that there are airboats that the FBI used to use when the sea level went bad. The only problem is that there is no FBI in the Floridian Aquatic Zone anymore. He sees a group of mercenaries, rushing in the building.
“We are stuck we have nowhere to go?” She yells.
“We have to find a way out, there has to be a way out!” David replies. “We can just stand here like sitting ducks. If we wait for them, we are going to die.”
“Can’t you see there is nothing that we can do. The only exit was the entrance that we just blocked off. We are doomed”. She says as she is trying to barricade the door.
“They have to be a way. We can’t just die like this! There is so many things that I have not told you—”.
They realize that they have nowhere to go. They are cornered. The only way to go is down to the water. But they are on the 15th floor so if they jump and hit the water, it will feel like concrete. But if they stay, they will be shot on sight. In a blink of an eye, they are both blinded, and can see anything. They threw a flashbang in the room. David is disoriented, as well as D’siree. As the armed men rush in, David gets pistol whipped, and gets knocked out. A couple minutes later he gains consciousness and see the armed men go in their airboats with D’siree. David is helpless. He can’t do anything, but watch D’siree getting taken, with her fate left unknown. In this sudden moment, David is left powerless. The artifacts that they have retrieved suddenly seemed so insignificant in the face of this tragedy. But he knew he could not just leave her there for he to potentially die. He had to find her, no matter the cost. And he would stop at nothing to make those responsible pay for what they had done.


















Works Cited
“Climate Change in the City of Miami.” Www.miamigov.com, www.miamigov.com/My-Government/ClimateChange.
Cohen, Daniel Aldana, and Samantha Schuyler. “Should We Start Preparing for the Evacuation of Miami?” Www.thenation.com, 3 Feb. 2023, www.thenation.com/article/environment/miami-climate-change-evacuation/.
“South Florida Sea Level Rise Toolbox.” Www.eyesontherise.org, www.eyesontherise.org/app/#tab2. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.