The Waterfall Essay, Research Paper

It was in June. I was on a School Geography Field Trip to Thailand.I was separated from my teachers and classmates while we were visiting a rice farm in the ouskirts of Bangkok. Soon I found myself alone in a strange foreign land.

I walked for days and days until my legs could carry me no further. Then i stopped by the riverbank to get some water to quench my thirst. When i was drinking, I noticed that the jungle was eerily silent. My eyes were scanning all around the jungle, looking out for predators. As i was doing this, my vision was fixed on a shiny, sparkling object about ten to twenty metres away. I was petrified of what I had seen. Was that a beast out there? I did not know what to do next. I tired to keep myself calm and I moved towards the object slowly. The object was nowhere in sight as I approached it. The canopy above me was getting very thick and I could hardly make out what was lying ahead of me because of the darkness around me. I used my bare hands to feel my way and I got out of the dense vegetation eventually.

The view ahead was breath-taking. I was standing at the edge of a tiny lake, fed by a tall, majestic waterfall. Perhaps even a bit”intimidating”! Nevertheless, the power that laid beyond the waters was simply too tempting for one to just admire it from a distance and not go forward to explore the mysteries inside the cave.

My curiosity got the better of me. Without any hesitation, I went round the lake and soon I was just standing in front of the waterfall. The splash of cool, refreshing water droplets on my face was most amzing. I had never experienced that. I ducked under the waterfall and I saw something so strikingly enchanting that I was sure no one had ever seen it in his or her life. On the stone platform in front of me laid a crystal beaded necklasce. It gave out a very special glow and it was trying to tell me something. I reached out for it and had the fright of my life!

A hand came up from beneath the sandy ground and grabbed hold of my wrist! I tried to fight it off with both hands but whoever it was just did not let go of me. Out of desperation, I bit the hand and it freed me. As soon as I regained my freedom, I slipped the necklace into my pocket and dashed out of the cave. In no time I was back at where I had started from.

For the next twenty-four hours, I walked along the banks of the river in search of civilization. I did not know what had happened to me. Perhaps the lack of food supplies took a heavy toll on my health and I lost my consciousness.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on a bed in a beautifully-furnished bedroom and dozens of eyes were fixed on me.

I was saved! It was such a relief! I was told that a villager, on his way home, had found me lying motionless near the river. He was the one who had carried me to the nearest police post in his village.

I never got the chance to thank the man who had saved my life. My teachers sent me back to Singapore the following day. The only “souvenir” I got from Thailand was the beaded necklace, which is still with me today. The truth behind the “hand” will be buried for good. I am not going to return to that cave ever again!