A lone man hiking through the mountains finds a strange artifact that grants him the power of a god .

The deep ache that comes with long hikes up to his well sheltered lake was a reward all of its own. There was no greater feeling than knowing that it was his own force of will and effort that allowed him to make the trek. It was a miracle that he could make the walk even after his accident, hell it was a miracle he could even walk. God knows that poor Andrew had n't been nearly so lucky, he was still in the hospital himself, with no signs of moving his fingers, let alone taking a step. The memory of it all still plagues me, and that is what led me to the mountains. 
 
 He made the traverse originally in hopes that time away would allow him the tranquility he need to sort through his troubling thoughts. At first he came for the scenery. The birds flitting through the trees, piping melodies through the air so sweet no human could hope to compare. The sun casting its radiance upon all that it touched, turning the morning woods to gold as if it were Midas himself. In autumn when the colors were changing, the trees created a cacophony of color so startling one truly believed they were looking into a kaleidoscope. These were the things that drew him back, at least until he had found his oasis. 
 
 He came upon it entirely by mistaken, forcing his way through the brush lining the path to find a nice private spot to sit and think. It was not far from the trail that had been worn into the earth by man and game alike, but it was very secluded. It took a small drop off a ledge of about six feet to get to, not daunting by any means, but enough to discourage almost everyone. Today was the third time he was making his way to this spot, and for the first time, he intended to swim. 
 
 As he drew near, the sound of the spring that fed the pool created an audible *glub* like the sound someone letting out a yell underwater. To him it spoke of a time long forgotten, of youthful summers misspent in the bravado of a young man. His trips to the watering hole with many young women was enough to draw him back to the spot time and again, but until today he had never meant to get in. Until today, the spot had been one for him to escape, and be at ease for at least a moment. Finally, he bushed through a final wall of brush, and emerged to take in **his** pool. 
 
 It was surrounded by about 4 feet of cliff face on all sides, which meant when you entered you looked down into the pool. For five feet around the entire pool, the land was shockingly sparse, without any greenery. Once out of this buffer zone the shrubbery was as thick as the head on his favorite draught, and something about the uniformity of how it started all around at the same point tickled his sleeping mind. Not a single tree hung out over the pool, so it always seem remarkably warm. This had meant he could always count on soaking his feet with minimal discomfort, and for a while this was enough. Now though, he found himself being drawn to this pool more and more, and he could not help but think that getting in would remedy the constant pull. 
 
 He began by removing his shoes, and socks. From there it was his shirt, and shorts until he was down to just his boxers. He sat on the edge of the cliff looking into the pool, making note of the fact that he did n't know where the water ran off to. He assumed it must be escaping through an underground source, but he was by no means an expert. He knew underground rivers could be dangerous with tricky currents, so he promised himself then and there, to stay **close** to the wall. Knowing there was no use prolong the inevitable, he pushed off the edge and the surface rushed up to meet him. 
 
 As soon as his head was below water he knew something was amiss. He began to sink like a rock, being pulled under by a current so strong it was a wonder he could n't see it disturbing the surface of the pool. As he descended further, and further darkness and fear crept in around around him. 
 
 He awoke alone, on the floor of a cavern so large he could have easily built a basketball court with room for seating inside. He was troubled by how he had gotten here, there did not seem to be any running water anywhere, just small puddles sporadically found throughout the cavern. Growing panicked, the man began to think. He knew it was much to light for this to be a true cavern, so there must be somewhere where the sun was breaching through making this a cave. With this in mind he knew that if he set to finding the source, he could make it out. 
 
 He slowly, and carefully began the traverse towards what he thought had be the light. He made it to the far wall of the chamber he was in, and while it did seem brighter, he was still no closer to finding a source. He turned to his right, placed his left hand on the wall and began to walk. Ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred paces, and now the area was definitely growing brighter. He could make out where the wall he had his left hand on met another, and running about half the height of the wall was tunnel so smoothly carved that he knew it was made by intelligent design, not nature. The beat of his heart started to pick up like a locomotive gaining steam, but he had no choice other than to carry forward. The tunnel was so tall, that even three of him standing on top of each other's shoulders would have found it difficult to brush the ceiling. He could see that not far ahead it made a sharp turn, nearly ninety degrees, and there was no doubt that this was the source of the light. His steps grew smaller and smaller as he inched his way towards what he now truly dreaded to uncover the mystery. 
 
 He rounded the corner and was nearly blinded by the intensity of the light, he put a hand up to shield his eyes, and gradually the brightness began to fade. It went from a blinding, angry white that was difficult to look at, to a soft shade of orange that like that of a nearly set sun. He saw that the light was being emitted from an antichamber only thirty feet ahead. As he entered the new room, he saw that what was truly producing the light was a domed object no larger than your standard home computer. It was resting on a dais in the center of the room, and it was beginning to draw him forward. One eager step after another fell as he quickly crossed to the dais. He rested his hands along the edge, taking in the item on top. It was still giving off light, but now it was with such ambiance he could stare directly into it. He knew what he had to do, and slowly extended his hand forward. 
 
 As his fingertips came into contact with it, a warmth began to spread throughout his body, and he himself began to take on the light of the domed object. As the light ebbed into him, it seemed to be seeping out of the object on the dais. He could now see through its exterior, and inside rested what seemed to be the Earth. *How? *, he wondered. And then all at once it came to him like a tsunami sweeping away homes upon a shore. His notions and conceptions of what were true no longer seemed to hold up. For the first time he **understood**, and he understood everything. From the current air temperature, to understanding the true gravity particle, everything had fallen into place, all within his mind. He knew the way out of this cavern, hidden through a series of intricate designs meant to keep all but him out. The beings who had set this here, had done so for him. 
 
 He could see them, in his minds eye, looking to him for resolution. Looking to him to answer the summons they had set for him so long ago. He knew that for him there were great expectations going forward, and he wholly intended to put his new found omnipotence towards the good of the Earth as they had seen it. With this in mind, the man made his way through the exit, this time emerging back into sunlight that now seemed so mundane in comparison. 
 
 
 
 
 First submission here, I let my words get away from me it seems based on the character count. Whoops.
