Alex Hunter froze. Shock filled every bone in his body. It shouldn’t be. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. After one thousand years his one fear finally came true. The river of immortality had stopped flowing. One thousand years, and the river flowed with fresh and luscious crystal clear water. But now, now it was gone. Alex stood rigid and unmoving, staring into the vast emptiness of where the river once was. Slowly, Alex crumpled to his knees, letting an agonizing cry fly through the musty cavern air.
Thinking back on the history of the river Alex realized how attached he and the rest of his friends had become to the river. Also, Alex realized that this thing, this magical marvel is not just a river. I can’t believe it’s been about 1,000 years since we discovered this magical marvel. It seems like yesterday that Governor Yarom sent his finest men and women up the mountain on Expedition Zero to try to find a way to the other side. We were making great progress but then the storm hit: hurricane winds mixed with hail the size of golf balls, thunder shaking the mountain, and lightning causing fire to engulf the land. The storm had a mind of it’s own. We all thought that Expedition Zero would leave no survivors but then something caught the corner of my team member Julia’s eye. A tiny but human sized hole hid in the mountains about five feet up. We climbed into the hole hoping that we could outlast the storm and then return down the mountains. This is what we were going to do but as we explored more of the cavern, something felt weird but intriguing about it. As the storm raged on outside, an occasional clap of thunder would rattle the mountains. That night I found a gleaming body of water running through one of the mountain caverns and upon drinking it I felt rejuvenated. The same night was the night watchers were born. We never came down after that and we took it upon ourselves to make sure the two groups of people that were separated by the mountains couldn’t reach each other. We’ve told ourselves this was for the good of both societies but honestly, I think it has been an excuse to keep the water to ourselves. It’s been a one thousand year era, that now might be coming to an end.  At this thought,  Alex snapped out of his reverie realizing that he should go tell the others of this discovery. As he left, he looked back one last time, praying to see the same rushing water that he discovered all those years ago. But all there was was the same sweeping emptiness.

Alex arrived at the cavern where the watchers lived and fretted about the reaction the watchers would have. After all, Alex thought, I’m not even the most attached to the holy water.
Someone noticed Alex standing in the entryway and called out, “Hey Alex, what took you so long? My thirst quenches for some mystical water.”
“I…I didn’t get any, the river ran out,” Alex stammered at the man he identified as Kurt. Alex stood febishly looking out into the faces of the rest of the watchers, awaiting angry outbursts.
“Hahaha!” A woman named Sophie was cracking up towards the back of the room.
A man named Evan chimed in, “You had me scared there for a second, great joke.”
“Yeah but seriously, where is the water. I need the water,” Julia responded on a serious note.
Alex shrank into the shadows stating, “Believe me, I wish it was a joke but it’s not. I got to the river and nothing was there.”
Then, what Alex expected originally to happen, took place. Everyone fired words into the air. People cursed with anger, blamed Alex for going to the wrong location, some even were so mad they couldn't formulate words. They just yelled or more like growled at the people around them.
Alex wandered over to his living quarters and laid down on his makeshift bed. He couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination, or if the lack of the water was making him feel older. The thought really worried him, if I’m becoming older after only an hour of not having water at my scheduled time, what’s going to happen when I go a day? Do I look older? How long will I survive? WILL I survive? Will I have to descend back into society? How will-. Alex couldn’t finish his thought, losing the willpower to fight back the urge to fall into the deep darkness of sleep.

“Alex.”
“Alex.”
“ALEX you got to wake up!” bellowed a blurry face that Alex couldn't quite make out.
Alex, still half-asleep, mumbled back, “Shhh. You're hurting my ears. I’m really becoming an old man.”
The face Alex made out as Evan harshly responded, “If you don’t get up soon your gonna be a dead man,”
“It’s-how early is it. I’m still tired and...back off it seems like you haven’t brushed your teeth in a week!” Alex rudely responded.
“JULIA!” Alex and Evan turned abruptly to see Sage kneeling and sobbing over Julia’s limp body. Evan shot Alex a look as he got up and rushed over to the crowd of watchers.  Alex felt shock ripple through his body for the second time in less than 24 hours. Julia lay cold, frozen, and unmoving on the ground. She was as white and still as a fresh sheet of untouched snow. Although she didn’t look older, she was definitely dead. The crowd took a step back, letting Alex have some space with Julia.
He bent down and whispered between stifled  sobs into her ear,“You’ll be ok, I know you will.”
Alex heard one of the watchers faintly say, “Give it up Alex, she’s gone.” With these words, the mental barrier holding Alex’s tears back broke down, and tears came pouring out. Julia come on Julia you need to get up. I need you right now. We’re all going through tough times but we will get through it. Just stay with us and you’ll see. Please. Pleaseee. Alex thought back to the first time he looked into Julia’s eyes and remembered the young and exuberant gleam they held.

She was only seven and he had just turned eight. Julia’s mom had just been killed and her dad out of grief disappeared and was found five days later drifting lifelessly down the Lux River. Julia’s dad and Alex’s dad worked together and were best friends, so when the police looked back on Julia’s parents files, they discovered that Alex’s dad was her godfather. Two days after the cops told Alex’s dad that Julia would be staying with them the doorbell rang and Alex opened the door to find a little girl with a suitcase in one hand and a teddy bear in the other. He looked into her eyes and she commented,
“Hi, I’m Julia”
  Alex looked at the girl and stammered, “Hh-Hi I’m Alex. What are you doing here?” He looked into her eyes and saw that despite the coldness that can only come from seeing true horror, there was hope. Hope that a better life would come. Hope that this faint blue house with a brown door could bring joy. Hope that this was the start of a new life with love and care.
She responded, “I’m Julia, your new sister.”  With that, she skipped in, plopped down on the couch, and made herself at home. Alex was too shocked to react or know that that moment was the beginning of a great friendship.
Alex snapped back to the present and suddenly became aware of his surroundings. Everyone was staring at him with a twisted look, lying and sobbing on top of Julia’s dead body. He still couldn’t fathom that his lifelong best friend was dead. Before the rise of the mountain all of his family slowly crumpled around him, but Julia, Alex always thought Julia would be standing by his side.
“Alex, get up. I know you're sad, but moping over your girlfriend’s death isn’t going to save the rest of us,” Kurt rudely interrupted. Kurt was very outspoken and throughout the decades, he has slowly established himself as a leader of the watchers. However, Alex had always thought he was a bit c***y and all he cared about was gaining power.
Alex snarled back, “She’s not my girlfriend.”
Kurt smirked and commented, “Sure. Whatever you say buddy.”
“SHUT UP Kurt. You only care about yourself and do not have any feelings. It’s like the water turned you into a robot,” Alex’s voice rang with fury.
“All I know is I’ve lived for a thousand years and I am definitely not going to stop now”
“Fine. I’m staying here but any inhumane animals who only care about themselves can leave with Kurt. Go find your precious water.”  Alex turned around to signal that this conversation was done and knelt back down beside Julia.
However Kurt continued on, “Ok Mr. Sentimental. You're going to regret that decision though,” he then faced the crowd and announced, “Everyone who wants to live, come with me. I’m exploring to find the water and live. But if you want to mope over Julia’s death and be the next one to fall, don’t bother getting up.”
Alex turned to look at Kurt, eyes glossy. He opened his mouth to defend himself but nothing came out. Tears formed in his eyes. He turned back to Julia and started thinking that maybe Kurt was right. Maybe I’m being a fool. Maybe we’ve reached a point where we should just stop caring. If we really cared we wouldn’t have killed anyone who got close to the water. Our sins have left rubble that is beyond cleaning. Kurt is right. Living is all that matters now.
Realizing his mistake, Alex called out for Kurt to tell him to wait just to realize that everyone was gone. He was all alone. Loneliness. It was a lost word to Alex. For the past one thousand years, Alex had not been alone with the exception of getting water and even then, he had the comfort of knowing that he was invincible. But this loneliness was different. The large cavern without the constant chatter that floated in the air or the passing around of the magic canteen just didn’t feel right. Alex knew the feeling, the feeling of uneasiness in the stomach. He definitely knew that he felt it before, but he couldn’t remember when or where he had it. The deserted air crept around him, whispering its dangers, daring him to stay alone, unprotected, and vulnerable.
Alex’s heart began to race inside of it’s cage. It was beating so loud he thought that it would wake the people on the bottom of the mountains. His head throbbed so much he thought that someone was pounding it with a drum. Sweat ran down his face, creating pools on the ground. He didn’t know what was happening. Everything started to blur.  Alex didn’t know what was happening or why he was freaking out. All he knew is that he had to get out of the cavern. He went to stand up but his legs crumpled to the floor like jelly. Alex lied on the floor helpless and defenseless.
As Alex started to put pieces together realization hit him; Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. Oh man. This cannot be happening. So this is what death feels like. I thought this feeling was never going to come. I thought this day would never come. Immortality. It seemed like such a foreign thought now that Alex knew it was impossible. Alex felt his life slipping away from his fingertips. He lunged to grab it but couldn’t quite reach it or hold on to it.
“Poor. Alex. Hunter. You thought you had everything. You thought that you were in control. You thought that you guys were the chosen ones. Well guess what? You thought wrong. I own you and your whole band of friends or should I call you ‘The Watchers’”.
Alex looked up from his misery to see a hooded figure with his head down standing in the entryway. His arms were strained on his sides, palms facing down. Alex tried to scramble away to the back entrance, but the hooded man thrusted his arm outwards, causing the stones to crumble to the ground and form a barrier.
“Where do you think you’re going Mr. Hunter? I just wanna talk,” the man taunted Alex in a mocking voice.
Alex screamed back, “Who are you and what the heck are you even talking about?”
“Silly boy. Silly, silly boy. I’m not gonna just spill my secrets and how I’ve had you at my mercy for the past millennium.”
“It doesn’t even matter, I’m dying anyway. The water is gone, I am no longer immortal.” Alex knew that the man must know about the water.
“Once again, you have thought wrong. It’s all part of the plan.”
“What plan and who are you?”
“That's irrelevant.”
“It’s seems pretty relevant to me.” Alex couldn’t take it anymore. Mustering all the strength and willpower he could, Alex lunged forward at the man. The man clearly didn’t expect this and was not able to sidestep the attack in time. Alex grabbed his robes, pulling them off him and tripping him so that he fell to the ground.
Alex gasped and stammered, “Jackson. You-You're dead. On the way up the mountains you fell and died.”
“That’s what I thought too but when I fell something unexplained happened. I fell through the ground into a river and came out feeling refreshed even though I was just struck by lightning. When I yawned fire shot from my arms and part of the ceiling fell. I went back in and immersed myself and I got the same feeling. I stayed there hoping you guys would find it and we would be reunited.”
Alex commented back confusedly, “But we did find the river, why didn’t you call out to us?”
“You got to the river and looked so happy. It was like one of your great friends didn’t just die. I felt betrayed and decided to let you go. But I knew that I would get stronger then all of you because you only drank the water, you didn't bathe in it’s goodness. I waited so long to build my powers to a point that I would be able to kill all of you. I’ve been watching your every move and have always been one step ahead of you.” Jackson stopped talking and rose off the ground. He threw a fireball at the ground in front of Alex.
“Please just let me die, I’m about to anyway.”
“Not if you drank some water,” Jackson pulled a jar of glowing, mystical looking water.
Alex replied flabbergasted “How did you-The river is gone.”
“All part of the master plan”. Alex opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw Jackson open the water. He’s going to pour it on himself. I have to get a drop. Jackson rose the jar above his head and Alex mustered all the strength he could and dove forward. He focused in on one  drop and stuck out his tongue to get it. Instead, water kept coming out of the jar and Alex got a whole faceful. Jackson was too busy admiring the feeling the water gave to notice Alex rising from the ground, light beams formulating in his hands. All of the feelings of death fell off Alex and he felt like a new man.
Jackson still didn’t realize what was happening. Alex heard him rambling on in the background about having all the water to himself and how he was going to be the new ruler of the mountains and that the watchers would die. Alex couldn’t take it any more and threw a ball of light at Jackson with the flick of his hand. Staggering backward, clearly not expecting the blow, Jackson screamed out. Triumph flowed through Alex’s body but it didn’t last long. Jackson retaliated with a beam that sent Alex flying back.
“Looks like this might be harder than I expected,” Jackson smiled while he talked, clearly enjoying the challenge. However, Alex wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat and fired a shot at Jackson but he swiftly directed it away.
Jackson observed in a mocking tone, “Just want to battle I see. Well I’ll battle if you want. Maybe I’ll even-” Alex cut him off with another fireball but Jackson dodged it with ease. Light flew threw the cavern air but the only one getting hit was Alex. Blow after blow, Alex kept firing but his throws became inaccurate and useless as Jackson got closer and closer. He circled Alex like a bird stalking its prey.
Jackson stared into Alex’s soul and commented “It’s all over. You tried to fight a man who has spent the past millennium harnessing and mastering his powers. Be honest, did you actually think you could w-” Jackson all of the sudden stopped talking mid-sentence and abruptly fell forward. An arrow pierced his chest.

“He wouldn't have won alone, but he had a team.” Alex turned to see Kurt smiling still holding a bow and arrow in his hands.