Desert Passage at Aladdin

Creative Story Brief

There was a time many civilizations ago, when the world was once a great garden. Overflowing with stands of towering palm trees, fragrant breezes carried the scent of jasmine across the dunes, and the verdant land was filled with the song of the nightingale. Truly an oasis, this expanse was abundant with the sweet fruits of life.

As generations passed, those who inhabited this paradise became sloth, forsaking that which gave their lives meaning. They placed temporal pleasures above all else. Allah, who bestowed this land upon his subjects, was saddened by what he saw. Gathering all around him, he spoke:

“Those of you with true vision will follow my word, and together we shall create a land fertile in all aspects of life. But, you must go out and seek all others who share this quality.”
A cynical man rose to his feet.
“How will we know these men, Allah?”
“You shall go forth and ask, and for every man who proclaims falsely his vision, I shall drop a grain of sand onto the earth. Those who truly share this quality will follow you through a great desert to the chosen ground.”
“Allah,” came another voice, “I am such a man, I will do as you say!”
A grain of sand fell to the earth.
A quiet, simple man, standing off to the side came forward. Only he had seen the grain of sand.
“What is such a place called?”
“It shall be called Desert Passage, for all the roads from all the cities will lead to this mecca.”
“How will we know where to go?” The quiet man asked.
“Your vision will guide you.”
A voice from the gathering crowd spoke out
“We will all go! Praise is to Allah!”
The crowd shouted their approval. A handful of sand fell to the earth. The crowd fell silent.
The quiet man spoke again.
“I shall go alone.”
The other men scoffed and returned to their pleasures.
“One man, what can he do?”
“Grains of sand…Who will see?”

Throughout the land, all men came forward and proclaimed their fealty. Sand fell from the heavens as rain from an angry God. A great desert came to be. One by one, those with true vision began the trek across the barren land. On the same day, at the same time, from all corners, these men arrived at the site that was to be Desert Passage.