I was maybe ten years old when the thought first struck me; a journey to the centre of the earth. It seemed so fantastical and filled me with excitement, but it also seemed very unattainable. How would I get there? I was only ten years old after all.
It was 1980 and I'd just finished reading Jules Verne's book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, first published in 1864 and had seen the 1954 movie of the same name so knew it could be done, the question was how would I do it? Alas, I couldn't answer the question. I eventually moved on to more attainable goals, but my fascination with a journey to the centre of the Earth didn't disappear.
This week I posed the question of, what would you do if you were immortal, but for only a weekend, as part of the #weekend-engagement concept I run each week. You can find the post here if you're interested in taking a look at the other writing suggestions. Now, I don't normally answer my own writing prompts as I have enough to write about as it is, but 
challenged me suggested it would be nice to see me answer one and clearly I obliged in this post.
A couple days ago I read a post entry to the concept by another user whose post I have linked at the end of this one. In it, she said she'd like to jump into a volcano just to see what swimming in molten lava would be like. If one is invincible then why not right? That got me thinking...Wouldn't that be an excellent way for me to get to the centre of the Earth? I know, my logic is unimpeachable folks.
So, I decided to write about my journey to the centre of the Earth by jumping into a volcano and swimming down through lava.
Swimming through lava
Now, as everyone knows, the centre of the Earth is 6,371km below the surface depending upon one's geographical location. It's a bit of a swim, but I was up for it. I gathered some snacks for the journey and made my way to the edge of the volcano, peered in and thought, what the fuck could go wrong?
Now remember, I was immortal for only the weekend so I'd have to make the swim down and back within the weekend; besides, I had to go to work Monday so yeah, I better swim fast...I was on a schedule so it was time to get to it.
Anyway, I dipped my toe into the lava and thought, hmm, that's toasty, but I wasn't dissuaded. I stripped off...come on, all lava swims are done naked, everyone knows that, and jumped in. I say jumped because I'm not very good at diving; I tend to belly flop instead of gracefully enter the water. Anyway, it was pretty warm in there, but down I swam, with my snacks in tow, tied to a rope around my ankle. (No, the rope didn't burn, it was immortal tool.)
Eating snacks in lava
If you've ever taken a long swim you'll know how difficult is, but swimming 6,371km through lava to the centre of the Earth is on a whole other level. Let's just say it's the most difficult swim you could possibly imagine. I took a few breaks along the way though, ate some snacks and took a look around, but soon moved on; I was on a schedule after all as my immortality-status would soon come to an end. Also, don't ask how I ate my snacks while submerged beneath lava; some professional secrets should never be divulged to amateurs.
As I swam I began to wonder what I might find down there. I feared there would be nothing at all and that Jules Verne got it wrong in his book; with that thought in my mind I backstroked my way ever downward through the lava.
I also found, the further down I got the better I felt; it seems the stresses and complications of modern-day life and society, you know, people, were weighing on me. You know how people can be right? I felt a renewed vigour, and it wasn't just because I was swimming through lava - I guess that's what adventure, something new, and having purpose, something one is passionate about, brings to a person. Anyway, down I swam.
The arrival
It wasn't too long before I realised I had arrived; one minute I was swimming through lava and the next I was falling through a vast nothingness. I wasn't falling fast though, I was just sort of floating; some anomaly of physics and gravity due to this being the centre of the Earth I presumed. As I float-fell I looked around and realised the centre of the Earth resembled a beautiful verdant series of mountains and valleys, lush forests, waterways and lakes extending as far as the eye could see. Don't ask me how it's possible, it just is - You can verify it if you go there.
It was incredibly beautiful and as my head hit the ground, I was falling head first, and I came to a stop I felt like I was exactly where I'd wanted to be forever. I felt like I belonged.
It was strange at first, a little uncomfortable, but I wasn't afraid. Soon though, I became accustomed to it and began to explore. It seemed time had stood still since the beginning of time in this place; there were plants and animals long-extinct on the planet's surface and everything seemed so perfectly in-tune with each other; symbiotic. It was primeval and the cool thing is, I felt like I had come home. It was then that I decided not to return to the surface.
And if you believe that you're bonkers. Something else actually convinced me to stay...Someone.
A reason to stay
It had been a few weeks and I'd spent some time getting settled in. Remember I'd made my lava-swim naked so I had to fashion some clothing, but first it was shelter, fire for warmth in the evenings and to cook on, and then clothing.
I had just pulled on my clothes and was checking out my style when I heard a noise behind me and when I turned I saw the most beautiful sight...A lovely cavegirl with long brown hair and large green eyes. She was wearing a little fur mini skirt, knee-high fur boots tied with strings and the skimpiest fur bikini top. I'm not sure how we communicated, but she decided to stay and share dinner with me that night, we had brontosaurus burgers, and the next, and the one after that.
The rest, as they say, is history.
We managed to communicate on all sorts of different levels. We communicated in the cave, beside the creek, on the shore of the lake, in the long grasses of the tundra, in rainforests dripping with moisture...We communicated a lot, and we didn't need to speak at all.
After one such communication I decided that staying here was exactly where I needed to be...and then it occurred to me; I couldn't leave anyway, my powers of immortality were long gone and I'd never be able to swim back up to the surface through the lava. I didn't mind a bit and just settled in, drew my cavegirl a little closer and communicated again.
I know, it's all a bit silly right? But is it?
I remember back to being that ten year old. I was full of wonder, thoughts that were limited only by my imagination which was vast and vivid and seemingly endless. I truly wanted to find that centre of the Earth adventure and now, as a fifty two year old, I find that I still do. Sure, it looks different, but has many of the same elements of freedom and simplicity life would have held for those who lived in the primeval ages. I know I'll not find exactly the same thing, but I can create it often and that's why I'm most likely to be found away from others and in wilderness places. It's where I feel at home...I don't even need to be immortal to get there.
I wrote this in response to the #weekend-engagement concept WE115, and just for some fun. You can read the post by 
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own and none of them are for your use, ever.