Chapter Six

A sheiks wealth made manifest in opulent gems. A dragon obsessed with their first glimpse of a night sky turned into a hoard. Imaginings that did not come close to what Dave saw in that moment.

"Shit that's a lot of red," Dave breathed out.

Spreading from as far as the eye could see was a ruby red ocean. As calm as glass, not a ripple on its surface. A perfectly clear reflection of Dave as they looked down. The movement of their eyes could be made out back to them. The only way to tell it was even liquid was the barely discernible lapping against the monolithic wall. The light refracting in oddly bright rays and angles beneath.

I'm not a scientist but I know that's not water. The sky's not red, so... either whatever this is is supposed to be red, or something red spread throughout it. Better test it anyway.

Dave moved back to the pickup and scrummaged around before coming up with a used napkin, pinewood chip and rusty screw. Positioned back over the test zone the napkin dropped first.

It hit the surface. Nothing happened.

Okay. Can definitely count out water. Even something as salt laden as the Red Sea would still seep into it. You're just sitting on top. No ripples. No getting wet.

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The wood chip dropped next. It fucking exploded.

The instant it met the still red face it disappeared from sight as the red surface turned into a reverse waterfall. Blowing Dave back onto their ass from shock. But that wasn't the only surprise. The weird interaction of light from below was revealed to be tens of thousands of translucent needles that had come jutting out. All but impossible to see if not for the red liquid that was almost entirely receded. Ah, and the wood chip that was now wood splinters suspended in midair.

Chest pounding Dave crawled on their ass backwards until the cool metal exterior of their pickup could be felt. Staring with shock at the trailing tips of the spines as they disappeared, the red surface showing no sign of their existence.

Again! What the fuck if with this place trying to kill me.

Biting down on their thumb tip Dave suddenly screamed out" IM JUST GONNA FUCKING LOSE IT"!

Smashing their fists on the ground and burying their face into their knees. It was all a bit much suddenly.

This place was strange. The decisions they had been making were strange. And they didn't even know what they should do. There had been a plan. A nice and simple plan that had taken a decent amount of time and effort with no strange outliers. And now that plan was the one in the grave with no worries.

The sobbing continued for a good few minutes and then dried up. As much as Dave wanted to just let it all dissolve in tears they had never been able to make themselves cry, it just burst out. And when the feeling was gone, it was gone. Left behind was a buzzing mind and already forming goals with destinations.