The Moon Gate

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley.” Charlie spoke sincerely, drawing Crystal’s attention from the passing trees.

“Can you believe it?!” Jared’s unexpected shout made Crystal look to the back seats, “Dragons! In your own homeland!”

Without missing a beat, Crystal grinned and spoke in her best Khajiit accent, “This one hopes her family is safe.”

“Ughhh… you nerds,” Jenna groaned, her green glare rotating between Crystal, Charlie and her boyfriend Jared.

“Oh you love it,” Crystal told her sister playfully, before looking back to Charlie, “What were you talking about dragons for?”

“Well, I was trying to set the scene for our role play, but nooo, Jared had to go full Elsweyr on us.” Charlie shook his head, “We’re not on Nirn, Jared. We’re on Earth.”

“But,” Jared held up his hand then, “There are no dragons on Earth either.”

“True, but that is besides the point.”

“Nerds,” Crystal told the pair lovingly, before looking back up to the driver. Luke, her ex, shared the same exasperated expression that her sister expressed regarding the current conversation. “What do you think, Luke? There’s the Gehenna preserve up north, but we’re off to find a Moon Gate with directions given from a gas station clerk. Do you think there are dragons on Earth?”

Luke rolled his eyes, turning to look at her. “No.”

“Then why the hell are we going to the stupid gate?!” Anya piped up from the far back row by Charlie. “This is madness! Literally, we’re going out to the middle of nowhere at the word of a shady clerk in order to find a magic gate that supposedly leads to another world?! This is bullshit! It’s a set up! Literally, the opener to a horror movie. It’s the perfect place for an ambush!”

“Okay, yes, but seeing as three among us are gamers, it is also the perfect side quest that could lead into a grand campaign,” Charlie pointed out, making his girlfriend just groan.

“We are going to die.” Anya shook her head in disbelief.

“Also, just to point out: no one mentioned dragons at the Moon Gate,” Jared’s tone condescending, drawing Anya’s blue eyed glare.

“True, it’s a portal! Eerily familiar, vastly different!” Jenna was quick to quote the shady clerk from the gas station. Crystal remembered the clerk’s words all too well. He was hard to ignore, and strangely attractive with his dark penetrating eyes… in that sketchy stranger kind of way. A chill ran down her spine as her thoughts turned to the creepy clerk. “It only opens on the Blood Moon, which is tonight! Perfect timing.”

“Yeah, hello, Earth to morons: it’s the perfect setting for an ambush. Shouldn’t you nerds see that?!” Anya threw her hands in the air as she spoke.

Crystal could only laugh at Anya’s dramatics, but part of her wondered about this supposed Gate. Magic and weirdness wasn’t exactly impossible after all thanks to the Gehenna Preserve. All sorts of strange creatures lived there, so was it so farfetched that there was another hot spot here in the south?

They were supposed to be heading to a lakehouse, but thanks to a chance encounter with a local, they were now en route to find a magical gate. Then again, they probably wouldn’t even have directions if Jenna hadn’t flirted so hard with the clerk.

She couldn’t help but think they wouldn’t even be on this trip if Luke hadn’t be so cheap about losing his deposit. Bringing their friends along was supposed to keep the trip uplifting and fun, and less awkward. It was a glorious failure so far.

Anya was clearly against finding The Moon Gate. She was convinced it was an ambush and the clerk was planning to kill them all just like a cheesy B Horror movie. Jenna, Jared and Charlie were enthusiastic about finding the gate and hopefully finding a new world. Well, Jared and Charlie were at least. She was pretty sure Jenna hoped to find that clerk and spend some quality time alone, while the others searched for the gate. Luke only wanted to prove he wasn’t complete chickenshit about magic and taking risks. Unfortunately, Crystal was here because she and Anya lost a vote, 4 to 2, and they were forced to tag along on this quest.

“Why are you so paranoid, Anya? We’re not gonna die. Well, at least by his hand, he’s working a double, remember?” Jared was quick to remind her.

“Because it’s a set up.” Anya pointed out as her glare settled upon Jared again.

“Oh please,” Jenna shook her head.

“Yeah, the only set up would be if we went to the gate and Jenna double backed to the store for additional lore from that clerk,” Crystal commented, making Jared gasp and playfully hit Jenna on the arm.

Jenna giggled, swatting at Jared playfully, “Please, it was Crystal he was talking to.”

“Oh yes, but his eyes were on you,” Crystal assured her sister. It was hard to imagine they were related, much less only a year apart. Jenna was fair skinned with just the right amount of freckles, auburn haired, green eyed and dressed to kill everywhere she went, even today. Her sister sported a flashy red halter top with a single tie around the neck paired with a pair of dark blue, skinny jeans and sandals. Crystal on the other hand, with her plain chocolate hair and hazel eyes, always looked homeless unless she was in cosplay. Even though her skin was a shade darker than Jenna’s, it was clear she didn’t spend much time in the sun. Looking down at her outfit, she almost wished she’d brought sunblock for this little adventure. She attempted an effort to join the spring break vibe by wearing a black spaghetti strap tank, faded denim shorts and comfy wedge sandals.

“Yeah, maybe a bit,” Jenna agreed, before looking over to Jared, “Don’t worry though, hun. I’m all yours.”

“Yeah, until we get to this ambush site, we’re killed and she’s taken hostage,” Anya commented, ever the Debbie Downer of the group.

“Oooh then I could be like Queen of the Shady Ambush people,” Jenna flipped her hair, putting on the most regal pose she could manage.

“You’re an idiot,” Crystal shook her head at Jenna, before looking back to Luke, “How’s it going, Luke?”

“Following the vague directions from your new boyfriend is difficult.”

“Uhh no, he’s Jenna’s, remember? Besides, he said go east into the park, find the end of the trail and then we’ll have to go by foot.”

“FOOT?!” Anya’s shrill voice of horror cut into her skull for a moment. Crystal’s eyes twitched briefly, deciding to ignore that comment. “I didn’t sign up to walk! We’re here to swim! Relax! Break!”

“Calm down, Ahn. You’ll get your chance.” Jenna assured her, before laughing, “First we gotta find The Moon Gate.”

“I wonder if this gate is so great, why isn’t it on the map,” Luke wondered aloud.

“Cause it’s a local legend. This is a small town. I doubt there’s much traffic through here.” Jenna answered his question, “I think it’ll be neat today. A blood moon out in the wilderness.”

“Get eaten by werewolves.” Anya commented, earning a laugh from everyone.

“If we see a werewolf, I wouldn’t even be mad.” Charlie commented, “Blood moons hold powerful significance in a lot of cultures. End of times, powerful spells-

“Hence the whole gate opening, yeah, yeah.” Luke waved his hand dismissively. “Said the full moon would show us the cave.”

“So we’re looking for a cave that is recognizable by moonlight, but only opens under the blood moon. Intriguing.” Charlie’s tone was genuinely interested.

Crystal chuckled, shaking her head at friends. “Regardless what we find, tonight’s gonna be interesting. Did anyone bring any mosquito repellent.”

“Aww fuck, no. I planned on buying some once we got to the lake.” Anya’s groan practically shook the SUV.

Turning to look back at Anya, Crystal couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we’ll survive.”

“Doubtful.” Anya replied, before sighing, “Eaten by werewolves or mosquitoes. Ughh…”

“You’d be so fun to take camping, Ahn,” Charlie assured his partner as Luke followed the main road through the park.

Crystal looked around, wondering just how big this park was. It would be beautiful to walk through. This might not be a bad idea after all. There was a lot to be seen here.

It took some time to find the end of the park. Soon, the Escalade arrived at a dead end with a roped off fence.

“Uhh… we’re not crossing that right?” Crystal heard Anya’s concerned tone and eyed the rope fence warily.

“It does say ‘area closed.’” Crystal pointed out, which only made Luke laugh.

“The park itself is open, so I think we’re fine. Besides, who else will be out here?” Luke grinned as he spoke.

“Hashtag: Ambush.” Anya declared, before grudgingly getting out of the car.

Crystal followed suit, looking up at the sun then over to the trees. Nope.

“Where are you going?” Anya asked as Crystal walked past her towards the trunk.

“Luke, I’m opening up the back.” Crystal called out before opening the trunk. Their luggage was stacked neatly in the back, and she was thankful her canvas beach bag was on top.

“What? Why?!”

“I’m not walking out there in this!” She gestured to her current outfit. There wasn’t anything she could do about the wedge sandals as she had exclusively brought sandals and flip flops, but she could grab her hat and chiffon jacket.

Pulling her bag out, she smiled as she pulled out her jacket. The cool silk of the pink chiffon jacket was a welcome covering over her skin. It didn’t provide a lot of cover, but anything was better than nothing.

Grabbing the ends of the silk, she tied it in the front before grabbing her beloved sun hat. The wide brimmed, floppy hat brought an unnecessary amount of happiness as she put it on.

“That’s not a bad idea except my bag is on the bottom.” Jenna commented as her sister walked over.

“You don’t have a jacket or other top?” Crystal asked as she looked over to Jenna. “At least you’re wearing jeans.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t exactly a hiking outfit.”

“Remember, you wanted to go see the gate under the blood moon,” Crystal stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“Yes, yes, I am aware.” Jenna rolled her eyes, waving her off dismissively. “Let’s go find the Moon Gate.”

Crystal chuckled, about to set the bag inside the car.

“Hold up, wait. Put this in there.”

“Is that a portable phone charger?” Crystal asked as Anya dropped a red rectangular prism into her bag.

“Uhh yeah. Bring it. We might need it.” Anya pointed to the bag. “And whatever else we may need.”

“Wow, so I’m like the designated pack mule?!” Crystal exclaimed as Anya walked off.

“Your boyfriends wanted us to go, so yes!”

“Boyfriends?!” Crystal gasped in offense, before shutting the back of the Escalade. “I don’t have a boyfriend! Let alone multiple!”

“Oh don’t hold back, Chrissie. We know you got game.” Jared commented as she came around to join the rest.

“Yes, share with us your ways, oh wise master.”

Crystal turned to glare at Charlie as she shook her head, “Come on, assholes. Let’s find this stream.”

“Stream? I thought we were looking for a cave.” Anya looked around confused.

“Find the stream to find the cave… then wait for the blood moon.”

“This is gonna be a long day.” Anya shook her head, before huffing loudly.

Looking ahead, Crystal could not agree more. There was nothing but trees, thick and wild ahead. If they were following an actual trail, she might have found it to be more relaxing, but at the moment, it just looked daunting.

It didn’t take long walking in the trees before the Escalade- their only way out- disappeared from sight. The wind rustled through the trees and birds chirped happily overhead like any other day, so she figured that was a good sign.

Crystal chuckled, wondering if they were walking all this way for nothing. There was a good chance that that clerk was just screwing around, sending them on a wild goose chase. On the flip side, there was the possibility what he said was real. The Gehenna was well known. Normal people avoided that area and there were no other areas that garnered such attention. Did the lack of renown prove that a secluded local hotspot didn’t exist, or just add to the potential that it did?

Crystal wondered how would they even know if this Moon Gate worked?

“Are we lost? I feel like we’re lost. I don’t see a stream.”

“Give it a rest, Anya. We get it, you don’t like being outside.” Luke said, interrupting Anya’s whining.

“Be nice, Luke.” Crystal told him, “She didn’t want to come out here.”

“Yeah, but did any of us?” Luke turned towards her.

“Y’all took a vote, remember?” Crystal pointed at him, before walking ahead. She heard him snort as she passed, but paid him no mind.

Looking at the trees again, Crystal found herself paying more attention to the wilderness. The sights, the scents… the sounds.

“Stream’s up ahead.” Crystal called out, extending her arm out. She could hear the running water. It was a faint gurgle up ahead, the calming sound of running water merging into the background of the forest.

“Oh?” Luke’s tone perked up, “Let’s find it.”

Crystal nodded gently, before picking up her pace. It took a few minutes longer than expected, but soon the small stream came into view. Shockingly, the water was surprisingly clear with small rocks visible at the bottom of the shallow stream. Small fish darted out of view as her friends came to stand beside her.

“Think I’ll get a flesh-eating bacteria if I put my hand in there?” Anya asked, making Crystal laughed.

“I doubt it, but you never know.” Crystal shrugged as she walked closer to the water’s edge. The shoes kept trying to sink into the gush of the bank, but she couldn’t resist crouching down to place her fingers into the stream. The water was cool and smooth, gently rushing past her fingertips. If only it was a little deeper, Crystal thought with a smile as she finally stood up. She could honestly go for a swim. Looking down to her current attire, she figured she wasn’t dressed for such an outing, so it was probably for the best.

“So what now?” Jenna asked as Crystal stepped back to join the others, looking up and down the stream.

For a moment, she was tempted to lead everyone the wrong direction, but seeing the creek, curiosity got a hold of her.

“Upstream.” She said as she pointed further down the creek.

“Hell yeah, let’s go find this magic gate.” Luke’s enthusiasm was laced with sarcasm as he valiantly took the lead.

Rolling her eyes, Crystal trudged on after him with the others in tow.

The creek was a lot longer than she expected. The small stream winded up and around the forest, leading them on an extended hike. With them following the body of water, the humidity was higher and all manner of insects had taken to visiting their group.

“Can we turn back?” Anya asked, “It’s gonna get dark soon and I don’t think this cave exists.”

“Well, the whole point is to see the cave under the blood moon, which only happens at night.” Jenna’s voice was playful, which only made Anya groan louder.

“I’m sure we’re almost there.” Crystal assured her friend, “Look, the stream is getting bigger.” She pointed to the creek as she spoke. The stream was steadily getting faster and wider, so she hoped that meant they were close to the source.

“Ughhh… understand I hate you all.” Anya’s grumbling only made Crystal laugh.

“We’ll survive.”

The glare she received in return only made Crystal’s grin broader. Anya was clearly having such a fantastic time. She felt bad for Anya, but some part of her also found her misery amusing.

The group travelled in silence for a while more before a shocked gasp made Crystal snap back to focus.

“Huh?”

“Bruh. Look.” Jenna pointed ahead. The creek had cut deep in the earth with 6ft high walls on either side from years of erosion.

Crystal tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out why that was exciting, before she paused and listened. The murmur of the creek had increased from a constant stream to a full on roar.

“Oh wow.” Crystal’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the waterfall in the distance.

“Think the cave’s there?”

“Probably,” Crystal admitted, before picking up the pace yet again.

Looming overhead, the waterfall was impressive as a constant veil of water streamed down the face, emptying into a foamy pool. With the sun sinking below the horizon, the waterfall glimmered with a warm golden light.

Without the aid of the supposed blood moon, this place was already enchanting.

“Wow.” Crystal looked from the waterfall to the pool. Large flat rocks lined the edges and stuck up from the pool. She doubted it would be safe to jump in just from the rocks she could see. Trees with exposed roots leaned over the pool, creating excellent shady spots and potential climbing spots.

“Oh wow. This might actually be worth it.” Anya commented, before looking over to the boys. “Okay, boys. Y’all get in. See if it’s safe.”

“What?!” Charlie exclaimed, “You want me to get in that water?”

“Oh fucking chicken,” Anya shook her head, before unbuttoning her jeans.

“Whoa!” it took every ounce of Crystal’s strength not to verbally groan as she heard Luke’s excited shout as Anya slipped out of her faded and torn up denim jeans.

“You serious?” Crystal asked as Anya folded up her jeans and tossed them onto a nearby rock. “It’s almost dark.”

“And we still got time till the blood moon rises, so… I’m gonna enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity.” Anya declared, before unbuttoning her plaid shirt and removing it. Seconds later, her t-shirt followed and she was walking down a wildlife path to the pool.

“You’re the one that said this is like a horror movie. Don’t you know skinny dippers die first?!” Crystal called out to her, getting Anya to turn around and flip her the bird.

“Good thing I’m not skinny dipping!” Anya pointed out before flipping her middle finger down to her matching bra and panties.

“Huh, she has a point.” Jenna commented, “Except I don’t have the luxury of being able to remove my shirt.”

Crystal turned to look at her sister, before laughing, “Sucks to be you, sis.”

“I’ll just go sun on one of those rocks like a lizard.”

“A very sexy lizard,” Crystal told her, earning a giggle from her sister.

“I guess this is happening.” Charlie commented, before he quickly began to strip and throw his clothes next to Anya’s.

Luke and Jared were way ahead of him, tossing their clothes as they made their way down.

Looking around the forest one more time, Crystal smiled briefly as she heard the birds singing their evening song. Anya was just being paranoid. This place was a peaceful and serene paradise.

Crystal debated getting in the pool, then shook her head and headed over to join Jenna.

Taking a few photos of the waterfall in the evening light, Crystal finally put her phone into her canvas bag. With the sun going down, she set the bag down on the surface of one of the large rocks, before sitting down to look around.

The eclipse wouldn’t happen till later, so now she had to ponder where the cave was. If they had gotten here sooner, she would have liked to explore the waterfall and the high cliff on either side. Now she had to wait for the moon to rise and hope it would be enough light.

Technically she could have used her phone’s flashlight, but she didn’t want it to run out of charge.

With her mind on her phone, she took the device back out and looked at the signal bar.

“Oh great.”

“What?” Jenna asked as she looked over at her.

“No signal.”

“Makes sense. We’re out in the middle of nowhere,” Jenna reminded her, “Amazing this rock is still so warm.”

Crystal knew that was the obvious answer, but still, the thought of being out here at night with no signal was a little unsettling. She should have checked earlier.

Shaking her head, Crystal put her phone in airplane mode. She didn’t need the battery draining as the phone tried desperately to find signal.

“Where do you think the cave is?”

“Ask Luke to check behind the waterfall,” Jenna told her as she pointed towards the cascade.

That was a good idea, Crystal decided before calling out Luke’s name.

“Huh?”

“Waterfall! See if the cave is there.”

With what little light remained, Crystal watched Luke look from her to the cascading water. She could see his hesitation and she didn’t blame him. It was probably dangerous with the rocks and lichen, but again, he wanted to come see the Moon Gate. He could go look for it.

To her surprise, Luke finally moved towards the cascade, climbing out of the pool and moving to investigate.

“Be careful!” Crystal called over to him, before turning to survey the other sides of the waterfall.

“Think it’s only visible in the moonlight?” Jenna asked, looking over to her.

“I dunno.” Shrugging, Crystal looked up to the night sky. It was gonna be a long night.

Some time later, the waterfall was shimmering with silver light from the full moon rising into the night sky. Luke’s venture behind the waterfall had ended in nothing but a few scrapes and bruises.

After that, everyone had taken turns to explore different areas. Somehow, they all still had their fingers and toes attached with no major injuries.

“Well, I’m thinking this might be a complete bust.” Jared commented as the group all took a break. Everyone was dry by now, wearing their previously discarded clothes as their only repellent from the insects. Most everyone was paired off with their significant other on a rock, while Crystal made sure to take up as much space as possible on her current seat. Luke was clearly unhappy with that result as he sulked on a stone by himself.

“Yay, does that mean we go back now?” Anya asked hopefully.

“I dunno, think we’ll find our way back in the dark?” Charlie looked around the group as he spoke.

“Yeah, just follow the stream.” Anya pointed out like it was obvious.

“Did anyone think to mark the point at the stream we found first? That way we knew when to turn back towards the car?” Jared asked.

There was an awkward silence that followed that question.

“Not gonna lie… that would have been good idea.” Crystal admitted, realizing they might have overlooked that.

“Sooo we only have what we brought with us and no clear way to get back to the car?” Anya asked as she sat up. “We’re gonna fucking die.”

“We’re not gonna die.” Crystal shook her head, “We’ll be fine. It’s not that far. Plus the moon’s almost to its peak. We’ll be able to see a lot better then.”

“So we just wait.” Charlie gave an enthusiastic nod as he spoke, “I’m fine with that. This is a nice place.”

Everyone took a moment to look around the waterfall then, and the silence that followed was less awkward than before. This was a nice place. Quiet and secluded.

“How are we gonna pass the time?” Jenna asked, breaking the silence a little while later.

The silver light beaming down got brighter as the moon rose higher, coming to its peak and showering the forest in white light. Crystal looked up to the moon, admiring the far off silver disc. It was so beautiful. The full moon overhead paired with the soothing sounds of the waterfall really created a calming atmosphere despite the annoying insects. Without the sun, the humidity had slowly dissipated, leaving a nice cool spring night.

“I’m sure we’ll find something to keep us ent-

“Guys!” Jared’s sudden shout interrupted Crystal and everyone jumped.

“What?! Oh god, what is it?!” Anya exclaimed, the blonde having already stood up and prepared to bolt.

“Look!” Jared pointed towards the left side of the waterfall, just away from the cascade.

“What are we….” Crystal trailed off a moment, staring at the darkness in the side of the cliff. “Has… has that always been there?”

“The moon!” Jared was up and pointing to the full moon, “It showed the cave.”

“No fucking way,” Luke was up next. “We just didn’t see it.”

“That’s a big fucking hole, bro. How would we not see that?!” Charlie demanded, before he moved to the side of the pool. The rest of the group was quick to follow.

Soon, the six of them just stood at the opening of a cave that somehow no one noticed before.

“I climbed up and down this side, I placed my hand on every rock here… where did this come from?” Jared shook his head, before lifting his hand up and sticking it into the cave. “It’s fucking real.” He commented as his hand didn’t meet any resistance.

“Okay… I gotta admit, I’m a little freaked out now.” Anya spoke, her tone sharp and on edge, “This isn’t right.”

“No, but it’s fucking cool.” Luke pointed out, “Let’s see where it goes.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He turned the flashlight on and his smile immediately dropped as the flashlight shined upon rock only a few feet in. “What the hell? It’s a dead end.”

“It’s a cave, dumbass.” Charlie pointed out, “The blood moon hasn’t risen yet.”

“So wait, wait, we’re still gonna wait?” Anya asked, “Does this not seem like a red flag to anyone?!”

“It’s a magic cave that leads to another world! Of course that’s a red flag, but like most people our age, we can’t resist red flags!” Jenna was way too enthusiastic to point out that flaw in their generation. “How much longer till the eclipse?”

“I doubt we have to wait long. Look.” Crystal turned to see what Jared was pointing at.

She didn’t see it at first, but her eyes widened as she saw the full moon’s gleaming surface get tarnished by a rust-colored sliver. The eclipse.

“It’s starting.”

“So do we just stand here and wait? Is it at its peak or for the entirety of the eclipse? Beginning through end?” Charlie asked, looking between everyone for answers.

“I don’t know, the guy didn’t say.” Crystal shook her head, “I don’t know.” She repeated, looking from the slowly rusting moon to the dead end cave.

“Yeah, fuck this. I’m out. I’m gonna go sit on that rock and wait till morning, then I’m getting the hell out.” Anya shook her head, before turning to walk back the way they had come.

“Ahn!” Charlie cried out, “Come on, wait. This is fine. It’s a rare opportunity!”

Leaving Charlie to calm Anya down, Crystal took a step away from the cave to look back at the moon.

Did they need to wait for the eclipse to complete? Or would the eclipse start this segment on its own?

“Hey guys…” Crystal looked back to her three remaining companions, “If the eclipse starts and the gate opens… how long will the gate stay open?”

“Probably until the eclipse is over.”

“And that is usually how long?” Crystal asked as she looked over to Jared, who shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m not an astronomer.”

“Ah, right.” Crystal nodded, before looking around once again. She was intrigued by this whole ordeal, but now she was concerned if it was real: what was the chance they’d get stuck in the cave? Was that a thing?

“So I say if it opens, we go through. Get a quick look around, then come back.” Jenna’s words drew Crystal’s attention then. “Cameras on, take some photos, come back through.”

“Hmm I could be down for that.” Crystal gave a nod, “So how will we know when it’s opened?”

“Guys! The rocks!”

“What?” Crystal turned to look back towards Anya and Charlie, who were both pointing, wide eyed at the cave.

She turned to look back at the cave and saw only darkness, until she decided to look up.

“Oh shit.” Her gaze widened as she saw tiny slivers of moonlight illuminating the rock, which slowly began to glow. The glow was subtle at first, but as the eclipse continued, the glow grew brighter, tracing out white hot symbols across the top of the cave entrance. “Uhh… does that mean it’s working?”

“Well, let’s see,” Luke picked up his phone again and aimed it towards the cave. He lifted his finger to turn the flashlight on, only to gasp and freeze.

“You gonna turn the flashlight on, bro?” Jared asked, while Luke laughed and shook his head.

“There’s a breeze. Coming from the cave.”

The group turned to look back at the cave and Crystal exhaled sharply as she felt the small rush of air go past and rustle her hair.

“Oooh that’s freaking weird.” Crystal shook her head, her heart racing at the possibility.

Luke laughed beside her as his flashlight turned on and the beam stretched far into the darkness. The previous wall was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn.” Jared’s whispered, “I wish we would have recorded that.”

“Same here,” Crystal agreed. “Do… do we go inside?”

“Hell yeah, that’s what we came for, right?” Luke told her with a grin, before he took the first step inside.