Chapter 10: Desert Rift
At first she thought it was just another distortion caused by the heat. Vertical waves rippled in the air just ahead of Sam and Naveen, and from a distance it appeared to be nothing unusual. But as the two travelers approached, it became apparent that there was something very strange about these subtle ripples. They danced in a methodic spiral, reflecting barely visible flecks of what looked like obsidian dust.
Naveen brought his camel to a halt and squinted, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "Ok, I have never seen a mirage like that before."
"I don't think it's a mirage, Naveen," Sam said, lowering herself off of her camel. She patted the creature on the neck, then proceeded to walk over to her companion.
"Here," she said, pulling a wad of cash from her back pocket and handing it to him. Naveen eyed the money with a frown, but did not take it.
"What's this?"
"Your final payment," Sam answered. "I think that this is the spot I've been looking for, and I probably won't need any money where I'm going."
Naveen snatched Sam's wrist, moving with the speed of a viper. He leaned down, giving her a stern look. "What is that supposed to mean? You're not planning on hurting yourself, are you?"
"I'm not here to commit suicide, no," Sam insisted. "Please, just take the money and go!"
"No, not until I make sure you're not going to do something stupid!" Naveen said, tightening his grip.
"But I am going to be doing something stupid!" Sam screamed. "It's probably the stupidest thing that I'll ever do in my life, but I have to do it so LET GO!" She grabbed her captive arm with her other hand and pulled, the heels of her boots digging into the sand. Naveen responded by seizing both of her hands and jerking her forward.
"What are you planning to do, Miss Manson?" he demanded. "I'm not letting go until you tell me!"
"I'm just going into that thing!" Sam said, still squirming. "I don't know what it is and I don't know where it's going to take me, but I have to go in there!"
Naveen looked at the distortion with a quirked eyebrow, looked back to Sam, and sighed. "Keep your money, Miss Manson," he said finally, releasing her hands. "You've already paid me more than I usually make in a month, and you might need some money when you get back."
Sam looked up at her guide with a slight smile. Despite Naveen's annoying habit of poking his nose into her business, he had been a good companion and Sam was going to miss the man. He had always stayed cheerful, had always taken her sarcasm with a grain of salt. He even took time every hour to make sure her fair skin wasn't suffering too much from the sun, nagging her to apply sun screen like a protective parent. She had been rather frigid with him because she wanted to protect her agenda, but the truth was she really did enjoy his company, and she couldn't have gotten this far without him.
"Thanks, Naveen," she said, her gaze falling to the ground. "For everything."
"Good luck, kid," Naveen said. "I hope he's worth it."
"He's worth it," Sam assured him. "This is one of the biggest risks I've ever taken, and it may end up being all for nothing, but he is definitely worth it."
Sam turned, leaving the man and the camels behind. As she approached the bizarre maelstrom, she felt a strange pull, like something was tugging at a rope that came out of her chest. She didn't fight it. She allowed herself to gravitate toward those swirling waves. She had no idea what she would find once she stepped through, but she would soon find out.
She took one last breath of the dry, desert air, then stepped inside the rift. Blazing heat was replaced by bitter cold. Bright sunlight was consumed by a velvet blackness.
And she was falling.
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