A/N: These chapters are fairly short compared to what I usually write, so I'll be updating this about every other day until Halloween :D

Disclaimer: I don't own the Death Note cast; this story will also contain historical figures.

Chapter 2: Oasis

"Impossible," Matt breathed. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming." But deep down, he knew that what was before their very eyes was no hallucination.

The sky, which had previously been sprinkled with stars, was now a rich, clear blue. Thick clouds billowed over the horizon like overgrown cotton plants, looming above the endless acres of sand, small rocky cliffs and wild vegetation. In the centre of it all was a trenched band of water snaking through the emerald foliage, stretching as far as and beyond the naked human eye could see.

Matt wasn't too fond of the outdoors, but this…

This was no ordinary backyard – this was virtually a dream come true.

The redheaded genius didn't even realize he had said that out loud until his blond companion shot him a look of disapproval. "Are you kidding me? We have absolutely no fucking idea of what's going on."

"Maybe," Matt murmured vaguely.

Mello threw the curtains back with a growl, obscuring the ancient oasis from sight. "Snap out of it. This is worse than Kira." The older man began to pace around the dingy apartment. "The first thing we need to do is figure out how to get back."

"What?" The gamer was horrified. "But we just got here!"

Mello's eyes became narrow slits of ice. "Stop acting like this is some kind of vacation, Matt. We're dealing with forces that are beyond our current comprehension."

The redhead snorted, despite himself. "The Shinigami are forces that are beyond our so-called current comprehension, mate."

"Death Gods are nothing," Mello muttered.

"Well, I'd rather stick around for a while longer, thank you very much."

An awkward silence followed the younger man's words. Mello finally sighed and snagged his gun away from the trigger-happy gamer. "Did you have to use up all the ammo?" the blond griped, checking the weapon's chamber and ignoring Matt's blatant display of weakness.

The redhead gave a non-committal grunt, snapping his goggles back into its rightful place before fishing out the dead game console from his pocket. Nope, the batteries hadn't been affected by the time rift or whatever it was. Pity.

The pair of friends finally decided to venture out into the mysterious desert. It had been a tough choice to make: either they try their luck with the scorching sun, or with the horde of nocturnal creatures that were sure to be lying in wait for the men's blood. Mello had preferred the former, and Matt had agreed with him wholeheartedly.

It was time to find some answers.

Mello was in the middle of lacing up his combat boots when the apartment's plumbing began emitting a grating, hair-raising screech. The walls and floor shook violently in response, sending Mello's prayer candles toppling over like dominos. Fortunately, the tiny flames were instantly snuffed out when they came into contact with the carpet.

Matt whirled around, balancing on the balls of his feet. "What was that?"

"It's probably an earthquake," Mello replied grimly, staggering to the window to confirm his suspicions. Matt stumbled over to the blond's side.

Oh shit.

The already-condemned complex that they had been residing in for the last few days was sinking rapidly into the ground – or more accurately, the quicksand. Within seconds, the golden gunk spilled over the windowsill and began leaking down the plaster and across the floor like thick molasses.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!"

Mello ran to the door, smashing his gloved fists into the rotting wood. Streams of mud began spewing through the fresh holes that the hotheaded blond had just created.

"Mello, stop it!" Matt shouted over the noise of the crumbling, groaning structure. "It's no use! The bathroom is the only place without a window, come on!"

But it was already too late.

Both men were thrown clear off their feet as the building gave a bone-jarring lurch; there was a terrible squelching noise, as though the world around them was being sucked through a plastic straw, and everything went pitch-black.

Matt screamed and clawed blindly at the air. The ground had suddenly disappeared from beneath him, and the goggled redhead was desperate for anchorage. Matt instinctively wrapped his arms around his skull and curled himself into a tight ball. A few seconds later, he felt the ceiling slam down onto him relentlessly, over and over again. He could've sworn he heard and felt a rib crack.

Matt bit into his tongue in order to prevent breaking both sets of teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. He could barely breathe. The apartment was obviously in a free fall through what felt like a bottomless pit; there was no way of telling when it would arrive at its inevitable – but surely fatal – landing.

"Argh!" a shriek came from the opposite end of the room. "God – save – us –!"

That was the last thing Matt heard before he lost consciousness.

A/N: Trivia – quicksand is rarely deeper than a few feet. This is obviously not the case in the fictional world xD

Special thanks to those who have reviewed the first chapter: Dai Uzimaki, akatsukifan, Kira the Wolf, My Lipstick Tastes Like Jam.

Reviews would be awesome and are worthy of virtual cupcakes ^_^