I travel down the road while the sweltering sun shines down on me. The swoosh of the wind muffled the music coming from the speakers. All around me, a nice, warm breeze whistles past me, and my hair wafts in and out of view. My sunglasses have altered my perspective of the day to a gray, muted shade. 

The comfortable weight of a rough hand takes me away from the passing backdrop of the street. I look down, and the pale hand of a man massages my exposed golden-brown thigh. My mini skirt flaps all over the place, exposing the treasure hiding between my legs—the man's sleazy little pinky ventures under the thin fabric of my underwear. A handsome smile plays on his features as his digit teases my dewy folds.

Then...

I find myself in a dark, narrow tunnel with no end. An intrusive pressure clamps down on my head, leaving a loud ringing in my ears. My nerve endings painfully scream at me, alerting me that danger awaits, ready to attack. I need to be careful. Without giving much thought, I tried to move. 

A big mistake! 

An electrical pain shot up from my legs up to the back of my head, making me lose my balance. I hold on to the wall next to me as I slump to the ground hard. The sticky surface and floor give me a chilling sensation as I wonder about the substance.

"It's freezing in here. I have to make it out of here. Leo... Charmain... where are you?"

Silence greets the call that slips out of my mouth—a sweaty drop rolls down my face. My frame shivers as I pull myself upright. I press ahead without a clue where I'm heading. My joints complain the entire way as I try to move towards an exit. 

By the time I spot a speck of ray in the distance, my whole body is slick with sweat from the effort. My muscles wail at me, wanting to give up my foolish attempt to continue forward. 

But I push through.

One step at a time.

One foot after the other.

Upon reaching the light, a portal opens up right underneath me, and I fall. The air rushes past me. When I open my eyes, I'm free-falling through a blood-colored void. I try to scream, but the lump in my throat prevents its escape. When I clear the clouds, I spot volcanoes in the distance, spewing lava, and the desert ground coming fast at me. 

Blam!

I woke with a start, sitting upright and breathing hard. Disoriented, I looked around the space, trying to figure out where I was. I looked one way as dread settled on my chest. A painful stab shot from my shoulder to the back of my head when I turned the other way. I developed a nasty kink from sleeping in a funny position and using my bag as a pillow.

"Argh! What the fuck?!" I complained as I rubbed on the sore neck. I took my time massaging the soreness off my shoulders. However, my attempts were in vain. No matter what I did, my muscles stayed hard as rocks. 

"Is that how I got here?! But that makes little sense! I have my belongings. How's that possible?" The mumbled question fled my lips, talking to no one in particular as I continued rubbing my groaning muscles. "I better move now. I prolonged my stay here. Now is the time to find a safe place."

I rummaged around in my bag for my water bottle and a protein bar. After two tentative bites of my meager breakfast, I take one sip of water, rationing my provisions. No matter how ravenous I was, I ought to save my food just in case.

I braved a quick glance toward the opening, realizing the light outside was still dim. I stared for a while, hypnotized by the glow filtering through the crack. My emotions numbed to my current predicament.

So I gaped as the delicate ray became brighter. I cleared my mind and emptied of all my concerns. Ragged images of Leo caressing my leg kept intruding into my thoughts. A single tear escaped the tight confines of my eyes as the image of his smile slammed against my stray musings.

The dust settled, but small particles of ashes insisted on floating their due course in an endless dance. I follow a lost lint as it lands on my arm. Suddenly, I spotted the thin layer of soot covering my skin and clothes.

"I need a distraction," I mutter as I search my bag for some cleaning wipes.

Attempting to save my limited supplies, I pulled one towelette from its holder and wiped my face and hands. After my lame attempt to clean myself, the ashes stuck to my body even more. 

So I stopped.

Instead, I fished out my phone and gaped at it, debating whether turning it on would be a good idea. "I better gain my bearings. Just a general sense of where I'm going." With a resigned sigh, I turned on my cell and peeked at the battery life. It still had some juice, so I didn't get concerned. "It's a good thing I remembered to turn it off. Otherwise, I would be in trouble."

For a few seconds, I stared at the wallpaper to admire the man's features. My husband's eyes spoke volumes of his devotion and love for me. "I'll find you and Charmaine... I promise." I tapped on the map's application to start my journey. Following the indicator, I went outside to gain a better idea of my position.

I inhaled a cleansing puff of air when I saw that the area was empty. It appeared deserted and free from peril. I shifted my gaze between my surroundings and the map, trying to make sense of the landmarks. With each zoom-out on the app, instinct kicked in as I turned and scanned the horizon, honing my perspective of the place.

"YES!!! There is an abandoned-looking structure down this way," I said as I faced what seemed to be the northeast and drew a path from my current location. 

My legs got ahead of me, and when I stopped, I moved several feet away from safety. I peered at the burning landscape that stood on my back. The volcanoes in the distance appeared quite active. A never-ending lava flow spewed from their tops to a scorching pool at the base. 

My eyes follow the blazing course on the horizon. "At the moment, those terrible things are calm, but I ought to monitor their activity. But..." The disturbing pause that followed made me realize something. The air carried itself with an unsettling quality. It bore a distinctive mix between a cry and the whistle of the wind, almost like the wheezing sky trying to grasp for air.

The whole place was unnerving. A tremor traveled throughout my body, jolting my determination. "Am I doing the right thing?" Uncertainty moved into my heart as its rhythmic pounding sent it galloping with self-doubt. "Get your shit together, Kayla. If you stay here, you DIE." I chastised my cowardly inner voice as I steeled my nerves.

Despite the intimidating sound, I pushed forward with determination. I was a busy woman on a mission. With a fierce determination, I summoned my courage and set out towards the safety of any town and to reunite with my family.

Therefore, I march on in the general course to the dilapidated dwelling. "According to the map, it'll take me an entire day to reach that abandoned shack," I muttered, turning my cell off. I ought to save the battery and rely just on my sense of direction. "It's straightforward from here. If I take a detour, I can get back on track. How hard can it be?!" 

Hesitation plagued my statement for a moment as I surveyed the landscape. Other than being scorched earth, which was already a challenge, the place looked quite leveled, with barely anything in my path.

Easy to stay on course.

I spent most of the morning shuffling through the terrain, walking between soft and thirsty soil. I didn't mind the sandy spots, as they provided some relief to my painful back. 

However, as the red sun sailed high in the sky, it brought its sweltering beams. As I distanced myself from the fiery mountain range, the dirt beneath my feet became hard to navigate as I tripped on the cracks. Like the ground hungered for the nutrient-rich lava to end its misery.

By mid-afternoon, my stomach growled with merciless hunger, and my dry throat complained from the lack of moisture. My sandpaper tongue scraped the roof of my mouth as I tried to produce much-needed water.

"Fuck! I need some rest... I've been walking for a long while." I whined as I slumped on the hot, cracked floor. The sizzling ground punished my ass, leaving a painful imprint, but I was too tired even to care.

Not giving a shit, I looked for my protein bar and polished it off in mere seconds. I chased the snack with a big gulp of water.

"Damn! This place better have food and water, or I'm screwed."

My frantic gaze looked around for something to help me with my dismal condition. I desperately wished for luck to smile upon me this once. My eyes traveled here and there, but I couldn't find anything useful.

Then, something caught my attention. 

A piece of metal sticking out from a crack, half-buried in the scorched surface. I don't know why, but I crawled toward the item like a hungry hellion. Probably desperate to uncover something unusual to distract me from my dire situation, but I have no clue. I just dragged my weak-ass self to the sparkling object.

Upon reaching the object's destination, I clawed and yanked on the round metal until it came loose. Mesmerized, I traced the carvings on its surface. I turned it around to examine it further.

"Why am I so attracted to this thing?"