Procrastination can kind of sickness. This title shows us there is not any time lines and just eating time!

“Nooooo!” I shouted as Gary tumbled down into the endless death hole of sand. I reached my hand out as if that would do anything while Gary is going down the death hole at rapid speeds. I was scared when the giant skull had a merged from the sand. Yet we had no idea that it would cost one of us our lives. At this point all we could do was hope and pray that somehow Gary doesn’t die. Harry on the other hand was just worried about how the giant skull would bring down the land price. Although dumb, stupid, innocent Fred was just shouting “come back up here!!”

"Sand, sand, sand, and oh, Mina," Emmett said, "look, more sand."

Mina turned a page in her journal. Her inkpot had cracked somewhere along their journey. The blue ink had seeped and slipped, smudging her map and the detailed notes she had taken. She sighed, wiping her stained fingers on her skirts. "Do you have a grievance against sand?"

"Yes!"—Emmett leant over the rim of the hot-air balloon basket—"It's bloody everywhere!" he shouted.
His voice carried, echoing out among the endless waves of bronzed, sun-scorched dunes.

By the count of her pocket watch, they had only left Viciras mere hours ago. But the sun’s arid heat and the burn from the balloons’ fires appeared to slow down time, stretching it out into what felt like a painful, agonising week.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that it was you who landed us in this predicament," Mina said.

Sweat collected on Emmett's forehead, and he dabbed it away. “Yes, thank you, Miss Mina. I haven't forgotten. I simply don't spend my precious time dwelling on the past."

"What is it that you do then? Besides thieving, of course, and commandeering private expeditions." Mina understood she was being bitter, petty. But, her journal had transformed unexpectedly into an ocean painter's pallet, and instead of heading towards Galona, Emmett’s impulsive actions had forced them further north to The Barrens—The Land Of Death and Drought.

"Stand beside you and look pretty?" Emmett quipped.

Under her goggles, Mina‘s eye twitched, and she turned away. She took a sip of warm water from her flask, drowning the hurricane of swelling, disgruntled words.

Mina squinted, and her chest fluttered. Beyond the sand—and as Emmett had expertly pointed out—more sand, Mina caught a swirl of an unusual colour.

She had read about mirages, heard horror stories of unprepared travellers, those who had lost their way beneath the burning sun. Their tired minds began picturing phantom pools of crystal water or gleaming cities of glass, driving them mad and ravenous with longing. Lifting her goggles, Mina peered through her brass telescope.

"What did you call that?” Emmett asked. “That bring-em-closer device?"

"A long telescope."

"Tele...telesc—" Emmett waved a dismissive hand, and the balloon basket tremored as he slumped himself on the floor. "I'll stick to 'bring-em-closer'. It makes more sense."

"Of course. The description that scoundrel gave us..." Mina began, and Emmett popped a ruby red drop of a cherry into his mouth. "He described the cave in the image of a giant human skull, yes? And a vast cavity of sand at the base of the jaw?"

"That he did, Mina."

“Well then,”—Mina kicked his boot—”I believe we are there.”

Emmett dropped the cherry between his fingers and clambered to his feet. He snatched the telescope placing it over the top of his own goggles.

"Holy Saint's, Mina!" he swore. “We found it! Grab your bag, get ready to jump!”

"Pardon?"

"To jump. It's the fastest way down.” From the other side of the basket, Emmett yanked two bags from the small wooden chest. He handed one of the bags to Mina, and a boyish grin, one of devilish mischief, and one Mina certainly wasn't in favour of, curled at the edges of his lips. “We have a jewel to find."

"Statistically, I’d agree. But..."

"The scariest part is the jump, Mina," he said. And Mina agreed to that point too, but the thought of abandoning the balloon also brought about a particular strain of dread.

Emmett fastened a handkerchief around his mouth and swung his long legs over the basket, hauling himself up. “And don't forget to bend your knees."

And with a sharp salute, he had gone—a rock plummeting to the unforgiving ground below.

“Reckless, idiotic maniac!” Mina shouted after him.

She strapped her bag to her back. Uncurled the parachutes cord. Tightened her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. She took a breath and repositioned her goggles. Sweat clung to her body like an unwanted second skin—how desperately she needed a bath—and with one last glance at the safety of the balloon, Mina jumped, the skull of sand just a deathly fall away.

Careful what you wish for - so they say Change the thoughts - they’ve said You’re in control - what they’ll tell you But what if.. What if the death of thought has wished for you Changed you into being the victim and under their controlling spell wondering through the darkness for a glimps of light Listen to me when I tell you I’ve tired - like actually Tired to gain a tight grips as I fall through as the abyss of black whole of mental death

He jumped off. Falling through the air it felt like hours. This is how he went out. This is how it all ended. He was just 5 foot away from the ground now. That’s when, the unexpected happened. He didn’t die. He was on a bungee jump enjoying his time on holiday! He was Dugg. Dugg was a tall man who normally wore causal clothes like track suit bottoms and a hoodie. He was on holiday in Florida with his Wife, 2 sons and daughter. He was in a theme park named “ adventure island” After his bungee jump he was going to go on a ride which all his family were to scared to do. It was called “ the end.” He had never been on this ride even though he’s been to this theme park 4 times now. It was 2.15 pm he was queuing for the ride. But before he could a man stood in front of him. He was covered in ripped clothes and was very dirty, so Dugg assumed he was homeless. The man said” please don’t go on this ride it will take away your life! And you will never come back again! Dugg listened to this but just thought it was part of the ride so he carried on going past him. He was on the ride now. 2nd row from the front a big screen appeared in front of him, 3,2,1 he was off. Little did he know that this would be the last time he would come to adventure island again.

There once live a village, in a world surrounded by magic. Everywhere and anywhere had a story or adventure, it was never a dull day in this village. The village sat on the direct boarder between two of the most popular biomes in the land, one a desert with many ruins and temples, and the other a forest that provides generously for good people. One half of the village would has blistering heat, and the other cooler temperatures that tends to follow the seasons, the reason behind why the biomes are like this is in its own form a mystery. A well known tale has encouraged the new younger generations to explore their world, always bringing back plentiful hauls. This tale had been passed down by word of mouth for centuries, some say it’s been told since before the village was even made. The story was about a greedy king and his unknown son, the son was nothing like his father, but more like his mother. She was a sweet and smart lady, she helped bring peace to a native village and the kingdom, The village was located in the forest, the kingdom in the desert. The boy grew up away from his fathers rule in the forest. He learned how to respect the forest and survive, but while he learned his basic skills he also took a increased interest in ruins and mysteries. Everything was peaceful and everything was fine, until one day when the king needed a heir. He turned to the mother he abandoned years ago and demanded for the son to become the next king. The mother being smart said only if he could solve one of the sons mysteries, but if he couldn’t then the most sought after artifact was the sons. The king was hesitant and reluctantly agreed, for what was hinted was the artifact is more valuable then gold, and anyone who claims it as their own is known to have high levels of power. The Mystery asked for a item only found in the desert, a small scarab necklace said to only be found by those of pure hearts. The king ventured out into the desert with two of his most trusted generals and found the temple. The king didn’t heed the riddles warning and rushed down to the temple, only to be swallowed by the sand, all that remained was a part of the temple which had a massive figure of a skull. The son still became king , but in the end he got the artifact he desired and no one dared to attempt to take it because of the late kings fate. Despite the cruel turn of events, everyone desired to find more answers about the tale, It was only part of a bigger story. The artifact has been talked about in many tales but no one knows what it exactly is. Everyone desires it but one those of balanced minds and pure hearts can find it.

The chasm still seemed to be widening, though it was an illusion. The dust had begun settling, and Alfred’s screams had slowly subsided to a subtle echo within their minds. There wasn’t even a trace left of his sudden descent into the maw of the newly formed sand skull. They had been promised an exciting adventure for treasure, and the trail now seemed to lead inside of this apparent death trap. John was closest to the abrupt descent, testing its edges to peer down into the infinite darkness. Out of curiosity or concern for his brother, Charles could not say; nor did he truly care, for he was busy fighting the grip of absolute terror. Tony, standing slightly behind John’s hunched form, seemed to be in the same struggle as Charles. What now? Whatever they did, they had to choose soon. The sun was setting, and with it their only hope for survival; they weren’t equipped to stay away from the oasis overnight. “They warned us: ‘The way forward is through death’,” whispered Tony shakily. “What, you want to jump in? Are you mad?” Charles huffed, trying to contain his fear. “He’s right, we have to go in,” John cut in firmly, “We can’t abandon Al.” Charles shook his head. No way was he going to die pursuing a lost cause, especially not by running after that selfish asshole. Alfred brought them on this foolish quest, he got what was coming for him. End of story. Now, they should cut their losses and turn back. Live to find treasure another day, as they say. Charles kept his thoughts to himself as John stood, placing his hands on his hips and facing both him and Tony. “Their words now have sense,” John continued, “It seems to me we have to all move forward, or all die. That’s the gist of what they told us”. Charles didn’t know what in the world a gist was, but to hell with those crazy locals and their cryptic messages and savage rituals. There was no way he would go down that sand pit into the maw of Hell itself. He might not be the brightest mind, but he did know better than to say that aloud. Especially not in front of John. “Ok. Ok,” he muttered, gathering his thoughts, “Alright then. Lead the way.” John gave him a considering glance, before resting his attention on Tony. “You first.” Tony’s eyes widened in fear, his eyes darting quickly to Charles before falling to the gaping hole before them. His gulp was audible, but he did step forward. He found no solid footing, and tumbled down silently into the darkness, seemingly resigned to his fate. John nodded at Charles before following his friend in a more graceful manner. Charles sighed and chuckled. The fools. As he turned to leave, the sand shifted abruptly beneath his feet, engulfing him down into the skull’s maw. One final scream was muffled. Silence reigned, and the sand was smooth once more.

I’ve never seen a doctor about my mental state - I’ve never even told anyone about it before - but I guess a doctor’s opinion would be formed along the lines of me having mild depression. Now, I don’t know whether I have it or not, but I used to be outgoing, I used to enjoy the company of people, and with the thoughts I harbour, I would not put it past this being the doctor’s diagnostic.

Now, even Lyle who I inevitably would have a good time with, struggled to persuade me to come out. Tonight is a one-off, which partly is the reason he is being so generous with the drinks and coke, I think.

The funny thing is; I want to be out, I want to go to the pub and have a drink with my friends, have drunken conversations with strangers where we’ll profess our love to each other over something trivial like our favourite variety of potato (sweet, although technically it’s not a potato, so sue me), but I have no desire or willpower to actually do it by myself. The moment it comes to actually facing people, my heart races and I feel uncomfortable.

It’s a struggle to talk to people even when it is blatantly obvious they are pining for a conversation with me. Sometimes it is even a struggle to just be around people. I’ve purposely diverted my path to the office kitchen into the bathroom when I’ve not even needed the loo because I spotted someone shaking their sachet of freeze-dried stale coffee that they always moan about, because the risk of conversation was too great.

I’ve done this many times and I hate the way I am, but I cannot help it. Even now, surrounded by all these people, the noise of it all was beginning to feel oppressive, and the thought of someone sitting opposite me was a frightening one.

I never used to be like this, just ask Lyle.

‘Got you a double, yeah, you’ve got some catching up to do.’

I glanced at my watch. ‘But it’s only eight.’

‘And that’s pretty much half the night gone.’

We clinked glasses and I took a timid drag of the drink, relived to find it was indeed a vodka and the less intensive kind of coke. Satisfied, I drank deeper.

‘You’ll be wanting a refill then?’ Lyle said, chuckling.

‘What?’

He nodded at my glass. I hadn’t even realised half of it was gone. I licked my teeth, feeling the sugar already beginning to coat them.

‘I had an idea.’

Lyle’s ideas had this way of filling me with dread, like a teapot filling a mug with a special brew. ‘What?’ I said, running scenarios through my head. Most of them involved me passed out slumped on a park bench and Lyle lying in a pool of his own vomit, the night a complete blur. All from past experience, you understand.

Even worse, I imagined having to talk to someone else.

‘Let’s go London. I already checked and there’s a train in 25 minutes. Down these, get to the station; you’re not doing anything tomorrow.’

‘I’ve got that run on at nine.’

‘Oh come on, a run? What’s so special about it?’

The fact that no one tries to talk to me when I’m there, mostly.

"It's round Greenwich park. Isn’t it a bit late to be going up there now?’

‘Mate, come on, you know London doesn’t even get started until 10 at the earliest. We’ll get some drinks round Liverpool Street then we’ll go Shoreditch. Deal?’

It wouldn’t have mattered whether I agreed to the deal or not because Lyle’s drink was already finished and he wasn’t going to listen to any of my meagre, pitiful sporting activity arguments.

‘Fine,’ I relented and finished my drink.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

The club is bouncing. The loud music leaves no space in my head for thoughts. I step out into the desert air. The nighttime breezes are cool, but I can still feel the day’s head radiating off the pavement.

Cheeks and Rum stumble out together. “Why’d you disappear?” Rum slurs. He has an affinity for the drink which, like him, comes from Jamaica. “I needed some air,” I say without looking away from the stars.

“Where are we going next?” Even though it’s dark in the car, I can still make out Cheeks’ dimples. Sometimes she’s annoyingly happy, but I bite my tongue. “Was the club not enough for you?” Rum teases. “How about we go into the desert?” I suggest.

I see something in the distance, shake my head. Probably just a mirage. “Hey, what’s that?” Asks Cheeks, looking towards the mirage. But it’s not a mirage.

Now that we’re close enough to see it, none of us can believe our eyes. It looks like a giant skull. My first thought is “surely this would’ve made the news?” but then I remember how the government loves hiding things from us.
“Is it a cave?” Rum has apparently sobered up. We all get out the car.

Suddenly the earth starts to rumble beneath us. The skull seems to shift as if taking a deep breath and sand and rocks and bushes are slowly sucked towards the mouth in a whirlpool. I’m rooted to the spot. Not with fear, but with intrigue. “Are you stupid, Ash?!” screams Rum as he tries to pull me away. But I jump.

I wake up in the dark. It’s cool and damp. A cavern! I feel Rum lying across me and Cheeks by my side. Either they were dumb enough to leap with me, or were sucked in. There’s sand everywhere. Cheeks and Rum start to regain consciousness just as I spot a glimmer in the distance.

There’s a single coin in the centre of the chamber. The walls are glowing. If this was a movie there’d be instructions. A cryptic message or disembodied voice. We’re not so lucky. “Fuck it,” I say and march over to the coin. I pick it up and toss it. Lands on tails. A door opens behind me.

The walls are lined with crystal skulls. We walk around, feeling watched. Looking up, it appears to be the bottom of a reservoir. The view is amazing. I feel at peace, even though there’s tonnes of water above my head

We watch the sunrise through water. I think the skulls watch with us. There’s still more to explore down here, but we know we have to go home now. We have work. Rum scrawls a map on a napkin from the club and we take pictures. I also take the coin.

I’m driving home after dropping off my friends, coin in my pocket, and my mind is flooded with thoughts. This is only the beginning of our adventure.

(To be continued...)

If I am doing this correctly, I’d say the new life ahead of me, starting April 4, would be the start of my adventure, with a terrifying leap. The picture describes a skeleton, making a hole in the ground, sucking a man in. All his friends are worried and reaching for him, yet it is too late. I would understand that feeling all too well the minute I had my baby. Except stop. Hold on. Although I am excited to go down a new path in life, I also feel that pulling feeling where I am leaving everything I knew, including myself down the drain, or skeleton hole. As my baby is a newborn, so am I in the sense. Except everyone around you expects you to just take on the role so diligently and with ease. It is not that simple, And the fact that people think it is, are shallow, because when is anything life altering easy to do? I am not going to sit here and lie, I’ve cried more in my life with this bundle of joy in it, then I ever have before. I am extremely overwhelmed and feel I’m taking the brunt of this change. But it also tell myself daily, one day at a time, it will get better and you are loved and supported. So though I still feel sucked into that hole, this is the start of a terrifying leave, and ready or not, I have to embrace this adventure.