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...)