It couldn’t hurt just to take a quick peek, right? She might not get this chance again.
Even as she was telling herself that, she was already walking forward. Curiosity and that pretty, almost hypnotizing sparkle, drawing her in.
Her heart thudded, like she was anticipating something great. It was similar to the usual spark of curiosity that drove her to do things most people would consider insane. It was what kept her going even when she found herself in increasingly strange and potentially dangerous situations. She justhadto know. Shehadto satisfy that urge.
And here it was again, pulling her forward. Singing to her like a siren…
The hole in the thing was deeper than it appeared at first glance. She only realized that as the shadow of it fell over her head as she walked into its embrace. The way the various pieces of metal junk had been laid and melted were creating an optical illusion, hiding the depth. And also concealing that the hole was smaller than she thought.
So cool. Was that intentional? Why would someone do that?
What was sparkling?
Her heart was racing now, practically in her throat, as she closed the distance. The hole was up higher than she could easily see through. As she got closer, she lost track of the shiny object.
But, oh!
There were steps!
From further back, she hadn’t seen them. They had blended into the rest of the big, metal thing from afar. But as she got closer, the optical illusion resolved and she could see that the various metal bits at the bottom had actually been arrangedin a stepwise fashion. They weren’t flat like stairs, more like individual places to place her feet – like in a climbing wall.
Grinning at the victory of her find, she reached up and put her hands on the edge of the hole as she stepped foot on the bottommost ledge. She pulled herself up, easily finding each new step as she crept up and up.
Her head poked over the side of the hole as she looked into the secret space.
It was… not what she expected.
Was this the Big Guy’s bedroom?
The inside of the metal thing was the complete opposite of the outside. Where the outside was all melted and twisted metal, the inside was a soft and fluffy nest. Big enough for two or three Big Guys to fit comfortably, the floor – which was high off of what should be the ground – was a large, ovular bed lined with soft furs and thick pillows. The walls were draped in soft, gauzy fabric, completely concealing what should be the harsh metal interior walls of the giant ball. The colors were all soft and dreamy, with just a hint of shimmer in the hanging cloth. More drapes were hung across the ceiling in arches, making it seem similar to the inside of a tent. Or a bower. It even smelled slightly floral and spicy and exotic, like the fantasy of a dream.
It was cozy and beautiful and completely unexpected. It was a place she’d expect someone soft and delicate to rest, not the Big Guy with eyes like fire.
But what had been shining? The fabric on the walls might shimmer a bit, but it was nowhere near to the same sparkle she had seen from outside. So where…?
Oh! There it was!
Hanging from the roof, at the center of the arching drapes, was a big, shiny, crystal flower. Glowing like a chandelier, sparkling like crystal, it was similar to a large lotus hanging upside down, casting the room in a pleasant, dim light.
It was beautiful. Delicate. Almost sensual. It was drawing her in, the glittering facets hypnotizing her like the swaying of a pocket watch in a master hypnotist’s hand.
Haven didn’t even realize she was leaning in further until she heard something click.
She immediately froze.
But it was too late.
Something dropped under her hands making her entire body pitch forward. She caught herself, her thighs clenching, keeping herself from falling.
The step she was on suddenly jerked, pushing her forward, upsetting her balance. Practically dumping her into the hole. Whatever dropped under her hands gave way completely and she tumbled forward with a cry of surprise.
Head over feet, she tumbled down a slope she hadn’t seen beneath the hole. It was padded, just as soft as the nest she suddenly found herself splayed out in. Though she was surprised by the quick drop and sudden stop, she wasn’t hurt. Not a single elbow or knee had struck something hard. She was just tossed in a circle and suddenly found herself looking up at the hole over her head.
It wasn’t a neat, circular hole anymore. Panels she hadn’t seen, hidden inside, had pinched together, closing the hole into an octagonal shape that was too small for her body to fit through.As she watched, she heard something clang and saw something moving outside.
Flipping over, she came up on her knees and tried to run back up the ramp. Though it was soft and padded, it was clearly intended to be a one way trip. As she tried to clamber back up, the entire thing shifted and slid down. The padded part rolled up into a soft cushion, leaving only a steep, metal surface far too smooth for her to try to climb.
Haven fell right back into the nest. But not before she caught a glimpse outside the hole.
