Chapter Six

Stepping out of the small tunnel, I blinked in the sunlight. The valley remained unchanged, though I hadn’t expected anything else. There were still no signs of life, aside from the remains of a past visitor.

To my right was a protective barrier similar to the ones I had seen on the machine on the beach. It was built into the valley wall, and was positioned so I could not reach it from where I currently was. However, I could see that it seemed to protect the end of a tunnel built with sticks. I assumed it was connected to the beach machine, but I still couldn’t figure out its purpose.

Sitting by the large tree, I thought about my next action. It looked as if the only way out of the valley was the beach door, and that was certainly a dead end. Enjoying the warm sunlight, I drifted off into sleep, comforted by the roots of the tree.

When I woke up, it appeared to be mid-day. Soon enough, it would be rather warm. Standing up and stretching, I looked around. The valley looked the same as ever, except for one wall. Walking over to examine, I took a closer look. What I had thought was a dirt wall as actually a large portion of what appeared to be a tree root. It had the same rough texture, and stung my scabbed hands when rubbed.

Knocking on the wood, only a solid sound returned. Looking over the rest of the root, I found a slight crack in it. Knocking on this area, I heard a hollowed sound. A slight breeze could be felt flowing through the cracks. Standing back, I thought about my options. A strong enough force could surely break through this wall, but I wasn’t going to be able to do it alone. My mind drifted back to the explosive I had seen earlier. If used correctly, it could definitely break through.

Crossing through the valley again, I found the structure nestled in the corner, behind some trees and bushes. Like the others, this one was also built out of sticks and appeared to be timeless. Not a vine or plant clung to it, despite the flora nearby. Under the assumption that this one worked just as the others had, I began to search for a stone nearby to activate it.

The stone I was looking for was in a small cave hidden in the wall on the other side of the valley. Pressing down on the switch, I watched as another floating stone rose through the structure, carrying an invisible package to the top and dumping it there. As long as I held the switch, the platform would continue to rise. As soon as I stepped off however, it also stopped.

Unlike the previous stones, this one was harder to press. It would take a heavy object to hold it down long enough for me to reach the structure and ride it to the top. The lightweight coconuts from home wouldn’t provide for me this time. Leaning against the cavern wall, I began to think.