They approached a wide, thick span of metal arching across the road—rusty, linked chains of varying lengths hanging down every couple of feet. The chains swayed slightly despite the lack of wind. That gave Tick the creeps more than anything else, and he quickened his pace until the odd structure was way behind them.

“Spooked?” Paul asked. His voice was muffled, swallowed up in the mist.

“Yeah,” Tick answered. “You’re not?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, please,” Sofia said. “If it weren’t for me being here, you two would be running around bawling your eyes out. Just keep moving.”

“Miss Italy, you’re probably right, but do you have to be so annoying?”

They walked for another couple of hours, but nothing changed. The path only led to more of the same—mounds of dark metal and looming, odd shapes. Tick finally couldn’t take it anymore; his feet hurt and his stomach rumbled with hunger.

“We need to eat,” he said. “And sleep.”

“Amen,” Paul agreed.

Sofia didn’t say anything, but she almost collapsed to the ground, sighing as she leaned back against a black wall and pulled out a granola bar and a bottle of water from her backpack. Tick sat across the road from her, diving into his own food.

“How can I possibly sleep here?” Paul asked as he bit into an energy bar. “I don’t have my feather pillow.”

Tick half-laughed, but he already felt his eyes drooping, despite sitting up. Feeling like he’d been drugged, he leaned over and lay on his side, pulling his backpack under his head for a pillow. He fell asleep instantly.

~

Two days passed, though the only way Tick knew for sure was by looking at his watch and noticing the subtle changes in the darkness of the sky. Tick’s anxiety and panic faded into a dull indifference as they trudged along the endless path, finding nothing. For all he knew, they were walking in circles because everything looked so similar.

They grew quiet as they walked, discouragement acting as a gag in their throats.

On the morning of their third day in the miserable place, Tick finished off his measly breakfast of a candy bar, half a bottle of water, and a stale piece of bread—he was almost out of food. As he stood and put on his backpack, Paul gave him an ugly look.

“Dude, where are you going?” he said through a yawn. “I’m barely awake—what’s the rush?”

“There has to be something we’re missing,” Tick replied. “I think we need to get off this stupid road and climb up one of these structures. Try to get inside one of them.”

“Tick’s right,” Sofia said, getting to her feet as well. “This road isn’t leading us anywhere except in a big circle—everything looks familiar.”