I look past Erica and see that what was pavement is now a black void of nothingness, swallowing my foot and then my leg. And the next thing we know, we are both falling into a black hole.
The only things seen were ourselves and our looks of panic. Before I had time to think, we landed on a clearing of soft grass in the middle of a forest. My eyes scan the treeline, searching for any logical reason for what happened.
I look at Erica, and she is looking back at me with what I can only assume is a mirror of my reaction. We stared at each other in disbelief that we had fallen into a hole that led to a forest.
The sharp clang of metal on metal rattled the air and shook us free of shock. Another clang rattles the air; I stand up and realize how different it is from where they were. The air was heavy and damp; with every breath, I tasted iron.
The smell in the air wasn't revolting, but somehow, it brought to mind the word "death." I look up at the sky and see what looks like a moon, but it's oddly shaped and brown. With every new thing I notice, I realize they all have a shade of red to them.
I look down at my hands and realize that the entire sky is red, speckled with tiny clouds of black. I look to where I would expect a sun. But instead, I see a tall snow-capped mountain range with a bright red glow behind it.
The clanging I heard before grew more potent and more desperate. I look to Erica, who is now standing and noticing the same things. "I think we should go and see what the clanging is," I say, confident as if I know exactly what it is and how to get back.
Erica, still in shock, nods her head in agreement, and we begin walking into the forest in the direction of the clashing metal. I walk as if every step I take could be my last. Looking around, I notice that the pants look different too.
I see a short, droopy plant with one long stem bending over, holding what looks to be a small star fruit. My curiosity gets the best of me, and I bend over to look at it, and I decide to try to pick it.
As soon as my hand touched it, I heard a loud bang similar to a gunshot, and I went flying back and felt a brief but painful thump on my back.