Headaches & Hazbins: Book 1: New Kind of Life, New Kind of Hell

Chapter 16: Cutthroat Competition: Part 3

Asher: *Sniff* *Sniff* Mmmm! Smells like a cozy campfire!

[The opening they entered looks to be a large clearing inside the dead forest. The dirt inside the clearing is all blackened and partly scorched. Towards the center of the clearing, the ground seems to steep downwards. The ground looks more burnt the closer it is to the center of the clearing. Some of it still seems to be burning or fueled by small pieces of dead wood. There are piles of cinder and ash blowing away high into the sky. In the direct center of the clearing is a large dent in the ground that has some small shimmering flames around it. Besides the flames giving off a flickering light, the ground in the very center seems to be giving off a faint white glow. Besides the clearing, the source of the third smoke column can be seen. Like the other two from before it's another burning pickup truck that rests to the far left of the clearing. They then avert their attention to the rest of the clearing to see if there's anything else interesting. Nothing in particular catches their eyes. Asher takes another puff of his cigarette.]

Jerry: See anything?

Asher: Besides the giant ass crater and the wreck beside it? No, nothing really stands out to me.

[Jerry turns around and walks towards the back of the truck. He jumps out and takes a few steps to the side of it. He looks at his surroundings while steadily holding his shotgun.]

Jerry: C'mon. Let's take a closer look.

[He walks to the passenger door while still keeping an eye on his surroundings. Asher puts the truck in park and takes the key out of the ignition. He opens the driver's door and steps out. He then closes the door and walks to the front of the truck.]

Asher: What exactly are we taking a closer look at? I mean there's not much to look at besides oddly glowing burnt dirt...

Jerry: Well, if it isn't obvious this is where that chunk of glowstone hit the ground. And judging by the surroundings it hit pretty damn hard.

[Jerry gestures towards the very center of the crater. The center seems to slope down a slight bit into the ground where there's just more scorched dirt. There are still a few flames lingering in the center with some white specks of light fluttering off of them.]

Jerry: But as you can clearly see, It's not here anymore.

Asher: (Sarcastically) Must've been those damn wizards...

Jerry: Yeaaaaahhhh– No. It looks like we're a bit too late. Chances are someone else must have gotten here before us and snatched the glowstone before we could. They probably grabbed it and headed for the hills before anyone else showed up.

Asher: You're saying that like we've already lost even though we just got here. Are you giving up before the party gets started?

[He looks at Jerry and smirks.]

Asher: Feel free to call it and give up bud, but I'm sure as hell am not!

[Jerry looks at Asher blankly for a few seconds. Then he smirks as well.]

Jerry: Well you convinced me to come all the way out here in the first place. I might as well see it all through to the end.

[Asher gives him a thumbs up and a nice sharp-toothed smile.]

Asher: (Happily) That's the spirit!

[The two face toward the center of the crater and begin to approach it cautiously. Asher takes a deep breath from his cigarette and takes it out of his mouth. He blows the smoke into the sky above him and flicks the cigarette into a pile of burned dirt. As the two approaches halfway into the crater, Jerry speaks up.]