Chapter 1909 Sands Of Time
"Hey, Winston, you crazy ass grab the last bag in the boot, will you?" "Ah!... Sorry guys, I was just lost with the beauty all around me. Can you blame me?" Winston truly felt like he was in a live-action movie. You have to be here to believe it. It was a Friday, meaning they had the weekend to relax. They weren't just coming for a half day trip, but for a 2 and a half day trip in this surreal place. Jumping off the back of the massive truck, Winston adjusted the strap of the luggage on his shoulders and followed the rest into the uniquely designed hotel structure before him. The Hotel was called, Sand Storm Hotel. It was a 10 story building with balconies that seeped out like tilted cups. The Hotel was a darker shape of sandy Brown, and looked quite sturdy in all directions. After checking in and marveling at their hotel rooms, everyone soon gathered in the lobby in the jungle, rock climbing-like adventure attires, bandannas tied on their foreheads, water bottles on their sides and other essentials in breathable backpacks. And after grabbing a map and renting off Desert Buggies, they headed into the sandy dunes without a care in the world. Behind the wheel, Winston felt unstoppable. These Desert Buggies were like advanced go-karts. Everyone rode their own Desert Buggies, twisting, taking, gliding and racing across the sandy dunes, as if they were in the Fast and Furious Franchise. The scarves around their noses and mouths blocked any sand from going into their mouths, and their goggles only made them look like people from an apocalyptic steampunk era. .
My God! Winston felt his entire body tremble when gripping the steering wheel with all his might. His veins were bulging maniacally, and his mind was already in disarray when seeing the sandy cliff he was heading for. "Winston, turn! Turn! Turn!!!" Several people felt panicked to the core, already envisioning Winston's chaotic crash. Too gruesome! Too gruesome! Several people closed their eyes in horror, while others rushed to Winston's side to salvage the situation. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Time seemed to move slowly, as Winston felt his doom closing in. Wow!!! The vehicle drove along the sandy edge at full speed, moving several feet into the air in a spiral twist that made those watching feel their blood drain dry. "Winston!!!!" That was all they could cry out after watching the chaotic scene. Up the vehicle went, and soon the Monnet they dreaded came. Whoosh!! The vehicle shoots down like a bullet, causing their cries to grow even louder. However, the gruesome scene they subconsciously thought of, didn't happen. Bam!! The entire vehicle plunged into the sandy grounds far away as expected but was now wrapped in some sort of sturdy balloon that cushioned the ball. Fheeeuuuu!~
The balloon structure soon released air, quickly deflating in a blink of an air. –Silence–
No one, not even the passersby could believe what they just witnessed. Hold on .. when they got these Desert Buggies, they were told it came with a special crash protective layer. At that time, they didn't think anything of it. But after seeing how this inflating covering appeared out of thin air and surrounded the vehicle like a Transformer, they suddenly felt their understanding of science was just so and so. "I'm okay! I'm okay!" Only when Winston's voice could be heard, did several people wake up from their stupor. "That… That was INCREDIBLE!!"
"Awesome! Now, I want to crash too." "Hey, bro, how did it feel to be so close to death?" "Ahhh! You really scared us there. We thought you were a goner. In fact, I wanted to start calling you Late Winston… I already prepared my Eulogy and everything, starting with: In memory of Late Winston… But who knew you were one hard nut to kill?" "Dammit! What sort of safety technology is this? Can I say I want to take it home as a souvenir?" "Blah, blah blah, blah, blah~"
…
Several people, including passerbys, surrounded Winston with glittering eyes. Everything that happened today was straight out of a movie scene for them. In fact, they now felt they had enough experience to critique some movies, saying things like: "This is not realistic. In normal accidents, the vehicle will twist this way, and spin the other way."
(V^V)
Everyone quickly helped Winston cut out the deflated bubble from the front top of the Desert Buddy. It was only now that they realized that the vehicle had 3 uniquely positioned studs on it, one on the top, one on the back and another on the front. It seemed that each of them had 3 crash saving opportunities. So Winston still had 2 more bubble mechanisms that will appear if he crashes again and again. Damn! This made many people feel even more secure than ever. The seatbelts stapling them in during the fall was also sturdy and secured, so one wouldn't move when landing. Winston felt he had just gone to spare and back. No one knows what it truly feels like right before a crash. Today, he subconsciously grew 10 years older when stepping out of the 'crash' scene. 'Sure enough, driving safely is a must. Or else wouldn't I die early without even having a wife yet?' Phew~
He and several others once again got into their Desert Buddies and swiftly left the scene in a blink of an eye, with one thing in mind –Baymard's safety technology was a must have for all future vehicle creations!! …
Vrmmmm~
The gang had fun from late morning to late evening. First, they found a unique oasis, with an underwater cave requiring them to swim underneath. The entire underground site had blue glowing algae that completely illuminated the path. To be honest, after riding for so long under the sun, a dip into this underground terrain was quite refreshing. Wow! Everyone was amazed by how deep the underground water path was. And with their goggles, they could see so many rare and beautifully shaped dishes and sea life. There were canals, tunnels and secret paths. If not for the numbering on the tunnels, they might have gotten lost and wouldn't know how to find their way back.
They arrived at a tunnel path that had a unique map laid out painting to some I know treasure sight. This alone made their eyes brighten even more, as they made turns back to their vehicles to head to the treasure sight. But little did they know that this was just the start of their adventure. Soon, they were swallowed by quicksand, and then found themselves driving underground in a cave-like terrain. Everyday felt like an adventure on its own. Even the hotel they stayed in was riddle with hidden secrets and trap doors. Of course, the hotel also hosted night parties, like a masked ball and other events that led many craving for more. But alas, all good things must one day come to an end. Driving away from the hotel, Winston gave one last look at it through the vehicle's mirrors with nostalgia. It was hard to believe that just a few years ago, he was back in Zalipnia, struggling to put food in his belly alongside his family. 'Sands of Time… Baymard, thank you for giving me the best time of my life.'