The security at the gate checked off green lit. Alice only showed them a letter from her phone and, just like that, they let them through. For the security guards to accept without really having an ID on them made no sense. And a letter, on her phone, made it the more nerve-wrecking and interesting at the same time. But nevermind the process, all that mattered was the fact that they were in, and the real deal had to do with the start of the report.....if they can pull it off and attract the world's attention on them.

  "So Alice...." Luna asked. "What are you gonna say in front of the camera?"

  "Ghhhhrrr!" She panicked. Really though? When being asked a question like that, she could hardly think of anything. Forget about the question, she DOESN'T even know what she's going to say!?

  "WHY WOULD YOU ASK ME THAT QUESTION?!" She panicked and spoke loudly at Luna. She was cooked.

  "Well, I just...."

  "Don't talk! I know what to say!" She undermined her response at the same time trying to keep her cool. But again, she really was cooked.

  .......

  None said a word - both of them knew it. So they stayed quiet.

  The van went through a underpass tunnel. Darkness for seconds the light was near. Passed out the exit, the girl's looked out of the windshield and saw the massive pit stretching below. What was once a natural occuring ndscape was transformed by man - the ground, torn open, left a big wound that can not recover. Like pests, machines moved in every direction sweeping the surface of the pit.

  From the the looks of it the pit was active, as a huge bulldozer pushed dirt and rock, its bde scraping the earth loudly as much of pure mechanical power. Nearby, a giant excavator reared on the other side, scooping rocks with its huge bucket, and swung it toward a truck waiting below. The trucks carried the heavy load of debris. Tires rumbling down the dirt road - spshing on ground water.

  While the heavy duty machines carried tasks of bigger quantity, the workers in bright vests took on other roles. They moved quick succession, moving between the machines. Some by the drilling rig, signaling the operator high above, while others climbed up tall metal scaffolding near a processing pnt.

  Fast, noisy, but strangely organized, there was a rhythm to the chaos. Machines worked endlessly without stop, each one for doing its job in a different way and form, and the workers acted accordingly.

  The girls watched in silence, taking it all in. It was a sight they couldn't believe, well, not if they saw it for the first time anyways.

  "Wow," Luna gawked, her eyes wide. "I've only seen this on TV....never in real life."

  Alice didn't respond right away. It was quite the sight to take in. Her face practically glowed in the harsh light of the pce-not that she had any interest in becoming a miner or anything reted-but the sheer destruction around her left her speechless. Her hair fluttered in the wind from above, and she exhaled slowly.

  "Yeah..." she murmured.

  The van descended into the pit, its tires rattling over the uneven, poorly maintained road. Every bump and jolt made the ride feel unstable. The hillside was made of loose minerals-one wrong tilt could've sent the van sliding off. But it leaned to the right, where the ground was wider and more secure. Not left. Never left.

  After the descent, the van slowed down, weaving past trucks and workers scattered along the path. Eventually, it came to a stop in front of a garage-like building. How did they know where to go? Before they entered, a security guard had told them to park near a building-didn't say exactly which one, but the sign made it obvious. In bold, uneven letters, it read: Big Mouth.

  "I think this is the pce," Alice said.

  They climbed out of the van-the doors clicking open, boots hitting the ground with dull thuds. And the doors swung shut. Tch!

  The first thing they did was unload their equipment from the back of the van: cameras, lights, recorders-few key pieces of a rger setup.

  But as they got to work, a man in a bright vest walked up to the two girls.

  "Hello there," the man said, his tone neither exaggerated nor warm, but earnest and stern. Yet, despite his calm voice, the girls jumped in fright."....Sorry for scaring ya," he added with a smile.

  "No its fine. Were. Fine," Alice reassured, their hearts pumping until calmed.

  The man in the vest then spoke, as if confirming he'd heard they were alright and not disturbed."So, I take it you're the news crew?"

  "Yes, we are!" Luna replied in behalf of Alice. "And you are?" She added to the mysterious man.

  The man didn't have the look of someone important. He shrugged and replied, "Who, me? I'm just a worker."

  "I just happened to see a van roll up to the garage, so it caught my attention," he added.

  "...We were also told to keep an eye out for a news crew. That's how I know."

  "But don't worry about me, you get to work," he said.

  "Oh, and I think one of our supervisor's will come around to get you guys on the bearings here.....So just wait around when your ready."

  'Alrightttttt?' They looked at each confused. And so what better thing they did was return to their work.

  ~~~~~~

  After awhile a man in a bright vest-this one a different color from the others-came walking alongside some securityguards. If you think he was just a normal person you'd be wrong. What he wore differentiated him among the rest of the mine workers, including hard hats, safety gsses, and steel-toed boots.

  As he walked into the garage, the first worker from earlier stood at attention, though he looked exhausted, barely keeping his eyes open. The supervisor's sudden appearance, however, made it clear he had to stay alert.

  "Sir!" The worker greeted, his tone respectful. It is as if he had the vibe of a soldier.

  "Easy there, I'm here to check on our guests," the supervisor replied, and the worker rexed.

  Turning to the girls, the supervisor made his introduction, as if they hadn’t already have one.

  "Good evening, fellow guests," he said. "I’m the supervisor of this mining site."

  "I take it you're the news crew from America, yes?"

  "Yes," Luna answered.

  "Good." The supervisor flipped through papers on his board and spoke again, "Since your ID was only activated to day, your program is scheduled to tomorrow."

  "May I ask why?" Alice asked.

  "Certain circumstances have led to change, but nothing serious." He nodded.

  "...As for your accommodations, two rooms have been reserved for the night. George here will take upu there," flipping through the st pages of the board he comfirmed, "That is all." Then he Turned around and walked off with the security guards.

  Again. It was strange and confusing, just like everything else.

  "That's it?! We just got here?!" Alice excimed, frustrated. She hadn’t expected the supervisor to say just a few words and then leave like nothing happened. Seriously, could they have at least given more details about what’s going on? They don’t even know where they are.

  However, Luna didn’t have the frustrationin in her like, instead, she was calm. She said, "I suppose… we'll have to make do," a quiet yes behind her words, accepting their current predicament.

  ~~~~~~

  George took the girls to the rooms. They followed him and came to a halt.

  "We're here," he said.

  Looking at the pce the girls were gonna stay at for the night didn't quite say friendly. Rather than a house made for human living, it was repced with metal. Cargo containers to be exact.

  "Seriously! This is the pce we're gonna stay at?!" Alice said, infuriated.

  "Yes, that is it.....," George said. "Why is something wrong."

  Instead of Alice who replied it was Luna, "No," she held Alice back before as if she wanted to punch something. "Everything is fine."

  With a slight pause on the worker's face-his brows lowered lightly-he was back to normal.

  "Follow me."

  The rooms were made from old cargo containers—steel boxes repurposed and adjusted just enough to be livable. Inside, there were basic beds, small tables, overhead lights, and a wall-mounted AC unit to keep the heat out. It wasn’t anything like the homes they’d known before, but it didn’t bother the girls. The pce was clean, simple, and it felt safe.

  'Here are your keys," George said, handing each of them one before heading off without another word.

  Well, that was a bummer. Alice thought.

  The doors opened.

  Alice colpsed onto the bed and soon drifted off to sleep. She was exhausted—worn out from the long drive. Scream and argue, that was for a ter time. She had enough for one day.