Maki and the Machine: Defying Fate to Save the World

"Why is there never any chocolate in the vending machine, eh? I always end up with a bottle of water."

The man sat on the bench beside me and pulled out two bottles from his bag. He was average height and build, with a mop of unkempt brown hair and a few days worth of stubble. He wore a loose fitting t-shirt that had a large hole in the middle of it and scuffed jeans. He didn't look like he came from around here.

"You're not from around here." He said as he offered me one of the bottles. "Me neither, we going to have to be friends for this day trip."

I took the bottle, eyeing him suspiciously as I drank from it. "This place is full of tourists this time of year, I'm sure you'll find someone else to go with you. Today isn't really my thing."

"I was thinking you might say that." he replied while closing his bag and standing up. "Then again, you're still here aren't you? Let's go."

He began walking down the road towards a signpost indicating various attractions in different directions. I took another drink from my bottle as I watched him walk away and then got up to follow him.

"Where are we going?" I asked after catching up to him.

"To see something beautiful." He replied before turning off into the woods at the bottom of the hill. The path wound around through the trees until we emerged into an open area by a lake surrounded by hills and mountains. In front of us was a large building covered in wooden shingles, supported by pillars underneath them instead of walls. The entrance to this unusual building was wide open, inviting us inside.

I looked at my guide sceptically before following him across the grassy clearing towards the building. As I got closer it became clear that it wasn't made of wood at all but rather carved directly into the side of a rock face next to a stream that ran out through some cracks on the other side of it. He walked up to the entrance without looking back or waiting for me and soon disappeared into what must have been several metres deep into solid rock. I stood at the mouth for a moment before hesitantly following him inside, finding myself within what looked like an ancient cave illuminated only by light streaming in from above where there should have been stone instead were windows revealing rolling hills covered in green grass and trees. There was no roof above us but rather an endless blue sky with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily past overhead before disappearing into darkness high above us somewhere far above ground level. At first glance I thought it might be some sort of art installation but upon closer inspection realised that everything was just as real as any other part of this strange world beneath our feet but hidden away from view until now when one stumbled across it by accident or by deliberately seeking it out such as me or my guide who seemed perfectly at home here amongst all this strangeness which only served to make me even more uneasy about being here than before I entered this place.

"What is this place?" I asked breathlessly as I took in all around me while trying not to lose my balance on account of having drunk from my bottle outside before we entered so my head was spinning somewhat already before adding whatever drug my companion had slipped into it at some point between leaving the town square and arriving here which was probably responsible for his slightly odd behaviour too now that I thought about it...

"My Porn!" replied my guide excitedly as he walked deeper into the cavern before plucking something from one wall and showing it to me triumphantly. It turned out to be a large red button with letters spelling out "My Porn!" etched onto its surface in white lettering which he pressed causing lights to appear all around us and sound to begin echoing around us with what sounded like singing voices accompanying what looked like images dancing across every surface we could see appearing and then disappearing again so quickly that they seemed almost unreal like watching stars streak across night sky except that these streaks formed pictures unlike anything I'd ever seen before...

"My Porn!" he said again gleefully as he hurried further ahead pulling me along behind him by gripping tightly onto whatever he had picked up outside on the way in while waving his free hand around wildly in front of him trying to catch what appeared on various surfaces all around us making them seem alive somehow...

"Stop! Stop please!" I begged after stumbling after him for a few more seconds until finally coming to rest against one wall whereupon all went quiet save for our laboured breathing and heavy footsteps slowing down with each passing second until eventually stopping altogether whereupon everything fell silent except for faint rushing sounds far distant somewhere outside...