But as the sun set over a horizon made of literal liquid fire, Scott turned up the radio. "Best road trip ever?"
Scott, a werewolf whose optimism was as thick as his skull, didn't look up from the map he was currently trying to eat. "Don't worry, Polly! I saw a sign for a 'Mystery Hole' three miles back. It’s either a tourist trap or a gateway to a dimension where snacks are free. Either way, the Magic levels are gonna spike!"
The trunk of the convertible was overflowing with cursed artifacts and several dozen bags of "gas station sushi" that Scott insisted would grant them spiritual enlightenment. Monster.Prom.3.Monster.Roadtrip.v0.26-GOG.rar
The car screeched into a gravel lot. A small, three-eyed goblin wearing a "Manager" nametag approached them. "Welcome to the Abyss-Stop. For the low price of all your Stamina and a small portion of your Soul, I can offer you a shortcut to the Neon Desert."
"We've got plenty of Soul!" Scott cheered, flexing. "I found some extra in the glove box next to the jumper cables." But as the sun set over a horizon
"We’re down to two bars of Hype, Scott!" Polly shouted over the roar of the wind, her ghostly hair whipping around like a neon strobe light. "If we don’t find something cool to do in the next ten minutes, this entire road trip is going to become a 'soul-searching retreat,' and I am not ready to face my inner demons without a drink in my hand."
Polly grinned, her eyes glowing. "Scott, check the resources. Do we have enough Soul left to trade, or are we still reeling from that incident with the sentient karaoke machine?" I saw a sign for a 'Mystery Hole' three miles back
Here is a short story based on that unhinged, chaotic energy: