#Chapter 200: Cotton candy clouds

Alexander I brought my coffee cup to my lips, sipping mindlessly while continuing to stare forward at the computer screen. The surprise of the cup being empty snapped me out of my state of hyper-focus. I set the empty mug down on the desk and glanced at the time. It was almost five a.m. My eyes were dry and my neck was sore. I stood up and closed my eyes, then blinked them a bunch, while turning my neck to one side then the other, and then stretching and cracking my back. I paced over to the picture window and stared out into distance, at the shadowy outline of the forest and the indigo sky above it. When my eyes relaxed and refocused, I grabbed a bottle of water, chugged it and returned to work. It was only a few minutes later when I spotted something that made me hit pause. I zoomed in and leaned forward. And as I studied the image, the hair rose on my arms and the back of my neck, and my heart started pounding. It was just a little mound of red rocks. In the mid