A puddle of greenish blue liquid. At just the right angle, a purple shimmer refracts off the surface. No one quite knows how deep the puddle goes. A fresh and familiar smell emanates from it, like an early spring morning.

I set out at dawn in search of the mythical puddle. Hours of searching turns up naught but dew. But I won't give up; I can feel it just around the corner!

When you gaze into the puddle, the puddle ... actually, it reflects the rising sun and is awe-inspiring!

i toss a coin into the puddle and make a wish. it plops into the water, but doesn't seem to disturb its surface.

Its smell is intoxicating. I want to drink it.

Probably a bad idea.

I pull out my fishing rod, attach a lure and cast into the puddle. There's nothing biting yet.

I do some measurements and find that the puddle, the hole, and our tunnel's entrance have similar shape and size, and are located almost in a straight line. How nice.

It seems as though looking at the puddle causes cattails to immerge from the shallow sides.

Although if a second person looks at it, they disappear.

Whenever I find myself pacing about, stressing about whether to hum to the towelette or study in the library, laying down next to the puddle instantly relaxes me. I feel as tranquil as its perfectly still surface. I make a few beds out of leaves near the edge, I encourage y'all to use them.

I'm able to replicate the phantom cattail phenomenon as described by dualryan. The cattails and other flora that appear are strikingly similar to those surrounding the suspicious watering hole west of the outpost.

I have a theory I'm itching to test. Or maybe I'm just entranced by the smell. Whichever it may be, it outweighs my sense of caution, and I take my first slow step into the puddle. The water is a perfectly refreshing temperature. As I make my way deeper, the glistening surface remains completely flat, without even a ripple. I'm forced to shield my eyes as the purple shine intensifies. I blindly swim forward a short ways (this puddle is bigger than I thought!). When my feet feel the bottom again, the ground's texture feels... different, somehow. The light fades, and I walk among the cattails as I slowly emerge from the water. Straight ahead there is a looming wooden structure. That wasn't there before - must be some kind of puddle-induced mirage. Confused and a little afraid, I approach it to get a better look... wait... it's starting to look familiar. It slowly dawns on me where I am - I'm right next to the northeast outpost. And I must have emerged from the watering hole just west of here.

I lie down. My head is spinning from what just happened, and from the smell.