It didn’t take long before everyone started arguing on what to do, it was the only thing that would keep them sane, but progress seemed very small and was more so arguing about hypotheticals than any real progress.

“Then what the fuck do you expect us to do!? Stand around till we die of hunger or thirst?!”

Words echoing around us as the man in the neat suit yelled and cursed at the stocky bearded man with an angry look, that made no effort to hide his frustration and anger, if not just to fool himself that he wasn’t in fear of the situation.

“No, I want to make damn sure we don’t just run into our damn deaths, you know what is in that ocean right there?! Cause I sure as hell don’t!”

The shouting going back and forth between the two men was audible across the platform we stood on, the world seemed so incredibly small in that moment, as me and Annie stood there watching the situation boil over.

The man that seems to be against making any rash moves on the platform the stocky bearded man seems to be getting to a head with the businessman.

Hushed whispers running through the crowd, uncertainties, fears, and despair can be heard through all of them.

“What do we do?”

“Are we even anywhere on earth?”

“If this isn’t our world…then what’s in the ocean?”

“I was supposed to graduate soon!”

One after the other, it could be seen like the spreading of a disease, everyone on the platform began slowly realizing the reality that had befallen them, some started crying, others were in such shock they seemed almost like eerie statues standing there with their eyes agape.

What the fuck? Just what the fuck?! The hell are we even supposed to do here?! We are in the middle of the fucking ocean! How the hell are we even...here!?

Selene was starting to go into panic mode she was in a situation she no longer understood, she didn’t know why all of it was only just now hitting her like a ton of bricks, maybe it was because of the otherworldly stone arches outside? Maybe it was because her mind had tried to block all thoughts of that out of her head for the sake of her sanity, regardless none could deny the life altering changes around them.

“Now hold on and think about it for a second!”

He had raised his voice so everyone could hear, the deep voice that came from the stocky bearded man that was talking to the businessman earlier had reached everyone’s ears, and they gave their attention to him.

“Take a look around! This place had to have been built by something! And we might just need to wait for them is all, and other than those arches, these platforms look like they are in good condition!”

Pointing down and around the area to further his points, the now survivors and victims had followed the points he had made, and while there was still that disease of fear and uncertainty it was certainly a better hope to cling on to than before.

“We just need to hold out until then, let’s round everyone up and see if we can get any food around!”

The businessman however doesn't seem to be backing down anytime soon, as they both continued arguing between each other on what to do.

Selene had grimaced remembering issues of cannibalism and lack of clean water plaguing survivors on deserted islands or those stuck in a cave in winter, she had tried turning her attention to Annie the girl she had recently met and seemed to maybe at least be a friend, only to see a face that could scream that she was in her own head at the moment, running through all the different “We are fucked” scenarios, until that is Selene placed a hand on her shoulder and she had jumped a little bit that.

“Are you alright Annie?”

The head of the terrified girl in-front of her had turned around with a slow start, if eyes could scream in pain, one could see them in Annie, one could see them in everyone on this platform, and if Selene had a mirror she could see that her eyes were no different.

“Y-Yeah..I’m fine, just a little shaken up.”

A weak smile running through her face, threatening to crumble apart at the slightest touch.

“Why don’t we go sit down for a bit? I’ll go with you.”

While she had said that for Annie’s sake, it was just as much for herself as it was Annie, her legs felt weak and her stomach nauseous at the unfolding situation, her mind made no illusion that Annie was any different.

“Yeah, that..that would be good I think, I need to sit down”

Annie's voice seemed strained as she swallowed, trying to keep herself together.

The two walked back inside the bus and sat down at one of the open seats, many still being taken up by those who were moderately to harshly wounded from the initial transportation into this strange world, Audrey seemingly helping them the best she could almost expertly.

As they walked inside Audrey noticed them and walked over to them, a worried and tired expression on her face as she finishes walking up to the two girls.

“Are the two of yah alright?”

Words leaving her mouth as quickly as she had approached

“Yeah we are fine just need to sit down…this is just all a lot.”

Eyes connecting between the three of them, a wordless conversation had past between them in an instant with just that small exchange.

“Of course come over ‘ere there is an open seat.”

Both Selene and Annie sat down and just let themselves sink back into the seat as they both tried to calm themselves down. Time passed as they sat there with voices in the background of people talking, some yelling other’s coming in and out of the bus, some groaning in the bus still feeling their injuries.

Until the stocky bearded man from earlier stepped aboard the bus, he looked around before moving to Audrey with a question clearly in his mind.

“How are the injured getting along?”

The older woman turns her face over to meet his, with an exhausted face that could tell she’s just gone through hell patching all these people up by herself for the most part.

“They’ll be alright, should live anyway.”

The stocky bearded man raises an eyebrow questioningly.

“You uh…a doctor?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Nurse, today was supposed to be my day off though, so this wasn’t what I was expecting to be doin'.”

A tired chuckle escaping her, if not at the absurdity, then certainly for her own sake or experience when being a part of stressful situations.

“Well that’s all good to hear, thank you really for your kind work ma’am”

“Name is Audrey, none of that ma’am stuff.”

Doing her best to lighten up the situation with some light hearted humor.

“Name's Josh, it’s a damn pleasure Audrey.”

Giving a smile of appreciation for her trying to lighten the mood, and because it did do much to help quell what he felt in his heart over the stress he’s been undergoing ever since he had finished arguing with that stuck up businessman from earlier.

“It’s nothin that needs all that flaterin now.”

She chuckles as she goes back to looking over her patients.

Are they supposed to be flirting or something? It reminds me of mom and dad going back and forth with each other.

Josh turns over to meet Selene’s eyes, having been looking over at him it seems he couldn’t help but look over.

“Hi there, are you two girls doing alright?”

“Um, not particularly most just trying to get used to all of this at the moment.”

He looked apologetically at the two when Selene had voiced their feelings at the current moment.

“I understand it’s not the best place to be in right now, and it’s damn well shit but everyone here will do what’s possible I promise you that.”

“Thanks, I’m Selene by the way.”

“I’m Josh, and who’s the other lady over there?”

Eyes moving over at Annie.

“I’m Annie…”

“Well a pleasure to meet both of you, and before I go I wanted to make sure and ask did any of you bring anything to eat with the both of you before all of this happened? We need to ration food up until we can figure out what to do.”

“Not really I was on my way from College before this all happened.”

Shrugging her shoulders when Selene had finished her sentence, she had wished she brought something now at least but that nothing could be done about now.

“Well I brought the few things I bought from the corner store, mostly some chips and soda.”

Annie said with a hint of confidence in her mind that she could at least help with adding to the stockpile of food for everyone to eat.

“That works great, we are getting a decent pile of food together luckily, it isn’t much but it’s something.”

“Of course!”

The liveliness in her voice seemed to flare to life, more than anything she wanted to take her mind off of all of this.

Hopefully it’ll be enough, who knows what’s going to happen at this rate.

“Well I’m going to be heading out I need to keep talking to everyone I’ll have to talk to the two of you later.”

Annie and Selene said their goodbyes to Josh, the rest of they had gone by really quietly in some aspects and loud in other’s until it was night, and most people tried their best to sleep in the bus, since the cold ocean air outside was rather unforgiving, Selene and Annie slept nearby together, so far the two of them could only be self described as friends, but having it been brought on by difficult circumstances it was also one that was created by the circumstances, all of this and everything that had happened it would be impossible for her to sleep normally.

How the hell am I supposed to sleep on these shitty seats!?

Or maybe it was just how uncomfortable it is to sleep in a bus..

I just can’t take my mind off of all of this, how the hell can anyone!? No matter how you look at it were are in the middle of bum fuck no where in the sea, like aren’t we just fucked? How long until food runs and we all start looking at each other like drum sticks?!

Selene got up from the seat she was using and decided to walk up to the front of the bus avoiding waking anyone and stepping over anyone that chose to sleep on the floor, to look out at the arches and platforms.

Just where the hell are we? How the hell did twelve different people aboard a bus get thrown into the middle of an ocean that’s probably not even on our world?

The sound of water starting to stir in the wind caught on Selene’s ears as it slowly grew louder.

The fuck is that? Better not be a fucking storm!

Then one at a time and then many altogether white translucent crystals, began rising from the water one for each platform floating above it even above the platform right above us, the sound of water being pushed aside and falling onto the platforms could be heard coming from every platform…and for Selene it would be right on top of the bus, needless to say there wasn’t a single person that could sleep through that.

“What’s going on?!”

Everyone started stirring and panicking, wondering what was going on, Josh had sprung up wondering what was happening, however it was Selene that was the first to head outside, and it was there could she see, in awe at how the translucent blue crystals were beginning to shine a straight linear light at each other as more people filed out to watch the spectacle.

“The hell is all of this!”

Maybe that could have been someone else that said that, but the way it was said, almost with awe and excitement, and curiosity at it all.

“It’s beautiful…”

Selene had turned her head to see who had said that, it was Annie standing right next to her eyes fixated at the sight of the aweing spectacle.

“Yeah…Yeah it is!”

With utter excitement in her voice Selene had yelled that out, with all the voices in the background speaking in wonder, until the crystals had all finished connecting each other with beams of light only to then have paths of light form going from what platform to the next.

“Is this supposed to be some kind of pentagon?”

Selene’s eyes traced her eyes across from path to path in amazement, as she began walking over to the path of light leading out of the platform everyone from the bus was on, she crouched down to touch it.

“Careful it might be dangerous!”

Annie had quickly said, garnering everyone’s eyes on Selene, as she pressed her hand against the path of light only to be met with a solid surface.

“It’s…solid, it’s fucking solid!!”