Universe Undone

Chapter 3: First Impressions

Different personalities collide and many are left wondering where the hell they are as well as what the hell even happened? For some it really does feel a lot like hell.

Justin gasped for air as his large green eyes shot open and he found himself sprawled out on his back, staring straight up at a dark orange sky with the silhouettes of teetering buildings hanging in the distance; the remnants from some kind of city he guessed. Hopefully not Atlantis.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked himself as he sat up, feeling the cold, damp soil beneath his hands.

"Ugh!" Justin cried out with disgust, immediately shaking his hands trying to get the mud off of them, when he heard a strange humming noise coming from the distance and he began to search around.

"Feels like I've died and gone to hell," Justin bemoaned as he looked up just in time to see some strange maroon colored, crustacean like flying creature passing overhead.

"What in the?" His eyes widened with both fear and utter curiosity.

Justin quickly ducked, hoping that thing didn't see him, but right as he did, it was followed by several more of the same creatures. "Jesus, what are those things? And just what kind of a place is this? Where's Atlantis?"

Then he suddenly heard a low groan, and looked over to his left where he saw that guy with the leather jacket lying face down in the mud too.

Of course Justin's immediate reaction was a feeling of relief that he wasn't alone after all, but then he remembered their little confrontation before they ended up in this strange world, and prayed that this guy wouldn't pick up where they left off.

"W-w-where am I?" Brian asked groggily, lifting his face up out of the soil.

"That's what I'd like to know too," Justin mentioned, prompting Brian to look in his direction.

"I think we've all died and this is our hell."

"You again!" Brian scowled as he wiped the dirt off his face using the sleeve of his jacket.

"Yeah well I'm not so happy to see you either." Justin crossed his arms. "But right now you're the least of my worries, especially now that there's flying crabs about."

Brian shot him a strange look. "What are you even talking about?"

"I saw these things flying in the sky," Justin explained. "They're red or dark purple with a Cyclops like eye. And these large pincer like claws I saw at least a dozen of them not that long ago."

"I see?" Brian narrowed his eyes as he rose to his feet and looked around them. "This looks kind of familiar," He commented.

"Yeah, like an apocalypse maybe?" Justin remarked, getting up as well while brushing the rest of the dirt off his uniform.

Brian rolled his eyes. "I'm referring to the books about Earth," he said recollecting. "I remember the pictures, ones of landscapes in particular."

Justin's eyes got big. "Do you think that's where we are? I mean, could we have possibly been sent back to the home world of our ancestors?"

Brian gave a shrug. "Maybe?"

"Whoa," Justin remarked in awe. "But if this is earth then what's with the flying crabs?"

"I don't really care," Brian said harshly, straightening his back. "And just because you're the only other person around doesn't instantly make us friends either."

Justin huffed. "Oh yeah? Well don't worry yourself, James Dean. Cause the idea of you and I becoming friends is enough to put me in the meat wagon."