Floating

Chapter 3

"Seuraava pysäkki ranska!" Next stop is France! The conductor shouted.

Willa's eyes opened weakly, and sat up.

Everyone was gone.

Willa sighed, and stood from her seat, immediately realizing her legs felt wobbly and like jelly, so she walked slowly and painfully down the aisle.

"Thank you." She said to the conductor and stepped off the train.

As she stepped off the train, Willa was met with hundreds of people gathering, and speaking about their travels. She shoved her way through the cluster of people, and off the platform.

Willa scoffed and rolled her eyes at the beautiful field and city view before her.

Nothing was beautiful, to her. Her pessimistic nature made her unable to see the beauty which Earth held. It was only darkness, and pain.

She continued down the hill and made her way into the city. From afar it was beautiful, but now within the city of France, Nazi banners hung across buildings, as soldiers roamed balconies. Groups of poor French boys roamed the alleys, waiting to beat up and rob the pockets of the wealthy.

Willa looked to her left and stopped.

Five people women and men, who were previously hanged were in a row across a wood bar. The Nazis showed them off like a trophy, to ultimately making the public fear them into obedience.

Willa's jaw tightened.

She hated to see her people being treated this way, it made her sick. Though she wasn't treated well either, Willa knew she drew the lucky end of the stick.

But she felt guilty for it.

As Willa continued through the city, the buildings and businesses once owned by Jewish people had holes, large and small, and parts of the buildings appeared burnt. Several homes on the streets looked the same.

Everything once happy and bright, was gone.

Cheminée des Révoires, Monaco, South-western Border

Schaffel walked weakly, trying to catch his breath as the elevation increased dramatically. The climate reminded him of Actaeon.

But it didn't bring him comfort.

It only reminded him that his community was gone, his family, and his best friend. It only brought back the traumatizing memories.

Schaffel continued, eventually to a sign that read, Nice, France. A large purple bird sat on the sign peacefully, nothing like Schaffel had ever seen before. Schaffel rubbed his eyes.

It was gone.

He furrowed his brows in thought, and walked on.

Schaffel began to remember when he used to sit outside by himself, and he would study Earth's geography, especially the forms, and beautiful blue water that surrounded the green land. Not only that, but he loved studying the animals through his books.

But they were the strangest creatures he had ever seen.

That bird just could be another I guess. Schaffel thought. But he had never seen anything like it in his books. He shrugged, and continued.

Suddenly the air around Schaffel thickened, and the land began to smooth, and flatten.

Eventually, Schaffel entered a city, and looked around confused. He expected it to be more breathtaking.

It was, definitely, but not the breathtaking he expected.

As he continued through the city, the darkness swallowed him up. He felt like all hope was lost, and pain was everything.