the other side.

3

(OCEANS PERSPECTIVE)

I've tried to hide it, but I am HORRIFIED. I cant even speak I don't think this is real. This can't be happening?.... This can't be the afterlife! Oh god why didn't I stop that stupid rat?!?! I'm panicking to much.. and why are the others so calm?!?! I'm so disoriented... how are they chatting so calmly?? I need to get out of here!! But how? Why am I stuck in a stupid warehouse?!?! Am I really going to be here forever?... I need that machine to come back...Karnak or whatever.. oh god.. I'm thinking a million things at once... I need to say something to the others.. but what?!?! I DONT CARE ANYMORE JUST GET ME O- "Ocean, are you alright?" My train of thought is interrupted by my best friend, Constance. "O-oh yeah! Yeah I'm fine!..." I force a slight smile even though I'm PANICKING. I look at the group who is now all staring at me... wait.. Noel has been staring at me for like the past 20 minutes now.. whatever... I could care less!.. "Alright..."  why are they still looking at me! I said I was fine! Oh god.... Now I'm even more stressed! "𝑶𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆-" "IM FINE!" I snap suddenly. "I just need some air! That's it!.." I run into a separate area in the warehouse to take a breather. I'm so overwhelmed right now.

A few minutes pass and I'm just sitting down taking deep breaths in this random area. I can hear the others talking, well I hear their voices but not what they are saying. I could make out a few "oceans" in their conversation though. I should probably head back soon. As of right now, I'll just sit here for a bit. Oh god. Why did I get on that rollercoaster? Why is this happening? I would take anything over this! Why did I die JUST BEFORE I GRADUATED! I was building up my perfect life... and I lost it just like that... no.. this can't be happening! What about all the years I've wasted studying.... I haven't lived at all! I've just- "𝑶𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏- 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.. 𝒄𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈..?" The same voice I've heard all these years, the voice I hated. I look up at who it came from, Noel. There's a million things I want to say right now, but I can't say anything. Quickly, I go from slightly crying to sobbing. Noels face is just shocked, I don't think he's ever seen my crying before. He's just staring at me with this concerned expression I for some reason hate. He just stands there, obviously not knowing what to do or say. I bury my head in my knees. I just sit there for a while.

(NOELS PERSPECTIVE)

It's been like.. two minutes since ocean has run out the room. The conversation is just about her pretty much.

"Is she okay?" "Why did she just yell at Noel so suddenly like that? Something seems wrong." "Noel why don't you check on her?" I sigh and get up to try and find her. "𝑶𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏? 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖? 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔." I finally find her. "𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆. 𝑶𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅- 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖... 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈..?" She looks up at me and starts sobbing. I was about to yell at her until I saw her in this state. I didn't think she had it in her to cry! I dont know what to say! I've never been good at comforting people so how am I supposed to comfort her?!? Should I call one of the others? Would she like that? Or hate it?!? "𝑼𝒎.. 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚..?" "yeah.. I'm fine.." she says in between sobs. WELL SHES OBVIOUSLY NOT?!?!? SHE COULD BARELY EVEN SAY THOSE WORDS!!!! I walk over to her and kneel down. She doesn't lift her head up. "...𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕?.." "...no." Its silent for a while. "..𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒈..?" "...yeah." Her eyes filled up with tears even more while she said it. I put my arms around her and she just cries into my shoulder. We stay like this for a while until Constance walks in. "Are you guys oka- oh. Oh god! Ocean are you alright!?" Constance's face is full of concern. I just shrug slightly. "What happened?" she asks. "𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘."  i say. "Alright..." constance says before walking over and giving ocean a hug. I walk out the room and listen to oceans sobs get quieter. her sobs replay in my head. I wonder why shes so upset? whatever. Ill find out later. For now I'll return to the others.

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ok I rlly need recommendations if ppl are even reading this 🥲 it's kinda fun to write ngl!! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO WRITE THO 😭 I'm trying to write a chapter a day!!