P.I.E-- Hidden City

Peter Wright sat down on the tattered bus seat, preparing for the long drive ahead. The bus was mostly empty today, containing only the driver, a woman sitting across from him, and himself. The drive between cities was around four hours long, and they would have to cross a vast, dry desert.

The driver, a man with graying hair, pushed down on the pedal. The engine roared to life, and Peter watched the city disappear behind the bus, consumed by mounds of bright sand. The woman sitting across from him turned off her phone and slipped it into her jeans pocket, then turned to him.

"So," she said. "What are you going to the city for?" She was blonde, with blue eyes behind square glasses.

"I'm going to visit family," Peter replied blankly. "Going to spend my twenty-fifth birthday there, with my parents and grandparents."

"Oh, really?" she said. "What day is it?"

"Is what?"

"Your birthday."

"Oh. June fifteenth."

"Really?!" she exclaimed. "Me too! I'll be twenty-eight, though. And I'm Julie, by the way. Julie Hill." She reached her hand out and Peter shook it.

"Ah," he said. "I'm Peter. Peter Wright."

***

Two hours passed, filled with only small talk between Peter and Julie. The driver stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. Julie stared almost aimlessly out of the window, until something jolted her out of her trance.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Peter, do you see that?"

"See what?" Peter asked, interested.

"That silhouette, way out in the distance. You can barely see it." Peter leaned over, and it took him a moment before he saw the dim silhouette in the distance.

"It looks kind of like a building," he asserted, leaning back into his seat.

"Weird," replied Julie. "Who would build anything that far out into the desert?" The bus jolted upwards abruptly, and Peter was nearly thrown out of his seat.

"What was that?!" he exclaimed. The old driver stood up, hobbling over to the door. He stepped outside, and Peter and Julie watched him through the window. He inspected the front tires of the bus, and after a few minutes he returned.

"Sorry, folks," he began. "We have a flat tire. It seems that we'll be stuck here until the next bus comes by."

"And when's the next bus coming?" Peter asked, standing up.

"Tonight, at seven."

Peter sat back down. "Well that's just great," he said sarcastically.

"You know what, though?" added Julie excitedly. "We saw that building in the distance. Maybe someone there can help us! It can't take more than an hour to walk there." And with that Julie stood up and walked out of the bus, towards the strange building.

"We might as well," agreed Peter, edging past the driver and through the bus doors. The driver followed, putting on a baseball cap to shield his eyes from the sun.

***

They had walked for about forty-five minutes, and Peter could see the building much clearer now. It was made of stone, and it looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"I have a theory," panted Julie, sweating in the hot sun. "This building was probably built a long time ago, maybe before this desert was much of a desert. It certainly looks abandoned, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's partly buried in sand now."