The earth is careening straight down the tracks to hell and the humans are at fault.
Trapped in the dungeons of an ancient burial grounds and tortured to the brink of insanity, the God and Goddess of balance have been separated, unleashing a terrib...
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The scent of seawater leaks into thick darkness, soft splatters trickling lightly through smooth surfaces. Of these, pale skin is the first to absorb the fluid and bring it closure.
Chills throw me out of my cot, legs holding strong for the first time in what feels like centuries though it barely covers a week. There is no movement, the waves either calm or land holding us steady. My assumptions are dangerous and maybe even costly on the largest mass this planet has to offer.
I reach through the darkness and pat Remi's bed, only to find her space empty. The cot had been stripped of blankets a while ago as the current temperature didn't warrant body heat, just damp air.
Shoving forward, I half-wobble up the stairs and throw the door open in front of me. A cold breeze stirs my neck and sends hundreds of tiny hairs standing on end when I turn to see the sky.
Heavy dark clouds roll in from the west and shield the sun. As if it were dusk, I stretch out and find Remi leaning on the stairs of the deck, a half-empty bottle of water beside her.
"You're awake, " she chirps, smiling at me before a thoughtful look steals her expression. She reaches behind her and grabs the water, aiming to throw it to me.
Unsure if I'm even fast enough to catch it, the plastic lands evenly in my palm and I crush it too tight. "Mm, thanks..." I murmur, opening it up and taking a wary sip.
"Lands about 2 hours out," Dan says from behind me. His random appearance wouldn't bother me on any other occasion, but I stiffen slightly. "You've been unconscious for a few days now."
My eyes still feel tight with sleep when I scrub them and set the bottle down. "I'm feeling stronger, it must be the land."
A taste in the air disrupts my train of thought. Its acrid smell forces me to recoil and I slap my face just to cover my nose. The sting lasts seconds compared to the painful scent.
The others stare at me in confusion. Clearly still breathing what they believe is clean air.
"Are you okay?" Remi asks worriedly.
"You don't smell th- Nevermind, you're humans... What country are we landing in, do you know?"
"Africa," a familiar brutish voice grumbles from the entryway of the control room. "Likely Namibia or Angola."
A large frown plasters itself upon my face as I scour endless compounds of information in my head until I note something worthy of interest. "Have any of you tasted the water? Have you lot been inhaling through any of the fog?"
"We don't have the luxury of not breathing," Remi allows softly, chin tilting in confusion.
The former question goes unacknowledged.
In the distance, faint contours suggest land approaches. Small hills of beige and grey roll above the aqua blue and create contrast where there otherwise wouldn't be. So far off, however, I'd bet money they couldn't see it yet. Let alone smell the famine and pestilence.
