Ophelia walked form her room to the deck. She looked up at the sky, hoping to see an amazing canvas of dark blue and dazzling white diamonds sparkling in the vast space, all that she was clouds; dark, ugly clouds. She watched a bird soar around the boat. Soon it stopped and fell into the water. She fallowed it as it fell deeper into the black abyss then heard a small thump. Even it the darkness she could see that the water was discolored as a lump of what might have been a bird floats to the surface. She then moves to a bench to contemplate on how she got talked into going on this trip. Oh, yes now she remembers. She was forced.
Her guidance counselor had just informed her that through out the summer, Ophelia will be having sessions with her own therapist. With pure rage, she stormed out of school and summer began. She got to her house and went immediately to her room. She stood there in front of her vanity mirror, her reflection somehow mocking her. With all her rage she punched the mirror and it shattered. She watched as tiny diamonds flew threw the air and scattered about the floor, sounding like rain against a window pain. She stood there staring at her blood-covered hand. She watched as the redness spread over the white bureau. Then her legs buckled and she fell to her knees and screamed.
The maid rushed in, muttering in some language. She brought the child into the bathroom to removed the glass and bandage her wounds. She then escorted Ophelia to the couch and called her mother. She wasn’t to move out of the maid’s sight, so she sat, blankly staring at the TV. Soon her mother burst into the door. “Ophelia, what were you thinking? I can’t believe you did this. What is your problem? Blah, blah, blah, blahhhhhhh” Ophelia had zoned out, as she normally dose when she is being lectured. Probably some where between blahs, her mother had mentioned that they were going on a cruise for her boring business jerks. She would then have said “I hope you are on your best behavior and show everybody your manners.” Ophelia hated that. She always had to be someone else. She was always made to be the good little girl. To act like her parents treat her well, and that she is perfectly mannered. She hated it. Ophelia’s brother had run off as soon as he turned eighteen to pursue his passion for music. She thirsted for freedom, being able to be herself, being away from her parents. Ophelia was so lost in her thoughts of hatred and such, that she hadn’t noticed someone walk by and head towards the front of the deck. As she sat up and tried to push the thought of her mother away form her mind she finally took notice to a figure who was hanging off the railing. She began to walk towards it.
“You’re not going to pull a Titanic, are you?” Ophelia asks the dangling figure.
“Maybe…” it replied in a girl’s voice.
“I’m Ophelia. Who are you?”
“Tai, now you are going all Titanic on me.” She says turning her head over her shoulder.
“No, you go ahead and jump. I won’t mind.”
“Oh how nice. It sounds like something my parents would say. But not when the business colleagues are around, of course.”
“Totally, you know, I think I am gonna have to join you on that side of the railing if we start talking about our parents.” Ophelia says resting her arms on the railing.
“Yours suck too?” She asked
“Yeah, they even are going to try to put me in therapy.”
“What the heck did you do?” she said still looking over her shoulder.
“I punched a mirror.” She says, showing Tai her scratched up hand. “I was pissed off at my counselor, so I got home from school and the maid found me on the floor bleeding and screaming. I think she thought I cut myself or something. But I am not like that.”
“I see. Have you ever wanted to be in a bubble?” Tai asked.
“Um, no I don’t think so.”
“I would. Bubbles are just so cool.”
“Your parents dragged you along too.” Ophelia asked, trying to talk about something a little more meaningful.
“No, I think they drugged me. I can’t remember a thing.” The girls laughed and Tai turned around and began to make her way back over the railing.
“Thought better of it?” Ophelia asked.
“No, I just saw a giant lump of something floating in the water. Look.”
Ophelia looked over and saw a heap of navy blue junk floating in the dark abyss below.
“Hey look, it is the bird.” She said pointing to another piece of floating nastiness.
“What? That don’t look like no bird.” Tai replied and they laughed a little. “It is weird, all the stuff that floats around the Bermuda triangle.”
“What?” Ophelia asked
“That’s where we are going, Bermuda.” She answered.
“We aren’t going near the triangle.”
“If I had my bubble I would.” Tai says in a drunken sort of way.
“Well, good luck with that. Hey look a mountain dew can.” Ophelia says jumping up and sitting on the thin railing.
“Don’t fall. I’m not gonna dive into the chicken and poo water that is waiting to swallow you up.”
“It doesn’t seem to rough out there. I am fine.” The boat lightly rocked back and forth. In a second, Tai joined her. The boat seemed to slow down and soon it came to a complete stop.
“What’s going on?” Ophelia asked
“I don’t know. Maybe our parents finally realized we are gone.” She stopped a moment. “No, I guess not. I can’t hear my father cheering.”
“Yeah,” Ophelia laughed. “There would be a big celebration. I wonder what it really is.”
“Maybe this is the Titanic and we are gonna crash into a giant mound of frozen trash.”
They start to dismount the railing as the horn sounds and knocks both girls off balance. Ophelia grabs for the railing and misses. Tai reaches for her hand. They both fall into the cold darkness. For a moment, they were right. I was cold and dark. They felt what they thought was the current pulling them down. They had no choice but to follow it. The girls held each others hand and they both sank into complete and total whiteness.


They awake to find themselves alive. Ophelia wakes to see Tai in the hospital bed next to her.
“Okay, what ever my parents gave me must have been stronger then I thought.”
“Tai, what happened?” She asked. A nurse walked into the room and stopped between the two beds.
“Hello girls, I’m sure you are very confused about what has happened. But you are not dead, you are not in heaven, and you are not on Earth.”
“Oh my god! we’ve been sent to hell!” Tai exclaims and looks around “Nice place, I thought I would like it here.”
“No, I told you that you are not dead. You are here with us now.” She says sweetly
“Where is here?” Ophelia asks confused.
“Undimekon” She replies. “It is a world that many Earth goers know nothing about. Some earth people have made assumptions about the “Bermuda triangle” but it is just us. You guys were lucky the current brought you down here or you would’ve been dead. You’re welcome.”
“Are there other people like us down here?” Tai asked, seeming very interested.
“No one has come down here in a while. We have a lot of boats, but a lot of the people don’t make it.”
“So, what are we going to do here?” Ophelia asked.
“You will be sent to school with the other children. We just need to make sure all the water is out of your system and that you have all the vaccinations needed to go to school and you can be on your way.” She walked out of the room.
“Whoa” Tai says “Different universe. I guess I didn’t need my bubble after all.”
“This could be fun. I hope.” Ophelia says, slightly frightened by the word vaccination. “What do you think we need to be vaccinated for?”
“Well, there was a lot of stuff floating in that water, as you well know. So I’d just give us everything.”
“You don’t sound at all unhappy with that. Do you enjoy needles?” Ophelia asked feeling squeamishly.
“No, but I am used to them.” Tai said. And Ophelia looked at her with confusion. “I don’t do drugs or anything.” She finally said. And Ophelia was relieved. “I had this run in with depression so I felt awful, right, so the doctor took blood and did tests time and time again and found nothing wrong. They finally realized that it was my emotional and mental health that affected my physical health. Pretty stupid, huh?”
“That sucks. How’d they fix you?” Ophelia was interested.
“Meds, counselor, the works.” She confessed. “I am okay now.”
“Yeah, coming form the girl who was dangling herself off a boat.” Ophelia teased.
“Well, if I hadn’t we wouldn’t be here. So, you are welcome.”
“That’s right. We are gone from the world. Whoa!” Ophelia says realizing all over again that they are no longer on Earth.
“Finally away from our parent’s” Tai says. “Yes!” The nurse waked back in with a bottle of greenish black goo. “This will cleanse you of all the infectious bacteria that you came in contact with in the water and it will protect you from anything else. IT is the highest advance in medicine. Only a few worlds have found it. Earth, on the other hand, has not.”
Both girls got a spoonful of the bottled goop, which tasted like both pickles and barbecue sauce and had a fresh mint after taste.
“Now someone will escort you to school. Hope you enjoy the rest of your life. Have fun.”
“Oh, joy school.” Ophelia says.
“It is still summer on Earth. No fair.” Tai whines.
They get up out of their beds and head to a door. They exit the hospital to see a white square bus waiting for them. As they enter, they see a mini bar equip with alcohol free beverages of course. They also see a counter with inlaid bowls of chips, chicken wings, French fires, and even a tray of cupcakes.
“Okay,” Tai whispers to Ophelia “I rate this as the most awesome ever. It even has chicken wings! You can not beat chicken wings!”
“Welcome girls. You have come to school on a good day. The classes are going to be ending and the children will be free to go on break. Earthlings call it summer vacation. I believe you will enjoy it at the school. Can you pass me a chicken wing?”
Tai obediently hands the driver a chicken wing and grabs one for her.
“Sit down and we can get going. The school has a gathering before the kids get their break so you will be in time for that.”
“So, will we be picked up by you every morning?” Ophelia asks, grabbing a handful of chips.
“No, I am just one of the community busses. You live at school like a dorm room in collage.”
“How do you know all about our society? I mean we are on different worlds.” Tai asks
“Our world is a lot older then Earth. We have been here longer then them. They haven’t even explored all of the planets in their solar system yet. No offence, but Earthlings are still a little primitive.”
“Yeah, I guess they are.” Ophelia said.
“You mean, I guess we are.” Tai corrected.
“Alright we are here. Get out before you eat all my chicken wings.” The driver laughed ands they walked off the cubic bus. “Have fun, you guys.” He said and he closed the door and was off.
“Ready?” Ophelia asked.
“Well, not like we have a choice.” Tai said gobbling the last bit of chicken she had smuggled off the square bus.
They walked into the front entrance and into a hallway. Like a normal school, the office was close to the main entrance. They walked in and saw a lady spinning in a chair and then came to an abrupt halt. She quickly grabbed a crayon looking object and licked it. She turns to the girls and her eyelid begins to twitch.
“Can I help you…” She asked as she started to make slow half rotations in her chair.
“Um, yeah… we are new….” Ophelia hesitated.
“Oh yes! The earthlings!” She said getting up and, in a way, danced over to where she pulled two folders out of a cabinet. “These are for you. Your rooms, schedules, maps, handbook, and any other information about the school.” She handed each girl a folder.
“Uh… thanks.” Ophelia said and Tai just groaned. They watched as the secretary stuffed a handful of mints in her mouth.
“I hope those were Tic-Tacs” Tai whispered. Ophelia just laughed. The secretary went back to her work and let them find their own way. Ophelia looked at the map, but gave up after they realized they were going in circles.
“Way to go… you have no sense of direction.” Tai said as they passed the secretary’s office yet again. She was spinning around in circles on her desk. She stopped and passed out on her desk.
“Bout time.” Tai says as they come across a sign that says “AUTOTOURIUM THIS WAY” “Wow…. And you didn’t notice that before” Tai asked
“You didn’t either. We have already established my bad sense of direction. To add to that, I am completely oblivious to almost everything.” She smiled and they followed the sign. They find themselves among a sea of seats. Everyone has their back turned to them and are looking at roundly fat, bald man in a teal suit with his glasses at the tip of his nose.
“He looks funny.” Tai says turning to Ophelia who wasn’t there. She looked around and saw something suspicious. Above the principles head was a pair of dangling feet.
“Oh, great…” Tai sighed as she sat in a chair. There were three empty rows ahead of her, but she situated herself where she would not be seen. Unlike someone else she knew.