Blistering heat. Blinding rays. Lethal sun. It was 9:00 AM, and I was in the epitome of vast nothingness. The middle of nowhere. All that surrounded me were rolling hills of seawater. In addition to that was the cloudless sky above, but that doesn't really count in my book. From the looks of it, there wasn't a mere chance of hope in my horizon. Hope, that undying emotion which managed to remain within me through thick and thin, had grown evanescent as I drifted farther out onto open waters. I guess it isn't really eternal after all. My semi-sunburnt body was still clinging to the piece of debris that I had been using as my last lifeline for the past few hours. 50 bucks says I'll loose my grip and drown. 50 bucks says you're wrong. I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to let go. Even if fate decided to have it's way with me and stir up some circumstance where I would be forced to lose my hold on the rooftop rubble, I still wouldn't let go. That's when it occurred to me. I obviously can't stay like this forever. Sooner or later my arms were going to grow tired. Then I'd break away. I knew that that very moment- the slipping point -would be the inked period calling me out at the conclusion of my storybook. The end.

No! I can't believe such negative things! I've already cheated death once or twice in the past few days. I'll do it again if I have to! I will not give in ever-so easily to such discouraging pish-posh! I should be thinking happy thoughts. Butterflies and rainbows. Unicorns and Hallmark movies. Lollipops and bunnies. That's the spirit!

Aw, who am I kidding. I'll never make it out of this mess. That's alright with me. It's God's decision. If he doesn't want me on this Earth, then I'll gladly accept being liberated to the paradise that is heaven. Or hell. Whichever he chooses. Gosh! This is ridiculous of me! I don't want to die! What's gotten into me? Sea Salt- straight from the billows of the deep. Great, just great. I'm ecstatic.

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The world is shaking- shifting in and out of a blurry seasick state. The unsettled tendrils of the briny-blue are pulling me down from underneath. And I feel my stomach starting to growl. Oh no, whatever shall I do? Remaining calm was definitely crossed out twice with a silver bullet, so what's up next? Half-doggy paddle escape strategy to the rescue. The shaky-quaky and ever most nauseate-y view from my point wasn't helping the cause. Not to mention my salted eyesight. Nonetheless, I kicked my feet with all my might. Still this wasn't enough to push me past the raging currents which were of course separating and clasping together. Push- the one syllable remedy to my illness. If only I could manage to- wait, what's holding me back? Nothing. So why am I just buoying around, when I could be barking some progress? Gee whiz, why don't you tell me? Let's skip to the part where my chest is plurging against my driftwood death-o-cide. Bring in the kicking motions of my feet. We're set to go! The next thing on my agenda was achieving calmer waters. Push-push-push, kick-kick-kick, push-kick-push-kick. That's my one way ticket out of this bottomless pit. Or at least to safe and steady waters, as I've mentioned already. It was getting me somewhere leastwise. The…oh my gosh. What does this ocean have against me? It's casting out a tidal wave like no other that I've seen. The best part of it all is that it's heading straight toward me. Hooray. Gentlemen, noble gentlemen of the jury, please hang your heads in shame. For I am about to be crushed by a higher power, a menacing water-wall. And I can't do anything about it. That is all. I'm stumped. There is only one thing I can do at this point. Close my eyes, count the sheep, soon fall into a deep…deep.. sleep.

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Darkness- endless darkness. The only thing that surrounded me. It seemed as if I were in an abyss of some sort. That, my reader, is a wrong assumption. Once my eyes had adjusted to the black as night gloom around me, I could tell that I was in a crate. How in the hell did I end up in a crate? I have no idea. It seemed to be bobbing along over placid waters. Only one thing was on my mind at this moment. I need to get out of here. I placed both hands on the walls of the crate, stooped my feet against the base. It was then and there that I noticed something- a peephole. It was located on the upper-left part of the side of the crate that was facing me. Then, as if on cue, things turned upside-down…literally. A sudden change in the currents caused the crate to tip over. I think you know where it goes from here. Salt-saturated water started to seep into the crate through the hole. It's only a matter of time before the crate would be filled in and out with liquid, resulting in a sinking sailor- me. The water level had now epped up to my waist. Time to panic? Not quite yet. This crate had to have an opening somewhere…just somewhere. I scaled the ceiling of the confined cube, hoping for some crack or crevice that I may be able to pry open. Nothing. I was now tempted to actually bash my head against the wooden walls of this crate; anything to escape. What the bloody hell. This saltwater has really been getting to my head lately. Am I actually debating on whether or not I should save myself from the clammy hands of death? Shit, if that peephole weren't so small I'd be dead by now. So watch me, my fair reader, as I kill off some brain cells by saving them in the process. My head struck the crate with a simple plunk. If you are familiar with what usually goes on in those chipper ol' movies, you do know that it's not going to be that easy for me to get out of there (heck, I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up in that deathtrap in the first place). So, I tried it a few more times. Still wouldn't budge. During my last and final (redundancy much? You say that to my face and just see where it'll get you. I know where you live. I am watching your every move. I will come to your house in 20 years while you're sleeping and eat your children. Then I'll drain out their blood and pour it into 5 bottles. But oh, what's that? I forgot the paranoid little 4 year-old hiding in the closet? Just wait- I'll come back after 20 more years have passed and force him to down the bottles of blood. After that I'll castrate him. And your dog. Then I'll feed the testicles to you. While you're sleeping. So watch out.) head-thrust against the ceiling, my noggin wasn't the only thing hitting a hard-on. The crate had seemingly crashed into or onto something. A rock? A coral reef? My sanity? Better yet, actual motherfucking land? Well hmm, Mister-Doctor-Sir, what do you diagnose after seeing said symptoms? On the last blow to my head, which simultaneously occurred the event in which my little box of soon-to-be horrors crashed into some sort of thing, I at-lastly managed to break through the crate, gaining a face full of sand (did I mention the sunlight that smacked me right in the eyes? That could take some time getting used too, even though it was the sun I knew and loved to hate). So Herr Doktor, what is your final judgment? A rock! Nope, not even close. You, my reader, are being left on a whim this time. Just take a wild mass guess and try to determine with your oh so smart brains where I am. This could take a while. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to reality; for this a dream and I must wake up. Can't loll in dreamland forever, now can I?

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My eyelids pulled back, hair pushed out of face, the world was revealed to me again. It wasn't my world though. There was just something different. Very different. So uncannily different that it seemed like I traveled to another dimension. I wasn't stranded at high seas anymore, but instead stranded on white beaches, small mushroom-cloud shaped trees, weeds with hearts stemming out of their curly-Q vines, and short trim shoots of green coating the "forest" floor instead of the usual underbrush. And that's not even the half of it. This all-too-nosy girl herself tumbled to her feet. I simply couldn't believe how unbelievable this place is.

How did I end here anyway? After I dozed off, I must've survived that mutant-wave that was heading in my direction. Heh, I told you I could cheat death again! Or maybe I was too far away for it to reach me, and it just died off (since it was coming at me from a distance). Well, however the tsunami-thing passed through, a miracle must've been sent my way to prevent me from dying. Or maybe I'm just luckstruck.

Next, I've done the impossible by not drowning whilst sleeping on a literal waterbed. Now how did I do that? I'll tell you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I must've been touched by an angel when I was born into this world full of wonders. But that's just me. I can't perform miracles, I didn't create mankind, but I am, like I've mentioned a paragraph ago, luckstruck. This single trait can easily be coined a blessing. There's just one thing: I, who has just noticed how damn fortunate I am right now to be alive and uninjured (except for a hell of a sunburn, a few scrapes and bruises from God knows what, and a knot in my tum- which is probably from that saltwater that I swallowed), do not deserve this luck. Somebody more worthy or in need should have it. Not me. So as I neared this continent-island-whatever-the-hell-it-is, I'm assuming the waves that wash over this landscape caught me on and pulled me closer. Before I knew it, I woke up beached on the coast of a thousand mysteries (well they were mysteries to me, at least). What now?

This very girl is snooping around. Poking her head into every shrub-bush; diving her nose into every flower; keeping an eye out for possible human inhabitants besides myself; you name it. As outlandish as this seems, I think I'm going to like it here. It's definitely poles apart to what I'm used to, but that's inversely a good thing. I'd love to try new things for a change, adapt to a new kind of life. And this is just the place for me to experience something in that range. I'm scooting up a tree like a little koala bear right now, and boy does it provide a scenic view of the coastline from up here! Wow! This…this is truly breathtaking. Just pure brilliance. No doubt about it. Just picture this in your mind: a pristine sea, overshadowing the ivory-cream beaches. Then a tickle-me-meadow deciduous forest scattered about. Somewhere in the mix was a cleverly hidden area, they were the greener pastures that everybody wishes to let themselves go to, be free. Then in the lower-hand edge of the forest there's a pond. Just an average Joe pond. Nothing much. But the way the sun reflected on this pond created a periwinkle fantasy-esque shimmer that made me just reminisce for things that have never even happened to me in my past. But oh, I sure wish they did! When you think about it, this is the first time in what seems like a long time that I've been able to just sit back and relax with no worries on deck. But then something ruined the moment. No, it wasn't the realization that I do in fact have a million-and-one things to worry about. It was something else. I could've sworn I heard something rustle past down below on the forest floor. It seemed to be rushing away in an instant; maybe it was fleeing from a predator? I, being me, just had to scurry down the tree trunk to investigate. Then and there, I noticed the clue that just gave it away. Imprinted into the muddy ground was a footprint, a human footprint. So, there are actually other people in this place. Hm. Interesting.

I MUST FIND THEM.

RIGHT NOW.


Author's Note: Hello there, thank you again for taking the time to read my story. You all inspire me and encourage me to keep writing. Thanks! I'm very grateful that you've actually continued reading my story, and didn't ditch it at the first chapter. Thank you so very much! Don't be afraid to review, I don't bite. I love all kinds of reviews, long, short, anything really. Still wondering who our protagonist is? You will find out very soon in chapter three. Good luck! God bless!
P.S.
This summer is going great so far in my opinion. I just hate how it all passes by so fast, and before you know it you're in school again. So, what do you, the reader, have in store for the summer? What did you do so far? Are you having a blast?
Disclaimer: Hetalia was created by and belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. This story by all means belongs to me, Angelica Grillo.