Chapter 2

Felice jolted awake with a sharp gasp, his body twitching as if an electric shock had surged through him. Before he could even fully open his eyes, his head collided with the nearby metal pole, sending a sharp pain radiating through his skull.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed, teeth clenched, and eyes squeezed shut against the throbbing ache in his head.

Wincing, he instinctively massaged the sore spot, feeling the lingering ache. After the pain subsided, he slowly opened his eyes. As his surroundings came into focus, an extremely strange view greeted him.

Everywhere he looked, there was an impenetrable wall of thick fog surrounding him. The eerie mist curled and swirled, creating a ghostly atmosphere. It left him feeling uneasy.

Confusion covered his face as he tried to figure out what was happening. He couldn't help but wonder exactly where this was. He strained his ears, trying to pick up some sort of sound, but there was nothing.

It was as though the fog had swallowed all sound, rendering everything silent. There was no rustling of trees, birds' sounds... just nothing.

Once again, he wondered where the heck he was. However, as he was about to get up and explore his surroundings, a sharp, piercing pain shot through his forehead. It was followed by the memory of his accident at the hospital. 

His breath quickened, pants escaping rapidly, as he replayed the chaotic scene in his mind. Every moment unfolded before him—the panicked shouts and blaring sirens, the painful impact, the sensation of flying through the air, and the chilling image of lying in a pool of his blood—before everything faded into darkness.

Felice's eyes widened in shock as he muttered, "I died, didn't I?"

His words hung heavily in the thick silence that surrounded him. He shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the disturbing thought. But it lingered, gnawing at his mind.

To prove to himself that he was still alive, he frantically ran his hands over his body, searching for any signs of injury. He let out a bewildered sigh of relief when his fingers found no wounds or bruises. It was as though the accident had never happened.

'Maybe it was just a bad dream,' he hoped. However, the lingering memory of pain from the ambulance impact dispelled any notion that it was that simple. It clung to his mind, vivid and raw.

'If this wasn't a dream, shouldn't I be in a hospital?' Felice wondered, scanning the surroundings for a familiar landmark.

The thick fog obscured his view, making it hard to recognize anything. However, a strange feeling welled up in him. It gave him the impression that he was far from the hospital or any place he knew.

In a daze, he gazed at the white mist wondering where he was. Wherever this place was, it didn't seem normal.

After a few moments, he snapped out of it. Sitting there slack-jawed wasn't going to help; he needed to think. Why was he here?

The possibility of kidnapping crossed his mind. Knowing his luck, it wasn't implausible. But why leave him stranded in this desolate place?

As he considered other possible explanations, a frightening idea crossed his mind. 'Could it be possible that I'm in a coma?'

As he thought about it, the idea started to make sense. The strange feelings he was getting and the eerie atmosphere of this place seemed to fit the theory. The thick fog surrounding him might be like a visual way of showing the unclear line between being conscious and the unknown.

Yet, some doubts remained. Would he be this aware if he were in a coma? Besides, the pain from hitting his head on the pole felt too real.

If he wasn't kidnapped or in a coma, where was he? Furrowing his brows, Felice observed his peculiar surroundings once more. He found himself seated at a bus stop, but it wasn't an ordinary one. This structure seemed like a relic from the past, displaying signs of aging and wear. Somehow, it fits right into this creepy environment.

Felice examined the weathered bus stop. He scoured it for any clues about his surroundings but couldn't find a thing. Frustrated, he turned his gaze to the thick mist, hoping to catch a glimpse beyond the fog. However, his efforts proved futile. That wasn't surprising. Even daylight struggled to pierce through it. 

Sighing in resignation, he continued surveying the scene. Suddenly, a peculiar observation caught his eye—the mist moved in an odd, sluggish manner. Could it be that time has slowed down? Despite lacking concrete evidence to support this thought, a sense of timeless ambiguity enveloped him, adding to the unsettling nature of the mysterious place.

It was kind of creepy. He could not think of another word that fits besides that one. Well... maybe he could think of a few others but he didn't want to. The only thing he wanted at that moment was not to be here.

Suddenly, he remembered his phone. Thinking he could call a ride to pick him up, he instinctively reached for it. However, empty pockets were all that he found.

'I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy,' he thought, a wry smile on his lips. 'I guess I got to come up with a Plan B.'

Faced with this bizarre situation, one might expect panic. Yet, Felice's reaction surprised even himself. He should have freaked out. But his constant bad luck made him used to strange situations. This peculiar bus stop in the middle of nowhere was just another odd chapter in the book of his life.

Since he didn't have a phone, Felice began to think about what he should do. He could stay put, hoping for the arrival of a bus that might materialize out of thin air. Or should he venture into the fog, and try to follow the road, in the hope of stumbling upon a nearby town?

As he weighed his options, a sudden, eerie shriek tore through the air, making him jump. The unsettling sound echoed through the thick fog, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. It seemed the choice had been made for him. He needed to get out of there, and fast.

Author Says: Did you know that fog is fainter and slightly harder to see than rainbows, but you are more likely to see the complete circle of the optical effect?