I took a deep breath and looked up to the warm, bright sun beating down on my face. It burned my retinas and I immediately recoiled underwater, fearing death. It felt so warm and wonderful, but I knew better.

Fuck, I can't breathe underwater, though...

Slowly, I popped my head back into the open and held up an uncertain hand. I don't feel like I'm roasting...maybe it's just different here?

After several cautious minutes, I still felt completely fine and began to laugh, splashing in the water. "Holy shit, I can play in the sun!"

Leaning back, I let the water envelope most of my head and relaxed to the sun's gentle kiss. It was hotter than the indoor lighting on Mars, much hotter, but there was an inexplicably beautiful feeling. I fel like an egg, cozy under its mother's body heat.

Suddenly, I flung myself upright and looked around like a madman. "I...I can breathe! I can breathe! Holy fuck...what the hell? Why can I breathe?"

My excitement melted into confusion and skepticism with every breath of fresh, clean air. How is this possible?

I shook my head as if I could physically remove the unwanted emotions before grabbing hold of Buchanan's plump body and slowly trying to push us toward land. I could see it well enough- there was a strip of beige land where the water ended, and a massive expanse of green that rose into the sky.

There was no time to stop and marvel at the alien land, however. The water was turbulent, almost as if it were alive, swelling and bobbing me in every direction. There was a current slowly pushing us toward land, which was a blessing.

It felt like years were going by as I tried to flail my way through the water while keeping Buchanan's airways free of liquid. Rising and falling, rising and falling, the water level continued to shift, sometimes swallowing me for a moment. Every time, I popped back out, gasping for air and desperately trying to keep his plump head where it had access to air. My legs felt like they had no bones in them, my arms were completely numb and I was losing vision from the lack of proper air.

As if the planet itself were outstretching it's hand, I felt dirt grinding between my toes. A sharp pain shrieked through my left foot and I yelped, stumbling forward and losing my grip on Buchanan. Looking into the water, which was surprisingly clear, I could see a cloud of blood trailing from me.

A burst of water flipped Buchanan upside down, who was now about twenty feet away from me, drifting toward shore. With one foot I hopped forward, paddling with my arms to try and gain momentum. Every step was heavy as my foot sank into the ground, clinging to me the way I'd latch onto my mother's skirt as a child. It took everything I had to catch up with him.

I finally managed to grab his arm, pulling closer to him. Shit, we're so close...

Trickles of water glistened on his face in the sunlight when I flipped him. Somehow, he was still unconscious despite everything that had happened. Fuck, what if he's in a coma? No, don't think about that now...get to shore or well both die.

The world was swirling now, spinning around me, and my vision began to fade. Still I pressed forward, dragging Buchanan behind me like luggage, running on nothing but sheer willpower. Willpower isn't enough to sustain a man. Buchanan's body ten time heavier than it had before- I did, too. Like I'd suddenly gained a hundred pounds.

Consciousness once again slipped from my grasp, body so numb it felt like I didn't even have one. My brain commanded, but the body did not follow its instructions. I had nothing left in me, and fell forward, face slamming into something gritty and dry.