Splash. Splash. Splash. Crunch. Splash. Splash. Splash. Crunch. It was rather mesmerising listening to my own footsteps, wondering what tiny ecosystem I may have just destroyed every time my foot hit the ground. I didn’t think it was nice for tiny bugs to have giant feet invading their home, and I wondered how many of the tiny creatures I had destroyed in my sixteen years of walking the earth. Not that I liked bugs. At all. But still, it was interesting to think about how much the human population has destroyed the life of so many creatures, and feel no guilt. Animals have lives too, they were just made to be different from us, and humans took the opportunity to rise above them all as the ‘owners’. But what if animals did walk about like us, talking, thinking like us? What if they were seen as equal, able to wear clothes, own houses, everything else that humans are, for some reason, able to do? But despite my imagination of this happening, it could never happen, because that was the way the world worked.

Splash. Splash. Splash. Crunch. And so my footsteps on the wet pavement brought me back to reality, and I remembered why I was even walking along this wet, lonely path. The simple answer? To catch a bus. The long answer? To catch a bus to go somewhere... No, sorry, bad joke there. To catch a bus to go home, a small town several hours away. It was pouring down with rain, which might explain where the splashes from my footsteps came from. I was also walking through a wood, in the middle of autumn, meaning that several twigs and branches littered the path, explaining the occasional crunch. It was a short walk to the bus station, and one that should cause no excitement whatsoever. And it didn’t. Nope. Instead, I soon found myself standing under the shelter of a glass, modern bus-shelter. I sat down on the damp bench, glancing down at puddle on the stony ground, seeing my reflection. Hazel eyes stared back at me, set upon a fairly round, masculine face under short, ordinary, brown hair.

I then returned to my feet, unable to stay sitting down in one place for longer than a minute, especially not on a wet seat. I turned around to look at the back of a bus shelter, seeing now the reflection of my body in the glass. I glanced pitifully at how short my reflection was, just like me, barely at five feet, which is very short for a sixteen-year old boy. I then lowered my eyes to my deep blue t-shirt, in which the slight bulge of my stomach prevented the top from being flat. I wasn’t fat, just... Cuddly, as my mum would tell me. I then finally looked to the bus schedule which was hanging down from the roof of the shelter, and looked at the schedule. [bq]4:02 - Alton 4:12 – Honevray[/bq] I glanced at the watch on my wrist, and the digits: “4:01” stared back at me. I had one minute before my bus arrived, and just as that realisation passed through my mind, I heard the sound of an engine, and the digits on my wrist changed to “4:02”.

I raised my eyebrows at the perfect timing of the bus, and glanced to the left to see the shape of a small, yellow bus heading towards me. The annoying thing about this bus service was that there was no indication on the bus as to where it was going, but luckily, the bus always got the time right, so I never had to worry about getting the wrong one, as long as I was there at the right time.

The yellow bus soon came to a halt in front of me, and the doors opened. Looking down at my feet to make sure I didn’t trip, I climbed up onto the bus, hearing the doors closing behind me.

I then looked up. I cried out in surprise.

A... Weird turtle thing stared back at me, looking confused. I blinked. He blinked. Silence. ... ... “Well-“ “What-“ We both cut off. I blushed slightly. “Well-“ “What-“

The driver sighed in annoyance, before quickly snapping, “Well, whatcha standing there like tha’ for? Go take a seat!” He had a thick accent which reminded me of a pirate

I quickly headed to the back of the bus, taking the first seat that took my eye.

Which was next to someone already there. Oh great.

I slowly turned to face my right as the bus began to move, finding myself face to face with a smiling... cat. What. The. Heck?

“Hello!” The cat exclaimed, smiling even wider.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I fell sideward of the seat, now seeing black. Cats don’t talk. Cats don’t wear clothes. Turtle things don’t drive buses. What the heck kind of bus is this, anyway? The cat was blue and white... It had a... too-friendly face, as if it wanted to just swallow me whole in his happiness... Oh no... I’m not in his stomach, am I? It is dark... Oh wait, my eyes are closed. Whoops. As I opened my eyes, I found myself staring yet again at the freaky cat. Darn it.

However long later, they opened slightly again, this time to find no annoying cat staring at me.

I sighed in relief, before hearing the driver, and quickly closed my eyes again, “Is he alrigh’, Rover?” “I don’t know...” That was the cat... Rover? “He passed out... twice. How long till we get to Honevray, Kapp’n?” Honevray? What? I recognised the name, before it clicked. 4:02 – Alton 4:12 – Honevray I’d caught the wrong bus. “Ah...” Kapp’n replied, sighing deeply, “He mus’ be one of them humans who don’t know about us. Bu’ that’s odd... Not many humans are able ta even see the bus... Tho’ Josh could...” I listened to the conversation in confusion. Who the cheese was Josh?

“Hm...” Rover continued, sounding worried, “Do you think he’s moving to Honevray? I mean... Josh is the only human there... Maybe he just got the wrong bus?” “Probably. But you kno’ the drill. All humans that recognise us must live in Honevray, so our secret don’t ge’ out...” ...What. “Yeah... But he looks so friendly... This isn’t fair, I mean, Josh was looking for somewhere to live. This guy probably has a home and family.” “If someone from the outside world hears ‘bout us, we’re finished. Done.” “But... Can’t we just knock him out and throw him off the bus?” WHAT? Suddenly, the bus swerved and the hooting of car horns sounded, followed by the screeches of breaks. Oh darn it, they were going to do it. “Holy cow, hold your horses!” Kapp’n snapped, “Wha’s gotten into ya, Rover? We can’ do tha’!” This guy’s accent was beginning to annoy me. “S-Sorry! I was just... suggesting... We shouldn’t ruin his life like this.” “We have to. It’s tha rules.”

I shifted slightly, and the conversation fell into silence as I opened my eyes, completely confused. I then saw two furry feet slowly appear in front of me, and looked up to see Rover staring down at me with worry. I pushed myself onto the chair opposite, staring at him with slight fear.

“Hello...” Rover greeted me with unease, unsure of whether to step forward or retreat, “I’m... Um... I’m sorry for startling you like that... This... This must be a shock.”

I blinked several times, opening my mouth to speak, “Urgug.” I frowned at my own voice, before repeating myself correctly, “Hi...” I shook my head, before resigning himself to the weird animals. I already knew this wasn’t a dream, I’d just have to face this weird... Deformed reality. “S-Sorry for... Passing out... I’m... Not used to seeing cats, uh, wearing clothes and, um, talking...”

“No, no! I understand...” I noticed the smile had vanished from Rover’s face, it was replaced with worry and uncertainty, “So... Who are you?” I sighed, making eye contact with Rover, before saying weakly, “I’m... Louis.”

“Cool!” The smile was back on Rover’s face, but I could easily see that it was fake, “I’m Rover!” And this was how my crazy new life began...