The Last Floor

Juliia was running to the bar where her friends had been waiting for her. She was late again. Delayed by more last-minute work. This always happened. Sometimes she was thinking of refusing or leaving tasks unfinished, but a quiet voice insisted she complete them all. Maybe one day her boss would notice, and she’d earn that promotion. But that was for the future. Today, it rained, and Juliia was late. Two days before, during lunch at her desk, she’d received an email, another ad, she thought. But this time, a photo grabbed her: white sand, blue water, tall palms, and sun so bright you’d need sunscreen to look. Usually, she’d delete it, but not today.

“From sunrise to sunset, enjoy a relaxing Maldivian getaway where every meal is special. Enjoy our special all-inclusive offer at a great price. For more details, open the website”

At first, Julia thought it was a joke. The Maldives seemed like a place for the rich. But at this price, a long-dreamed vacation suddenly seemed possible. Julia wasn’t naive; she expected a catch—maybe some hidden fees in tiny print. She started looking into it and, to her surprise, found no big surprises. Then she realized why: September and October were the worst months to visit. She closed her laptop and went to bed, trying to let go of the dream for now.

All these thoughts ran through her mind as she hurried through the pouring rain to meet her friends at the bar, a place they’d gathered every Friday night for years. Still wrapped in the images and reflections of the Maldivian offer, she rushed inside—soaked to the skin.

“Julia, darling! Look at you—drenched again! When will you finally make peace with umbrellas?” Veronica pulled her into a hug, laughing even as cold water seeped through her sweater.

“She’ll never give in. If stubbornness were cash, Julia, you’d already be sipping cocktails on a beach somewhere—not stuck drinking beer with us in this place.” Olivia quipped, her sarcasm sparkling as she threw Julia a sly grin.

“You’re never going to believe this. I know it sounds totally crazy, but I came across a genuinely good deal on an island escape. Just hear me out, okay?”

She took off her wet coat, sat down with her friends, and pulled her laptop from her bag.

“Just look at this, Julia said, spinning her laptop toward her friends. Seriously don’t roll your eyes! I have checked everything and the prices check out. It’s just their rainy season. Still, I can’t shake the feeling—this trip might actually change something for us.”

“Wow, you want to chase rain, only thousands of kilometers from this dump? Olivia scoffed. The rain here’s free, you know! “

“I know what you’re thinking—I did too. But the reviews seem legit. It’s not raining all day; most people only had a few soggy afternoons. Some sun is better than none. We need this break.” Julia gave Veronica her best puppy-dog eyes. If Veronica agreed, Olivia would come too, even if she groaned first.

That evening, the deal was sealed. The next day, each girl arranged time off from work, packed her bags, paid for the trip, and bought tickets. Excitement grew as they realized they were catching the last train—their flight was in three days.

They landed at 8am. It was hard to believe that the local people saw this view every day. The resort island was small, with only 30 villas. The owner’s original idea was to keep it private but affordable. He met them at the jetty, coming across as extremely friendly and welcoming. The beauty of the surroundings deeply touched the girls. Even Olivia looked genuinely happy.

Girls had three sunny days in a row. Even if it rained later, they would still feel victorious. The island was peaceful and nearly empty. The only downside was the terrible internet. In a way, having no internet helped—they had no work calls, just time to rest. They noticed how empty the island was. After two couples left on the second day, almost no one remained. Some restaurants closed, but the girls didn’t mind. They had everything they needed.

As the island grew emptier, Julia wondered what they would do if something went wrong. They were on a tiny island in the ocean. What could possibly happen—sunburn? But as the island quieted and the days darkened, negative thoughts crept in.

“Chill out, Julia! Remember—this was your brilliant idea. If anything goes haywire, we’re totally blaming you!” Olivia winked and let her laughter linger in the air.

“Must you always be so sharp, Olivia? We’re on vacation! Try being nice for once.” Veronica’s tone was firm.

That night, there was no rain, only strong wind. Every sound made it seem as if the trees might fall onto the villas at any moment. The girls couldn’t sleep. Julia kept telling herself it was just wind, nothing more. The next morning, it felt as though nature was testing them. Things got worse. The rain was so heavy that they couldn’t even see the road, so they had to stay inside their villa. The whole island felt like it was starting to float. Still, it couldn’t last forever, and they were supposed to go home in two days.

Over the next two days, nothing changed between the girls, and the weather only got worse. The rain didn’t stop, and soon the first two steps of the stairs were underwater. The girls all realized the same thing—they were stuck in the middle of the ocean on an island just 1.5 meters above sea level. Flights were canceled. They had no choice but to stay on the island as it slowly sank. When in the middle of the night, Veronica woke up, she stepped on the floor, and she didn’t feel the usual warm wooden planks. Instead, she felt cold water rising over them. The familiar sadness brought on by the endless rain turned into panic in the blink of an eye. She tried to switch on the lights, but nothing happened. The power must have been cut off automatically. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Olivia and Julia woke up. Not realizing what was happening, Veronica opened the door. There was the island host.

“Hello, we need to evacuate you. Please follow us, take only documents, and something warm if you have.”

All people from the island gathered in the main restaurant on the second floor, close to the rooftop. First, the girls, for a moment, thought there would be an evacuation from the island, but, of course, nothing can take them off the island right now.

Women around her 35th year with dark hair started her speech:

“ Dear guests and dear colleagues, my name is Ika, I'm the front office manager, and I'm now in charge of this floating island – she tried to lighten the mood with a joke - I know the situation right now does not look the best. However, there is no reason to panic. It's just long-lasting rain. According to information from the Maldivian government, we can reassure you that the rain will soon end and the water will return to the ocean. Meanwhile, we need to wait. We equipped this floor, as you see, with some mattresses so we can sleep. Food is located in that corner, and please let's support each other, and we will go through it together.

The tension in the room was almost unbearable; nothing about the situation felt good anymore. But dawn was coming, and daylight always made things seem a bit less scary. They went to sleep. Julia, Veronica, and Olivia pulled their mattresses together and lay side by side without saying a word.

They slept for a few hours, but woke up to the howling wind. It wasn’t just blowing anymore—it was tearing things apart outside. Another day went by. Maybe it was always meant to be this way, to teach them to appreciate every moment. There were no jobs anymore, just a small group of people stranded together. Even though the tension was high, they slowly started talking, one by one joining in.

Arisha, a waitress, told her story about her family and said it was all a sign. Her ancestors believed that rain had purifying power, cleansing the world. So it’s a good chance for all of us to take it to come back to our nature. Everyone understands it differently. While on a Julia face, a shadow of terrifying feeling. Veronica couldn’t notice it. She asked her friend what happened. It's just talking. Julia didn’t know, but deep inside, she knew nature was dangerous. Nature itself and the nature of people. Everybody was listening very carefully.

“So what do you think after it ends up everybody without sin?” – Irinically commented Olivia

“Or maybe everybody with signs? – Asked Julia

Julia’s words hit everyone present like a hammer to the head. It was impossible to tell who was more stunned, the people who barely knew her, or the ones who had known her since childhood.

“Purifying can mean many things. Nature can cleanse us of evil thoughts or can remove the false cover that we show to people. Come here, miss, let's try to figure it out.”

“Julia, don’t go, it's all just a world you don't need to attend.” – Veronica begged her friend. But Julia couldn’t resist. She got to her feet and moved toward Arisha, her heart pounding louder with every step.

Julia sat down in the center, while Arisha remained a meter away from her. There were no loud words, no theatrics. “Just close your eyes,” Arisha said softly, “and let your body loosen. Let every cell in you crave to reconnect with nature. Let it wash away everything you’ve gathered in this life and return you to your natural state.”

Julia started to remember past days, as if a scene from a movie were appearing in her head. She remembered the conversation in the Bar, how she convinced her friends to come here, and that she didn’t really check the weather feedback from guests; there were no comments, and the rain could possibly last for days or weeks. She remembered she had incurred extra charges, and this vacation cost her a few thousand more. Not like she forgot it, but now she clearly remembers they should have come here. They need to be here.

Julia didn’t remember exactly what happened. She slowly started to come out of her bubble. When her hearing slowly returned, it came with fragments: someone crying, someone calling a name that would never answer again. The roof lay in shattered pieces around them. A few bodies lay motionless beneath the debris. Julia blinked, trying to force her vision to focus, but the scene continued to slip away from her, as if her mind refused to accept it. She smelled smoke, metal, and death. People had died. Just next to her.

“Everybody should stay where they are. Calm down. Stand in a dry area.” Ika shouted.

“Do you see? Is this floor wet?” – Olivia asked.

“Around me is dry, I think” – Panicly sounded Verinica.

Arisha couldn’t say a word. She just looked, but not at dead, unbreathable bodies. But at Juli. Everybody turned to her.

“What?” - Julia spoke with an unshakable calm. But it didn’t sound like her voice — not her tone, not her mood. “I'm good, don’t look at me.”

“You are good ????? Just to let you know people have died, and you are good? Are you out of your mind?” – Veronika couldn't put the puzzle together.

“Yes, I'm good, I'm alive, and they are dead, not me. Why are you asking?” – Stupid question, isn’t it? Who is dead that ones are not alright. Who is alive? Good. Simple logic, Juli thought, but didn’t say it out loud, it's enough of judgmental stares.

They moved to another corner. A few more steps up. The restaurant was built with layers to provide more privacy for guests, which is why the areas had different heights.

“We need to wait for the rain to be over. They are no other way to deal with this situation.” – Ika pranced. – “We will stay here and wait. And pray!”

Veronica cried. Olivia didn’t say a word, but she looked deeply upset and disturbed. Julia felt kind of relieved. He sat next to Arisha.

“Don’t you think it's how it should be? Nature purifying in what you said? I think now we are finally out of all stupid rules and belong only to the universe. Can we do whatever we want? There is no boss above your head. Your boss, that fat man, is lying a few stairs down. You can do whatever you want with your life.” - Juli was curious.

“Child, are you imagining freedom like this? In a death?”

All night, Juli thought about what freedom really meant—even in death. As long as people are alive, she felt, they’re always trapped by rules: society’s expectations, government laws, unspoken codes. Do this, don’t do that, just to avoid upsetting someone. You finish school, go to university, get a job, and work for years just to get a small raise and a bit of status that someone will barely note. Once, people earned respect through hard work. Now, it felt like nature was trying to wipe the slate clean.

The next morning was the calmest morning since last week. The rain decreased to a drizzle. It brought light to the end of the tunnel. They needed to eat something. Veronica went closer to beg for food where Arisha was still sleeping. She opened a bag, took out the tuna cans, and split them between everybody. First to Olivia, then to Juli. But in Juli’s face, she didn't find her friend anymore. She turned her look to Arisha. She called her, but Arisha didn’t answer. She touched her shoulder — the body was cold, unnaturally cold. Arisha wasn’t breathing. Veronica turned her over; her skin was pale, her eyes half open and empty, her limbs loose and heavy in a way that left no doubt. She was gone.

Olivia realized what had happened. She turned her head to Ika and 2 more employees, who were also lying down. Veronica and Olivia looked at Juli. Juli opened a tuna can and was eating with her bare hands. She lifted her gaze to the girls. Her eyes were blood filled, the vessels burst as if someone had desperately tried to gouge them out with their fingers, yet her expression didn’t change as she looked at her terrified friends. She calmly kept chewing her tuna.

“It’s so delicious… I think this is the best I’ve ever tasted in my life. Now that nature has cleansed itself, we can finally rest for real. We will never return to our old life again — now we’re free, and so are they. We can live however we want. I helped a bunch of people to be free, you know, I remember all of them. They weren't that smart, to be fair, so they required my help. Some of them were tied to a society that didn’t accept who they are or who they love. That decade was not that progressive, but it had a certain charm without all these internet phones and technology. So I could help more people. In this century, you need to be more proactive to arrange something like that. But I'm happy that I managed. With help from above, of course, with force which woke me up!”

She continued to eat her tuna; her figures were getting cut and bleeding, but she enjoyed blood like a deep-sea fish. It was not Julia. There is no special offer, only a real disaster.