Above:

The city is like a miny metropolis, founded by an esteemed pirate captain. Skyscrapers reaching up higher then anything, barely touching the glass dome protecting the city from outside elements. Apartments scattered throughout the city, a peer to welcome tourists and visitors, shops stacked on each other every few blocks. This isn't a very big city, but it's home to many

Below:

Glass tunnels accessible via staircases on the surface to anywhere in the city. Almost like subways. Some tunnels are even used as live underwater viewing areas, especially for photographers, or as miny zoos.

If you're itching for something new, come visit Tide City, and see if its right for you.

An island as large as Brazil atop the water, floating gently about. It is not affected by storms nor waves. It is as if it is a country like the ones you and I walk upon. It’s buildings are stout and wide and if it’s close enough to you, you can see people walking about. One time the city had found it’s way to our beach. The adults boarded it off so no one could reach there. I wormed my way through at night and met a girl my age. She had long ginger hair, eyes that shone a bright blue and freckles. She was wearing pyjamas like me and her messy hair was tied in a ponytail we spoke for hours and I debated getting onto the island. She told me it was called the City Of Spirits. Then, mama caught me. She did not like me speaking to this girl from the unknown so I was dragged away. The ginger girl ran further into the city and the next morning the island was gone. I wonder what happened to that young miss and I wonder if someday I’ll meet her again. I hope I do!

City of water, city of glass, This dumb city can kiss my ass, This city was once so grand, But things did not go as planned, Built upon pillars of coral pink, This city is now doomed to sink, Buildings of glass used to shine, But now they are coloured wine, Fountains used to flow and flow, But now they just glow and glow, People used to go boating, Hey wait! Is that fish floating? Pools of water, so crystal clear, Now the pools look like beer, Boys in trunks, girls in bikinis, Now no one makes any decent martinis, People used to come and see, But all they do now, is stop and pee, This city was a wonder, yes it was, But now it’s home to all kinds of fuzz, Yes I hate this town, it’s a dump, But now all it does is make me a grump, So now I look, from miles away I am going to make it pay, I make a smile and push my hand, And watch that city get blown to sand!

For centuries the people of this city have caught fish from the sea, eaten it for their dinner.

For centuries they’ve sailed its roads, passed by neighbours with their oars in hand.

They drank from the heart of their city, and used it to boil their broth.

Used the weeds below to sew their clothes.

They don’t just live on the water, the water lives in them.

But when water is your life source, it leaves you vulnerable to very beings that created it. With just one bad storm their city could be washed away. The fact they’ve survived as long as they have is a feat in itself. Now their city no longer sits atop the water, it sits beneath it, and the people? They’ve found a new way to thrive.

It was the gathering time. In ThisPlace, there was a time for everything. Times to eat, times to work, times to sleep, and now was the time to gather and share information. They all adhered to the schedule because planning is life. To keep their island going each person had to do their share, each person an important part of the clockwork. Even the babies, the few there were, were all born at the same time during Septem and Octo, the least wet months.

Isley was bone tired. This morning had been sowing time. Twelve hours, Isley prepared for new crops. The earth boxes were nearly ready but there were leaks in the domes. There were always leaks and every part of her ached from the climbing and the patching. She had worked hard today and accomplished much. They all lived off the moss, lichen, and fungi that Isley and her team grew. Usually Isley felt a good tired from all the work she had done but lately the cycle of work had felt endless, pointless. The water always finds a way.

She had skipped supper time because she was too tired to even listen to others talk. It was frowned upon to slip from the cogs of the schedule of ThisPlace but Isley felt too tired to care and willing to hear instructions later after her sleep six. Stomach grumbling, Isley headed for the warmth and quiet of her nook. Her hand was on her curtain door when she heard the running of water. Panicked Isley whirled listening for the leak. Her eyes lit on Patrick 417. He ws peeing in a corner. Isley sighed with relief and then laughed a little. He was taking a leak, she thought with a giggle. Patrick 417 was one of the old ones, nearly 60. Most people died from something or other by fifty. This Patrick was sick and his memories had washed away.

“Jess is that you? Where have you been?” the old man called to her. His back was humped from hard work and falls. His eyes were unsteady. With a patient sigh, Isley took his hand and lead him back to the old folks creche.

“Yes, I’m your Jess. I was looking for you to tell me a story,” Isley said. Her callused hands patted his shoulder as she led him to his area.

“Did I ever tell you about the time your grandma and I went to Vegas. We were just kids looking to blow off steam. I kind of borrowed my dad’s Camaro without asking and we hit the desert. It was so beautiful, an ocean of tan sand as far as the eye could see. It was hot and dry and Mika had her sandals off and her feet out the passenger side,” Patrick 417 said. "that strip of asphalt bisecting the desert was a thrill.”

Isley listened as they walked not able to really picture what the old timer was saying but smiling all the while.

The city is sinking Deep beneath the earth There lies a place Full of empty space Like the void in my heart You tore apart While we float above it I can’t breathe Here or below But I can’t leave Even though I need to be let go The water is swallowing us whole As We’re drowning in sorrow This is our own fault I look in the mirror And find a ghost staring back at me This is now normal But the last city on earth Is here but not alive She is starving She is dying We stripped the soil of nutrients Bioengineered food is all around Nobody can survive We swim ashore But there is no hope To keep our bodies afloat In the wreckage of lust weve caused I just wish we could pause And turn back time To when we were alive Not just able to survive

You can say I basically live in the great lost city called Atlantis… well except it’s less great and not emerged in the ocean. It’s well more like a stinking city that magically floats on water. To be honest comparing this place I live to the underworld would be so much more accurate than freaking Atlant—

“SUNNY!!! Stop writing in that DAMN NOTEBOOK. Go help your father catch fish if you wanna eat dinner.”

Sunny sighed as he sat up from his chair, trying to go as slow as possible because he hated catching fish every freaking day and eating them constantly as-well.

“RIGHT NOW SUNNY!”

      ***

Sunny always thought that there must have been a mistake when he was being created. He hated the environment he lived in, anything to do with the ocean or just water filled him with hatred and even the thought of eating fish caused him to get annoyed. Maybe it is the fact because he eats it everyday but who freaking knows?

“Son do you remember how to do this right?”

Out of annoyance sunny rolled his eyes

“Of courrrrse I know what to do, its almost like we do this everyday”

“Dont give me any attitude boy.”

Yeah, yeah whatever sunny wanted to say but just kept it in his thoughts.

      ***

As Sunny held on to a rope his father jumped into the deep of the ocean looking for fish, the rope had been attached to his dads waist and fishing net his father was holding onto. This was basically the same old same old for sunny, sitting on the ledge of the bridge while his dad caught fish, it was so boring doing this everyday.

But eventually something had to have happened, and that time was now, Sunny’s mind was drifting off to space as he waited for his dad, but in the corner of his eye he could see something burning bright in the evening sky. Thats odd he thought, what in the world is that light? Sunny looked at the roped and thought maybe his dad wouldn’t mind if he snuck off to see what that light was, right?

Well sunny was going either way if he did or didn’t mind!

      ***

Within the time sunny had left his father and him arriving to the burning light in the ocean, everything took a turn for the worst for sunny…

Many of the Pa’li have never set foot on solid land. And yet they have seen more of the world than almost any land dweller. Their city atop the waves never stops moving. It consists of many enormous bipyramids made from an alloy - the bottom pyramids, called the lii, extend down beneath the waves, while the top halves, the paa, tower into the sky, the widest part keeping the shape upright and stable. The unit as a whole is called the aal. A hydraulic chute at the center of each aal passengers up and down to different levels - a more reliable method than stairs due to the motion of the water. The paa are translucent, and that is where the Pa’li have their common area: markets, meeting places, businesses. Lush hydroponic gardens. The lii are opaque with windows, and those are where the Pa’li have their private residences. The natural light that reaches there is filtered by the water, and it is dark and quiet. Pa’li regard their personal living spaces as places of calm and rest. They may keep a small stash of drinking water and dry snacks, but most meals are taken above the waterline. Pa’li architecture contains very few completely flat surfaces. The motion of the waves, rather than being prevented, is instead accommodated. Floors are rippled and ridged, with intricate patterns that help to stabilize people and objects. Pa’li clothes many pockets with drawstring closures, and they tend to accessorize with belts and sashes for more storage capacity. Seating is similar to what land dwellers would call bean bag chairs, and beds are similar to their hammocks. Cooked food is mostly eaten out of cone-shaped containers, either with the hands or with the mouth directly. Fruits are eaten whole, peel and all, only the pita saved and taken to the hydroponic gardens. The most popular Pa’li dish is cubed fish and seaweed, cooked and tossed with small pieces of fresh seasonal fruit. The Pa’li are of course excellent swimmers, and all forms of sport involve the water (it is considered bad manners to run around inside the aal). Individuals travel by means of stand-up paddle boards. Groups travel on rafts, which may or may not be covered. There is never a particular hurry to get anywhere; the main motivator is the weather, and the Pa’li are skilled enough at meteorological forecasting to make their movements well in advance. Electricity is obtained from solar panels on the paa and from hydropower rotors at the bottom of the lii. Communication between aal’ is sent via messenger drones that also serve to monitor the surrounding area for weather phenomena and potential threats. The Pa’li have a rich written tradition, for which they use a paper made from papyrus and seaweed. Their stories center around the values of community, patience, and creativity. The main hub of every aal is the level just above the waterline. This is the widest common area, and it is where performances and special events are held. It can hold every resident of its aal in addition to some visitors from other aal’. In Pa’li performances, the performers take the center of the room, rather than one end, so that they can easily be seen by everyone present. The school curriculum covers biology, math (geometry and trigonometry in particular), history, technology, and the arts. As adults, most Pa’li choose to specialize in gardening, fishing, building, design, tech, or a type of performance. Others may choose to become teachers or parents. Parents are not expected to take jobs outside of child rearing, though many continue their work when their children are older. Some Pa’li believe that the world is made up of one giant round ocean surrounded by a rim of barren land. This stems from the main religion’s myth that at the bottom of the sea lies an endless maw, breathing in and out, and all life and the water come from its breath. One day it will breathe in again and all life and water will dwindle into it again, then be cycled back out eventually.

Beyond the sea, there stands a monument to Neptune, lord of the deep, the glorious City of Nereia. Carved out of marble and pearls, Nereia was one of the most prosperous places ever. Dryads are beings that resemble a mixture of mortals and sea creatures. They are the city's residents and come in all shapes and sizes, from sharks to eels and anything in between. Standard features include tails, webbed hands and feet, and dorsal fins. The dryads tended to the land, expanding coral formations and other underwater flora, creating a wide variety of crops each year. Their society developed more until they began forming law and order. The monarchy started when Neptune descended upon the wild creatures and created an elite faction of dryads that were stronger, faster, and more intelligent than the rest. They were named the Beati Maris. This family reigns over Nereia, and with each generation, the quality of life for the dryads improves tremendously. The first king developed better infrastructure, creating buildings and systems that still last to this day. He made arches of marble that lined the limestone streets, houses that could withstand the ever-shifting tides, and poured interest into art so that he could form culture for his people. He is also the one who led the dryads out of the dark ages. Sharing the knowledge he gained from lord Neptune, he started their language, alphabet, grammar, and other core educational aspects. The royal line continues like this with more developments until we reach the era they are in, now the golden age. Magic is now a leading principle practiced by most dryads and coveted by more. Weapons are primarily swords that resemble scimitars and tridents, but as trade continues, even these things are soon to change. The people of Nereia are scholars and warriors, both well-read and culturally have many traditions. These people are some of the most intelligent beings to exist.

They called it “The Island.” It was a utopia designed to combine those who could wield water and those whose magic rested in the earth.

Stilted houses stood on clay supports, decorated in a minimalistic fashion. The buildings were constructed with simple materials such as wood and clay.

Water users could walk on the water, but hundreds of boats lined the street corners for everyone else.

The salty smell of the sea swamped every edge of the city. Fish were a local delicacy, eaten in every household. The squawking of the seagulls was as good of an alarm as any alarm clock.

It was an island in the middle of the ocean, perfect for fishermen and sailors.