Read an excerpt On the edge of a vast salt plain, seven strangers stared into the infinite horizon. Above them, the sun shone in a cloudless blue sky. The cracked plates of ancient salt reflected the heat creating a shimmering vista that surrounded the group. Though the temperature soared, no-one showed any effect from the scorching heat. Off to the left was an old, battered school bus, its once bright yellow paint faded and flaking. Its wheels appeared to have sunk into the ancient seabed as it sat on airless tyres. Had they arrived on that bus? How long had they been here? These questions didn’t seem to matter to them as they stared out across a vast landscape before them. Alan, conspicuous because of his ability to move, looked down the line at each of his new companions. They didn’t look special; he certainly didn’t feel special. They were seven ordinary people, from seven different backgrounds. Six seemed to be blankly staring out into the vast expanse they found themselves in without truly acknowledging their surroundings. Alan looked left and right at the faces of the others in the line. Searching his surroundings, and his new companions, Alan was acutely aware that he couldn’t remember how he got here. His mind worked to find any reference, but all he could recall was a distinct memory of sitting in his garden watching several blue tits squabbling with boisterous finches over a pile of seed he had added to the bird feeder moments before. Remembering the scene, he found additional details, and he definitely recalled having a cup of tea cooling on his table, along with a copy of the morning paper as he watched the unfolding tussle between the birds. As trying to discover what was happening seemed to be the logical course of action, Alan glanced at the woman next to him. Her blue power suit and curled blonde hair cascading across her amply padded shoulders gave her an air of authority, “perhaps you can tell me how we got here?” he thought to himself. The woman had the look of someone in charge and Alan felt she would likely know many things of which one must be how they got here. He took a deep breath before coughing politely to get her attention. No response. “Erm… Hi,” he said. She didn’t acknowledge him at all, in fact, she didn’t even blink. It was as though she was unaware of him standing there. Deciding he would have to try another way, he leant forward and attempted to attract her attention by waving a hand in front of her face. Her expression didn’t alter. She stared straight ahead, eyes fixed on the horizon. He gave another small cough. Nothing. He coughed again, louder this time yet received the same result. Though he felt uncomfortable touching her, he tapped her on the arm to get her attention. She didn’t flinch. “Erm, excuse me?” He tugged at her sleeve, but she still didn’t acknowledge him. “Mary?” he called. He’d never met her before in his life. In fact, he’d met none of them. But, somehow, he knew them all. He knew them as if he spent every day of his forty-three years at their side. It was disconcerting, but strangely, that bothered him less than not remembering how he had arrived. Alan prided himself on his memory and this not knowing had him completely befuddled.