I wonder how long I’ve been working, Bill thought as he stretched out and felt his body ache in protest. It was light out, just as it had been when he started, but he was sure that he’d been going through the night--the sudden fatigue that fell atop him only seemed to confirm the passage of time. Stayed up all night again. Whoops.

Bill rose from his chair and started towards the hotel bed, ready to crash as soon as his head hit the pillow. But then the moment that he stood, the world seemed to tilt. Wooziness crashed over him like a wave, and he had to clutch at his desk just to hold himself upright until the feeling passed. Right. Food first. Then sleep. Bill shut his laptop, grabbed his key, and trudged out of the hotel.

There had been a restaurant somewhere between the hotel and the docks; Bill was sure of it. He knew he’d seen it on his way in, but now the entire city seemed like a maze. Soon enough, Bill was surrounded by buildings that he was sure he’d never seen before.

All right, he told himself. Just find something you know. There, just ahead, he caught sight of the ocean--and what better landmark was there? He trotted ahead to the edge of the dock with as much energy as he could muster and glanced around for the shipyard where he’d come into the city. He was sure that he could find his way around from there. Finally, he saw those big boats docked just a little ways down the shoreline. “There you are,” he muttered to himself. He spun around and started to run back--

Only to slip on a patch of water and go tumbling into the ocean with a splash.