cloth. While I was fixated on what was ahead, my foot slipped, and a rock grazed my left ankle. A quick jolt of pain ran through my leg. I briefly applied pressure to the small puncture and then leapt back to my feet. I had to keep going. It felt so slow, much like my dream, as I pushed my way to my goal. I tripped over several more rocks, scraping my hands, elbows, and knees. But I did not stop. Now that I was on a path partially submerged in water, I could feel the sprays dampen my dress. Each splash left my skin with a chill and a deposit of grainy salt.
As the water’s hiss grew louder and the moonlight dimmer, I leaned in close to the wall of the cliff to keep my balance. A large wave crashed into my back—I was now completely soaked. Since I had arrived at the water, the rage of the ocean had grown. If I didn’t pick up my pace soon, I would be swept into the ocean. I released my grasp on the side of the cliff, brushed the tangles of wet hair from my face, and then leapt to the next heap of rock. Immediately after my successful landing, I leapt again, then again, and again. Each landing was followed with a painful puncture to my heels. Finally, there was only one jump to the exact spot where the cloak had surfaced. I heaved my weight forward and landed in a crouched position on the surface of the rock.
The mound was still encircled with a small light from the moon. I looked down into the shifting water. There was nothing. I shot a panicky glace to my left and right, searching. Nothing. With my legs still bent, I sprung my weight to an upright position to study the area.
Dark, eerie clouds passed in front of the moon, turning the busy sea into a shadowed abyss. If it were any other time, the darkness wouldn’t have bothered me, but given the setting and the circumstance, I was more than frightened. I instantly tugged the flap of my bag open and jammed my free hand toward the bottom. After a few seconds of digging, my hand stopped on the rough metal of my flashlight. I swiftly pulled the flashlight out and clicked it on.
A bright line of fluorescent light exuded from the cylinder and illuminated the surface of the water. Using the new ray of light, I investigated the fearsome water again. As the light passed over the patch of sea closest to the rock, I caught a glimpse of something below the surface. The beam of light wiggled. I tried to steady my hand as I peered into the murky water, but my nerves would not allow for it. I shivered at the thought of there being something, or someone, beneath the angry waves. Obviously, this was the reason for my descent, but I had never expected to find anything. The waves continued to crash while I sank back into the mound to take a closer look. I scanned the water slowly, tentatively.
I noticed a tingle on my skin, a strange tingle. It was like a thousand tiny ants were marching up my legs. I shined the light at my legs, but there was nothing on my skin. The tingling sensation moved to my arms—then I felt it on my neck.
Something was happening. I stood up to back away from the water, but was instantly pushed down to my knees. It felt like a wave of air pushing me, but I knew that it couldn’t be. The flashlight was shaking in my hand again. Another force came from behind, pushing my head closer to the water. I wanted to cry out, but I knew it wouldn’t do me any good. The tingle in my neck became painful as I was forced to stare down into the ocean.
My reflection was there, in the water. I couldn’t see it clearly, but it was there. Suddenly, I fell through my reflection; I was in the water. The salt water stung my eyes—I couldn’t tell if I was swimming up or down, left or right. At first I was drowning, and then in seconds, I resurfaced inside the mouth of a cave.
-12-
THE CAVE
I spat the remains of the ocean from my mouth as I lay on the cool black stones that carpeted the entrance of the cave. It felt therapeutic to suck in the night air.
As the water’s hiss grew louder and the moonlight dimmer, I leaned in close to the wall of the cliff to keep my balance. A large wave crashed into my back—I was now completely soaked. Since I had arrived at the water, the rage of the ocean had grown. If I didn’t pick up my pace soon, I would be swept into the ocean. I released my grasp on the side of the cliff, brushed the tangles of wet hair from my face, and then leapt to the next heap of rock. Immediately after my successful landing, I leapt again, then again, and again. Each landing was followed with a painful puncture to my heels. Finally, there was only one jump to the exact spot where the cloak had surfaced. I heaved my weight forward and landed in a crouched position on the surface of the rock.
The mound was still encircled with a small light from the moon. I looked down into the shifting water. There was nothing. I shot a panicky glace to my left and right, searching. Nothing. With my legs still bent, I sprung my weight to an upright position to study the area.
Dark, eerie clouds passed in front of the moon, turning the busy sea into a shadowed abyss. If it were any other time, the darkness wouldn’t have bothered me, but given the setting and the circumstance, I was more than frightened. I instantly tugged the flap of my bag open and jammed my free hand toward the bottom. After a few seconds of digging, my hand stopped on the rough metal of my flashlight. I swiftly pulled the flashlight out and clicked it on.
A bright line of fluorescent light exuded from the cylinder and illuminated the surface of the water. Using the new ray of light, I investigated the fearsome water again. As the light passed over the patch of sea closest to the rock, I caught a glimpse of something below the surface. The beam of light wiggled. I tried to steady my hand as I peered into the murky water, but my nerves would not allow for it. I shivered at the thought of there being something, or someone, beneath the angry waves. Obviously, this was the reason for my descent, but I had never expected to find anything. The waves continued to crash while I sank back into the mound to take a closer look. I scanned the water slowly, tentatively.
I noticed a tingle on my skin, a strange tingle. It was like a thousand tiny ants were marching up my legs. I shined the light at my legs, but there was nothing on my skin. The tingling sensation moved to my arms—then I felt it on my neck.
Something was happening. I stood up to back away from the water, but was instantly pushed down to my knees. It felt like a wave of air pushing me, but I knew that it couldn’t be. The flashlight was shaking in my hand again. Another force came from behind, pushing my head closer to the water. I wanted to cry out, but I knew it wouldn’t do me any good. The tingle in my neck became painful as I was forced to stare down into the ocean.
My reflection was there, in the water. I couldn’t see it clearly, but it was there. Suddenly, I fell through my reflection; I was in the water. The salt water stung my eyes—I couldn’t tell if I was swimming up or down, left or right. At first I was drowning, and then in seconds, I resurfaced inside the mouth of a cave.
-12-
THE CAVE
I spat the remains of the ocean from my mouth as I lay on the cool black stones that carpeted the entrance of the cave. It felt therapeutic to suck in the night air.
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