UNDER THE OCEAN (Original)

Chapter Seven: Jasmine's discovery

“Boy that was close!” Sam understood the fearful potential of that hungry abyss. He realised he could have been swallowed up by its gaping jaws and crushed into the grains of sand he was standing on, never to be seen again.

With arms crossed and fear-filled eyes Sarah exclaimed, “Now what are we going to do? We have nowhere safe to go. What will we use for shelter?”

Sam replied, “I guess we are going to have to find another place. Surely there is a cave or something.”

“Why don’t we have a look around, but keep close together,” Jasmine showed concern. She was worried that Sarah or any one of them could be separated – it almost did happen when the caravan was lost.

As they set off to explore, they found they could jump quite high. They simply floated down again after. They could climb the many steep garrisons of rock protruding from the equally numbered motes around them. They climbed with ease and even raced the guardian pawns (rainbow fish), which slid and thrashed around them like multi-coloured submarines. Height was no obstacle. They could swim if they had to. A large stingray flew gracefully overhead like an angel, but they could not swim quite as fast or elegant as her.

After a while, as strange as it was, the children began to realise that all the sea life around them did not even notice them there. Sometimes a fish or moray eel would swim so close they could touch it . . . but they still didn’t see or acknowledge these scrawny children. Sam swam straight at a large snapper overhead and grabbed it, but it would not even flinch. It simply swam from between his fingers and went on its merry way, oblivious. His hand pass right through the fish’s shimmering body. How many more unusual things would happen in this bizarre new world?

They flew with thrashing arms over the top of a stunning red, orange and purple anemone. Jasmine caught a glimpse of something translucent, odd-shaped. It appeared, then disappear quicker than you can imagine. It seemed to be leading her to a special destination. Unlike the other vibrant sea life, this thing noticed she was there. Curiously, she followed it, forgetting the other two behind her.

There it was – over by that large boulder! Bummer! It disappeared again. Inquisitively she followed, trying not to be noticed. She crouched down cat-like and stalked her invisible prey. Could she outsmart this thing she wondered? As she stalked closer to where she had seen it last a whooshing sound, rushing water shot past her ears. Spinning around, she caught sight of the thing again – it had stopped a very short distance from her. It was the size of a large dog but not shaped like one. It had no shape at all really: it was merely a wobbling, morphing jelly-like substance. Bluish in colour.

Jasmine was not afraid if it. She slowly approached this curious creature. She wanted to touch it, but each time she came close enough, it would either disappear or slide away with surprising speed. It was playing games with her. The thing disappeared again and she heard the sound of it darting past her ears. She turned to find it but couldn’t. She was growing more frustrated, her heart, beating and burning to make contact with this creature of the deep. She stalked up to the boulder again, perhaps it would be there. As quiet and as slowly as she could, she crept closer and closer to the boulder. Now, with it only a few metres away from her, she realised just how large the boulder was. It was as tall as a mansion and filled with colours, plant-life and sea creatures – it was as if it contained a whole community within its rustic walls, and without. A city it seemed.

Fascinated at the activity surrounding the city, she was interrupted with the strangest thing she had ever seen: as slowly as a snail, Jasmine’s face began to appear between her and the boulder. At first, she saw her nose, then her delicate raised cheeks, chin and eyes. Finally, before her was her complete face. The thing that was playing games with her had created her reflection and Jasmine was looking into a watery mirror. Her arms also began to appear, where the face was.

She stood silent. She pulled a face and the thing copied her. She lifted an arm, so did the creature. She jumped to the side: it followed. She shouted ‘boo’: the creature did too, but there was no sound. However, it did create a soft fragrant rhythm of blues and yellows: kind, warm colours. It was a friend and a guide for her.

The creature broke from its strange introduction and pointed to a lip on the far left side of the boulder. Jasmine followed her new friend to an overhanging that protruded slightly out from the rustic wall and not much deeper than a shoe box width. Underneath the lip lay a darkened concave hole, about the height of her own crouching form. She noticed it was a well-hidden, aged entrance into a cave or tunnel. Gently splayed over the entrance was an array of multi-coloured seaweed and plants. They rocked back and forth with the rhythm of the sea – it looked untouched.

Her friend lifted some of the plantation away to reveal the inside: there she saw a soft straw light filtering down upon the floor of the cave. Scattered around were a few discarded clamshells, huge! They were about the height of a small table and big enough to spread a decent feast over the top of each of them. Their smooth surfaces looked aged and unused but had a preserved beauty about them. Cautiously entering, she approached one of them: she felt safe and secure almost familiar with them. Had she been here before? She ran a hand over one of the shells, it felt like toughened glass but with a wavy pearl surface. She looked back over her shoulder to find her friend but it was gone.

“Holly, where are you?” Jasmine decided she would call her new friend Holly after a dog they used to own years ago. Holly died when Jasmine was only seven. She still had precious memories about her though and often thought about her. Jasmine went back to the clamshell and lifted the lid: it was cavernous inside. Big enough to comfortably lie down in. A little sand was scattered around the bottom and there was thick, soft sea sponge within that filled out to the edge.

Climbing in for a quiet rest, it felt just like her comfortable bed at home. Her mind began to wander back into her own bedroom: she could see her ponies and dolls sitting on the red drawers by the wall. She could see the woodland animals that picnicked on her curtains, which draped across her window. How did they get into this mess? She thought back, imagining mum and dad’s cheerful faces and the goodnight kisses they gave. She missed them. It hurt. Will she ever see the baby mum was carrying in her tummy? Tears welled up and although she could not feel them run down her cheeks (because you do not feel tears under water) she knew she was crying. It was such a sad thing for her to be torn away from her safe, happy home that she had known. Now, she didn’t have any idea what would happen next. She was exhausted, and went to sleep.