ShortZ

Salty Flame - Fantasy

Salty Flame

A Short Fantasy Story

Darkness.

Wait...

White?

No... grey?

White?

No, definitely white.

Silver?

Hang on...

Circles?

My once black vision was littered with
whi-gr...pale circles? Ugh. Shapes, okay. All I saw was darkness until some weird, blob, shape things rained down on it.

To say I was confused would be an understatement.

The shadows were expelled as light seeped through the cracks on the edge of what looked like a cave.

Hang on a sec... come again?!?

A cave.

Yes, I know 'a cave' but why. Why is there a cave? Last I checked I was in my bed and I wa-

OH. MY. GOD.

Dammit, my parents are gonna KILL me. I left my candle alight and now its gonna be

1. unsupervised

and

2. wasted

Ugh. It's just gonna sit there in all of its glory, the salty fumes of the artificial ocean flavouring the bland air surrounding my bed. Gosh, how I love that candle. I recommend it, by the way, it's 'Relaxing and helps cure sleep deprivation' or so it says. God knows how many of our generation need some help in that department.

I was snapped out of my inner rant when my senses switched on.

The small boat glided across the crystal waters and moved towards the entrance.

AAAH!

I'm on a boat. Keep calm okay. I'm just on a boat.

A FREAKIN' BOAT!

How- how the hell did I end up here.

Where even is 'here' exactly?!?

My emotions drowned as everything around me felt like it slapped me in the face.

Okay, so let's recap.

I woke up, on a boat, in a cave. Did I mention that I was on a boat? In god-knows-where and in water, pretty water may I add.

I should find out where I am exactly so I can come here on holiday or something, this place is NOOIICE!

And- what on EARTH am I wearing?!?

The girl's white gown was slightly dirty from their travels and the jagged torn pieces of fabric pranced through the gentle breeze that surrounds her figure. The attire's gold accents complimented her fair skin which was decorated in a light rosy blush. The soft blonde locks danced around the sky blue of the maiden's irises.

Okaaay then. Moving on.

I started to take note of my surroundings. It was absolutely stunning.

The auburn wood sliced through the sea, leaving graceful ripples to trickle past the transport in response. An occasional shimmer ricocheted around the roof of the cave as the sun's rays galloped between the blossom of quarts embedded within the rock.

The tangy gust brushed my flaxen hair whilst the worn clothing twirled around my ankles. My eyes widened at the beauty above me.

The girl's amazed gaze lifted to the gem tapestry that twinkled as it reacted to the scintillating wrinkles in the clear medium.

An audible gasp escaped my lips when it came into view. It was like something out of a dream.

The mouth of the cave came to an end as the rocks spiked upwards into what you could assume were teeth.

It stood, or more like floated, there in the centre of the pointy pillars decorating the edge of the cavern.

A grand ship - or what's left of it anyway.

The ship's looming structure slanted slightly and was decorated in a series of underwater plant life. The shredded drapes were suspended over some rotting wooden beams.

It looked like some sort of cove. The ship covered most of it but I could still see the vegetation that grew on the island in the distance.

The tree canopies were a rich emerald and were escorted by the teal hue that encased the whole atmosphere.

It was like living in a movie. We have the mysterious hidden island and the sunken-now-not-so-sunken ship. Now, all we need is the enchanting thing the main character/characters discover. Except I'm all alone and I don't see my fellow Narnians.

The pleasant hum of the wind accompanied the soft creaks of the weak woodpile. A broad smile took its place upon the girl's features as she took in the magnificence before her.

The world, or wherever I am, slowed as I gawked. My expressions were pretty unattractive if I'm gonna be honest. I'm sure I looked like a panting dog.

As the boat progressed forward, the destroyed vessel gradually got larger.

A large crack in the fragile shell lured the small craft and the girl towards it.

My shock and excitement must have overtaken my grip on reality as I could've sworn I was heading towards a crack in the ship.

The innocence appeared to radiate off of the oblivious child. Soon she was fully submerged within the belly of the voyager.

The piquant draught stopped stinging my exposed skin as I became engulfed in darkness.

All to be heard was the calming wade of the water whilst she neared the end of her journey. Her eyes went wide as in to try and take in as much as she could.

I don't understand why people squint in the darkness, like that just decreases the amount you can see. You're supposed to open your eyes wider to try and take in as much light as possible so you can see.

What? I know things.

Anyway, I cautiously spun around in circles whilst staying within the centre of my moving platform. I was so unsure of what I was looking for that I almost missed it.

A small amber flickering glow revealed itself within the musty shelter. Small independent strands of fire seemed to pirouette around the main heat.

I became entranced. It was like I was in a daze. I couldn't move or see.

She just stood there completely fixated on the miniature inferno.

I must have been staring for too long as my vision started to become fuzzy.

A sudden gust of wind blew out the small blaze, and the ship's hull was left in total darkness.

Everything went black. The whirling warmth took a toll on me as my vision began to alter from darkness to what looked like some deformed pale circles. My senses came to life and I abruptly sat up.

I was greeted with the familiarity of my bed and the sweet-salty aroma of my favourite candle. A small smile graced my features as I remembered to blow out the candle, leaving me in darkness and ceasing the gyrate of the salty flame.

~ The End ~

Word Count: 1,094