Into the Deep: The Prophecy

Part Two: The Last Moment

[Hey guys!

I know I haven't updated in a while (aka since October), but please don't arrive on my doorstep with your pitchforks and torches just yet. I feel like I should explain that it was my first semester of high school, and my story became a lower priority. But now that exams have passed and second semester has calmed a bit, I will try to stop being lazy and update more often.

Thank you so much for staying with me!

Now, ON WITH THE STORY!!!]

I turned at my friend's cry, and saw her frantically kicking towards shore. With her monofin, she sped through the water, tore it off, and ran up to us. "A cave!" She exclaimed once she'd caught her breath. "I swear, I'm not kidding."

   The four of us exchanged confused looks.

   Even though caves may be common in the ocean, especially around islands, in the coastal parts of the world, for us finding a cave was a big deal. Faith, Jaymie, and I had gone here basically all our lives, and had never noticed a cave before. Heck, there weren't any charted caves or anything for miles down the river. Lindsay was indifferent, but that was because she lived further away, in Bells Corners, and only came here a few times a year when she visited us.

   But when we dove at the end of the man-made pier, a gaping hole greeted us near where the drop-off right where the rocks became a slanted drop into the water.

  We wondered what could have possibly caused this to happen, and the confused bunch of us hastily equipped our goggles. Faith left her fin in the shore so that she could move easier, and in case she got a cramp she could escape if needed. Then we dove.

   Taking deep breaths, we then jumped off the pier to gain depth, and swam down as quickly as possible. Faith speed ahead, slipping through the dark entrance before us.

   With a jolt of panic, I reconsidered swimming into an unknown cave that could collapse on top of us. I saw Jaymie and Lindsay panic as well, and we lost our air. We resurfaced and took deep breaths, anxious to not leave our friend, and dove again.

   We entered the underwater cave cautiously, and saw no sign of Faith. A sunbeam hit the water, dispersing and lighting an underwater cave made out of the boulders that made the pier. The bottom was a flat sandy soil with not a plant, fish, or stone in sight. No other way out except the way behind us.

   Except up.

   Looking up, I spotted a pair of legs kicking at the water that could only belong to Faith.
   
   Letting out a noise,  a stream of bubbles, and waving frantically to attract the others attention, I pointed up and kicked my way towards the filtered sunlight.

   I broke the surface of the water, gasping to fill my oxygen-depraved lungs. I almost lost it again when I realized what we were in.

   The sunlight came from many cracks in the ceiling, not unlike the cracks that were in between the stones making up the pier. These cracks undoubtedly also supplied the air I was breathing, instead of some sort of oxygen-less cavern.

   Lindsay broke the surface beside me, then a few moments Jaymie followed, the two of them gasping for air. Faith sat on a rock ledge that surrounded the water pool. 
   "Crazy huh?" Is all she could say.

   And it was. The water reflected in all sorts of colors on the ceiling, dancing around with the moving water. The cavern itself wasnt too high, barely high enough for us to sit on the 10 inch wide platform running around the pool like a deck, then another running around about ten inches underwater and ten inches thick running around in the water. We pulled ourselves up on the dry, flat, rock platform and sat in stunned silence for a few minutes.

   "Crazy huh," Faith repeated after she believed the silence had gone on long enough.

   All I could do was nod. The cave was beautiful, in a plain but extraordinary way. 

   The light coming through the rocks was dim now, and a more golden glow replaced the vibrant one of the early afternoon. It was growing more and more dim as we watched.

   "Maybe we should get going..." Jaymie ventured when the light grew even more dim and silvery.

   Just as I was about the agree, the cavern suddenly went black.

  We all cried out. I heard something hit the water with a splash, then a voice whinning as she climbed back out. I assumed it was Lindsay, but it could have been anyone.

   "How are we going to get out now?" Faith whispered.

  I stared at the darkness where the water was, speechless.

   It was then that a white light suddenly lit up the cavern through the cracks again, Turing the water all sorts of colors once more.

  Without a second thought, we all dove in, fastening our goggles and madly swimming through the glowing water.  Faith hesitated, then jumped in after us, striking the wall and diving in last.

   Faster than I would have thought, the four of us were in the shallows, running through the water to the dark, park lantern lit shore. Turning, we heard a rumbling as the end of the pier collapsed, most likely filling in the cavern we'd been in moments ago. 

   Safely back on shore, we grabbed our towels and ran home in the dark. We earned a terrified scolding from my parents for being out so late, before we set up our sleeping bags and air mattresses and fell deep asleep, for once not taking until 3 A.M.

The full moon shone all night on my unopened gifts.

~°°°~