The Ashwell Challenge: An Anthology

Under the Water

by T. L. Ashwell

"Hi Tom, what is under the water?" Tim looks at the peaceful water getting darker when his sight moved deeper.

"It was our home. It will be our home." Tom is bailing the water out from the leaf they are sitting on. It is just a normal leaf from the Holy Tree where they live, but it is big enough to carry both brothers.

Tim stops swirling the water with his arm and turns his face up. He raises arm and tries to block the rain from falling on his face with one hand. He doesn't remember when the rain began. In his memory, it never stops. The sky is covered by the dark cloud or darker branches above them.

"Is this rain from the top of the Holy Tree?"

Tom puts down the bucket which he was using and gazes at the dark sky, "I've never been to the top of the Holy Tree, but I don't think so. Clouds bring rain to us."

Tim looks at his brother curiously, "Do you know anyone who's been up there?"

"I don't know," Tom sits down beside Tim, "Just like I have no idea who has gone down to the bottom of the Holy Tree."

"Hi boys, don't go too far away! Lunch will be ready soon." Mom's voice came from the Holy Tree.

Tom answers, "Alright! On our way back."

Tim's family has been living on this Holy Tree forever. At least, no one remembers when they arrived here. The Holy Tree is a tree, but not only is it a tree. It is an abandoned development built with huge granite bricks with this Holy Tree as the skeleton. Yes, there are more than one Holy Tree. Actually, when the weather is good, they can see they are in a forest of Holy Trees.

"Watch out!" a girl's voice comes from above Tim.

"Lunch is ready! I am coming!"

Another girl is following her.

"Catch me, Tom!" this time it is a young boy's voice.

Four of their cousins jumped from the "upper floor" and fell into the water around them. Now they are trying to get up to the leaf with the brothers. With the architecture, it is easy to distinguish the different floors on the Holy Tree. Supported by the different branches, each floor is a platform for buildings. With a calculated design, none of the architecture blocks the leaves or stops the Holy Tree from growing. Different floors do not overlap each other, but there are many stairs connecting them together. Following with the branches, floors also do not block each other from rain nor sunshine. These four cousins are Tim's First Uncle's kids. They are three girls and a little boy. In this kind of huge family, they actually use numbers to distinguish their family members. For example, these four cousins are Tim's First Cousin, Aria, Second Cousin, Aurora, Fifth Cousin, Ava, and Fourteenth Cousin, Aaron.

Tim tries to help his cousins get on their leaf, but it is not big enough for the six of them. A fissure is created by the careless pulling. With an ephemeral holding it then falls into the deep water. The cousins race each other while swimming towards the Holy Tree, only laughter left above water.

"It smells so good!" Aaron says as soon as she left the water. The foods' smell comes from Tim's home.

Tim's mom is standing outside the door, "If you want, you can have lunch with us. We should have enough for everyone."

Aaron is excited, "Really? I am so hungry!"

He looks towards Tim and Tom, "You should come to our home for lunch tomorrow!"

Tim didn't notice how hungry he was when he was in the water, but now he is running with the other cousins to get a good seat beside the dinner table.

Tim's dad is late for lunch. He hangs his raincoat on the wall and closes the wood door behind him. The weather never gets too cold, so the main function for the door is only to block the wind and rain outside. Water drops down along the stone bricks and flows outside with a slight angle on the rock floor.