Lost In Underland

11: Lost In Underland

The day was sunny with clouds passing across the azure sky. At a beautiful beach, serene with coconut trees and vegetation, lush with wild trees and interwoven vines, a waterfall with crystal clear waters cascaded over a high mountain, crashing continually into the river to join waves that consistently washed onto the shore where Amber was lying face up and out cold.

As the water from the waves bathed her, she stirred and following a cough, regained consciousness, her eyes fluttering open to meet the open sky with birds flying over it. Amber squinted at the brightness of the sky because the sunshine was at war with her gaze. Then she managed to sit up and looked around with a wince as gradually, she recovered from her ordeal.

Aware of the waves sweeping over her, she scooted farther from the shore to avoid the incessant splash of the water. She wondered where she was and how she had gotten there. She remembered trying to scramble up the dock outside Isis's home when she had felt a hand that had unceremoniously forced her inside the river amidst her frightened screams.

"Am I dead? Oh no, Mother will be devastated. I can't be dead." She said and pinched her arm in an attempt to feel some pain that would confirm she was still alive. She had heard that ghosts never felt pain. Hence, feeling pain at her action, she was relieved of her fear.

Amber took a handful of sand, squeezed, and poured it back onto the ground. If she could feel things physically, then she wasn't dead she reasoned because it was also said that ghosts couldn't physically feel things. But she could feel the sand and called to mind her earlier squinting from the sun which told her she couldn't possibly be dead.

Looking around again, she realized she was the only one there and became frightened for the first time since regaining consciousness as she wondered where she was again. What or where was this place? Amber breathed deeply to calm herself. Her mother had said in panicky situations, one had to keep a cool head to be in the right frame of mind to handle the situation. Holding on to that thought, Amber rose and dusted the dirt off her. Next, she straightened up and called for help.

"Hello... Anyone out here, please help me."

Her voice reverberated and faded into silence. Only sounds from nature filled the air.

"Hello... can anybody hear me?"

Amber's voice merely resonated before silence returned. Disappointed, she let her eyes roam over the secluded waters of the beach surrounded by mountains. She hoped to find someone but her hope was ruined by the emptiness she encountered. Somehow, the waters brought to memory both her sighting of the mermaid and the feel of the hand which had forced her into the river.

"Could it be the mermaid?" She mumbled and a gasp escaped her at the thought, driving her heart into a wild panic. "Oh no, it couldn't be. What do I do? What do I do now?"

A few feet behind Amber were coconut trees facing the beach and behind one of the trees, two dwarfs peeked at her. One of them had straw-colored hair with a kind face and his name was Orion but the other one was grim-faced with red hair and his name was Stone.

"I'll take a wild guess," Stone whispered to Orion. "That human is proud."

"We don't know that yet," Orion whispered back. "But I believe it's time to find out."

Amber had decided to explore the land for help and was starting in the direction of the coconut trees when she saw the dwarfs emerge from their hiding place. Having spotted them, she waved incessantly, already approaching them. Orion and Stone remained standing and watched her reach within earshot.

"Please help me, I think am lost or... or dead."

"You are neither," Orion responded.

"So where am I?"