Doors to the other side

Inside the mist

"In the mist everything is softened.
Sounds are distant and shapes deformed.
In this kind of place many things can
happen."
"For example, you can happen to see luminescent figures above the
waters."
"These, my friend, are the mist friends and let me tell you this.
They don't like to be seen by low human like you."

"Boss, it's been half a day......" said the
first mate with resignation.
"If you want to swim to return home I
won't stop you Silo".
The captain was firm in his words and continued to smoke while looking at the map.
"What's the problem with this mist? In half an hour we can be home".
Now not only the first mate was nervous but the whole crew was starting to discuss among themselves.

"Boss the stories about spirits in the
mist are only silly legends you know" He said while staring the captain with his dark eyes.
"Oh yeah? If those are"only silly legends" than explain the light behind you".

The mumbling immediately stopped.
No one dared to make a sound as the waves crushed on the boat.
Everybody, except the captain, was
looking at the odd fish swimming in the air.
It appeared as a translucent blue light and was "swimming" with slow and elegant moves.

"Stop looking boys if you want to live"
hummed the captain while lighting his pipe before throwing the match in the sea.
"Boss, it's beautiful".
Said Silo as a blue light sparked in his eyes.
His hand then reached the fish and...
He caught it.

An ecstatic feeling ran inside him and his breath became rough.
"So nice,so vast,so..."
Silo's voice became lower and lower as his finger became blurry.
"Whoa,I... could be vast too"
He said looking at the mist where his hand was until a moment before.

His clothes then started to get loose, very loose.
The coat of the first mate fell down,
there were no more shoulder to cover
It passed an instant, a silent one.
Instead of the first mate figure two blu lights were now shining in the mist.
"One for the mist" said the captain while making big clouds of smoke.

The rest of the crew was paralyzed.
The only thing they did was to ask
"Can I... catch it?"
Then they made a step forward.
A misty one.

It didn't take much time.
Every time a sailor tried to catch a fish with his hand... it disappeared in thin white veils.
With time the mist became even denser.
Tha captain stopped counting his sailors when the third one became a
translucent blue fish.
In the end only the captain remained.
In the end no sailor resisted the temptation.
In the end many new fishes were
swimming inside the mist.

"Well... Are you happy my old friend?"
Said the captain as the smoke escaped
his mouth.
No sound except the waves was heard.
"I had high hopes for some of them you know".
The ripples crushing on the wood
remained the only sound heard but the fishes in the mist stopped their elegant dance.
"I'm sorry boys but you know how
legends became known? In the end
someone has to spread them".

A miryad of blue eyes were staring at the captain.
"Come one boys, I even warned you".
Smiled him with his own blue eyes
wide open.