The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

Beneath the Forbidden Tide

Jay lived a life tethered to the edge of the ocean. He grew up in a coastal town where the salty air was as familiar as his own breath, where the rhythmic crash of waves was a constant lullaby. Everyone knew the stories – the whispered warnings of the treacherous currents, the unseen dangers lurking in the inky depths. Yet, every time Jay sat at the end of the weathered docks or leaned over the side of a fishing boat, an irresistible call pulsed within him, a primal urge to surrender to the ocean's embrace.

He'd always fought it. The fear, a cold knot in his stomach, always won. The fear of the unknown, of the creatures that whispered in the darkness, the fear of never resurfacing. But the pull persisted, a silent siren song, growing stronger with each passing day.

One crisp autumn morning, the urge became unbearable. The sun, a molten disc rising above the horizon, painted the waves in hues of gold and crimson. The air, cool and invigorating, carried the scent of brine and seaweed. Jay found himself at the edge of the docks, the familiar wooden planks rough beneath his bare feet. He looked out at the endless expanse of water, the waves gently rocking the small fishing boats bobbing in the distance.

And then, he jumped.

The initial shock of the cold was like a slap, a jolt that forced the breath from his lungs. He plummeted through the surface, the world above him dissolving into a mosaic of shifting light. He expected the icy grip of fear, the familiar panic. But instead, an unexpected sense of calm washed over him.

He opened his eyes, and his breath hitched in his throat.

The underwater world wasn't dark and menacing as he'd imagined. It was vibrant, a kaleidoscope of colour and light. Sunlight, refracted through the surface, painted the water in shifting patterns of emerald and sapphire. Schools of iridescent fish, like living jewels, darted through swaying kelp forests. Coral, in shades of rose and orange, formed intricate structures, each crevice teeming with life.

Jay descended deeper, his lungs burning with the need for air, but his mind consumed by wonder. The ocean floor, instead of being a barren expanse of sand and gravel, was a sprawling landscape of canyons and valleys, adorned with luminous flora and fauna he'd never encountered before. Bioluminescent creatures, like living constellations, dotted the darkness, their faint glows illuminating the path ahead.

He spotted a creature unlike anything he'd ever seen before – a massive, serpentine fish with scales that shimmered like opals. It glided through the water with effortless grace, its eyes, large and intelligent, fixated on Jay. Instead of fear, Jay felt a sense of awe. It was like encountering a mythical being, a guardian of this hidden realm.

As he continued his descent, he discovered a network of caves and tunnels hidden within the ocean floor. Within these caverns, he found ancient ruins, intricate structures of a material that seemed both stone and coral, glowing with an inner light. He explored the chambers, his fingers tracing the smooth, cool surfaces of walls etched with symbols he couldn't decipher.

The air in his lungs was running out, a sharp reminder of his precarious situation. The urge to surface, to breathe, became overwhelming. But a part of him, a part that had awakened within the depths, resisted. He wanted to explore further, to uncover more of this secret world hidden beneath the waves.

With a surge of determination, he pushed himself further into the caverns, following a faint, luminescent path. He reached a large chamber where a colossal creature, unlike any he had encountered before, was resting on the seabed. Its skin was a mosaic of colours, iridescent and shifting, like a living oil slick. Its eyes, vast and unblinking, reflected the light of the surrounding bioluminescent flora.

Jay felt a surge of primal fear, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of understanding. This creature, this magnificent being, was the heart of this hidden world, its protector. Jay felt a connection to it, an inexplicable bond that transcended words.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pang in his chest, a reminder of the air he desperately needed. He knew he had to return. With a lingering look at the colossal creature, he began his ascent.

The journey back to the surface was a blur of colours and sensations. He burst through the surface, gasping for air, his lungs burning. The world above him, once familiar, now seemed distant and unreal. He coughed and sputtered, the taste of salt and brine filling his mouth.

He lay on the wooden planks of the dock, his body trembling, his heart pounding. He was alive, back in the world he knew, but a part of him remained in the depths, a part that had glimpsed a hidden reality.

The ocean, once a source of fear and mystery, was now a place of wonder and possibility. He knew that he would never be able to fully explain what he had seen, what he had experienced. But he also knew that the ocean's call would always be there, a siren song beckoning him back to the secret world beneath the waves. And he, for the first time in his life, was ready to answer.