The water and raccoon depths (ukiyo inspired cover)

the swim...

One warm summer evening, a curious raccoon named Rollo found himself wandering along a quiet neighbourhood street. His paws scuttled over pavement as he sniffed the air, his sharp eyes catching sight of something strange-a tall, rusted fence with a sign that read, *"Private Property - No Trespassing."* The sign meant little to Rollo, whose idea of a fun adventure was breaking the rules.

He squeezed his nimble body through a gap in the fence and found himself on the other side of it-staring at an enormous swimming pool, abandoned for the season. The water was still, dark like a mirror, reflecting the orange of the setting sun.

Rollo's nose twitched. The air smelled of chlorine and summer dust. He padded closer, peering over the edge. His reflection stared back at him, a masked bandit with wide, inquisitive eyes. Without thinking twice, Rollo dipped a paw into the cool water.

The sudden splash startled him, but the water felt so refreshing against his fur. He slid in a little more, testing the depth. The pool seemed to go on forever, like a giant, sparkling abyss. In his excitement, he lost his balance. With a small yelp, he tumbled headfirst into the pool, splashing wildly.

For a moment, panic rose in Rollo's chest. He had never been this deep in water before, and he wasn't sure what to do. But the calmness of the water wrapped around him like a strange, cool embrace. He paddled instinctively, his legs kicking furiously to stay afloat.

To his surprise, he found the rhythm. His small paws cut through the water, his body drifting like a leaf on a pond. Rollo's eyes widened as he swam gracefully from one end of the pool to the other, circling the deep blue like a tiny, furry fish. His mind, usually full of chaotic thoughts and mischief, cleared as he focused only on the gentle movement of his body in the water.

He swam for what felt like hours, the fading sunset turning the pool into a liquid mirror. By the time the first stars twinkled above, Rollo had discovered a new joy-one that didn't involve digging through trash or sneaking into sheds. He was free, floating, and the water made him feel weightless.

When the moon rose high in the sky, Rollo finally crawled out of the pool, his fur damp and slick. He shook himself off, a wide grin spreading across his face. He had no idea how he'd gotten lost in the first place, but he didn't mind. He had discovered something even better-a place where he could be both wild and free.

With a final glance at the empty pool, Rollo scurried back to the fence, slipping through the gap once again. But every night after that, when the moon rose high and the world grew still, he would return to the pool, swimming under the stars like a secret creature of the deep.

And so, Rollo the raccoon became the only one who knew the secret of the forgotten pool-a place where the water wasn't just for swimming, but for dreaming.

As the weeks passed, Rollo's secret grew dearer to him. Each evening, just as the last light of day faded into the purple dusk, he would return to the quiet neighbourhood. The once-forbidden fence no longer held any mystery for him; it had become a familiar gateway to a world that belonged only to him.

The pool had become his sanctuary-his slice of moonlit paradise. He would dive in, letting the water close over his head like a curtain, muffling the sounds of the world above. There, beneath the surface, he floated weightlessly, lost in the rhythm of his strokes, feeling the cool embrace of the water as it soothed his racing thoughts.

But as time went on, Rollo began to notice something strange. Every night, as he swam, the water seemed to whisper to him. At first, he thought it was just the wind or the gentle swish of his own movements. But one evening, as he drifted along the edge of the pool, he heard it clearly-a soft, lilting voice, as if the water itself was speaking.

"Come closer, little one," the voice called, a gentle echo that rippled through the surface.

Rollo stopped mid-stroke, his fur prickling. His sharp eyes scanned the empty yard, but there was no one in sight. The moon hung low, casting long shadows across the pool, and the world seemed impossibly still. He shook his head and tried to push the thought aside.

Yet, every time he swam now, he heard it. The voice, like a murmur just out of reach, calling him closer to the center of the pool.

One night, after swimming for what felt like hours, Rollo felt an unusual tug in his chest-a pull, as if something in the water was calling him by name. Without fully understanding why, he paddled toward the farthest corner of the pool, where the deep water seemed darker and more mysterious.

As his paws reached the edge, he saw it: a shimmering light deep beneath the water's surface, swirling in patterns like the glow of a firefly trapped inside glass. Rollo hesitated, his reflection flickering in the ripples. He felt a strange sense of wonder, mixed with a flicker of doubt.

He had swum in this pool countless times, but never like this. The water beneath him wasn't just water-it felt alive, like it held something more than just its cool embrace.

With a deep breath, Rollo dove.

He cut through the surface, the world above him fading into a blur. The water around him glowed faintly, the light from below guiding his way. He kicked his legs harder, driven by something he couldn't explain. As he descended deeper into the unknown, the voice grew louder, clearer.

*Come closer... come closer, little one.*

Rollo's heart raced as he saw the source of the glow-a cluster of strange, luminescent stones resting on the bottom of the pool. They pulsed softly, like the heartbeat of the water itself. Rollo's paws touched the stones, and in that instant, a ripple of energy surged through him.

The water around him seemed to shift, swirling in a circle, and for a moment, Rollo felt as though he were caught in the current of something much greater than himself. His senses heightened, and he could hear not just the voice, but the sound of every droplet in the pool, every ripple, every shift of the night air.

The world above seemed so far away. His eyes widened as he realized the stones were not just glowing-they were *alive*. He could feel their energy pulse through his paws, a quiet hum that resonated deep within his chest.

Suddenly, the voice spoke again, this time with a clarity that filled the entire pool.

"Welcome, Rollo."

The words made his fur stand on end. The voice knew his name.

Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, the stones began to glow brighter, and the water seemed to rise up around him. Panic flared in his chest-this was no ordinary swim anymore. He was no longer just a raccoon splashing around in a forgotten pool. Something was happening, something ancient and mysterious.

But just as quickly as it had all started, the energy faded, and the water returned to its still, quiet state. The glow of the stones dimmed, and Rollo found himself floating in the center of the pool, breathless and wide-eyed.

He didn't know what he had just experienced, but deep inside, he felt changed. There was a pull in his heart, an understanding he couldn't quite grasp. The pool wasn't just a place of escape for him anymore. It was something more-a gateway, perhaps, or a meeting place between the world he knew and something far older, deeper, and more powerful.

Shaking himself off, Rollo crawled out of the pool once again, his fur still damp but his mind buzzing with questions. What had he discovered? What was this strange, secret world beneath the water? And why had it chosen him?

For the first time, Rollo felt a weight of responsibility settle on his small shoulders. The pool wasn't just a place for him to swim-it was a place for him to learn, to uncover secrets, and perhaps even protect something hidden from the world above.

The next night, as Rollo returned to the pool, the air around him seemed to hum with a quiet anticipation. He stepped to the edge, peering into the dark waters, but this time, he wasn't just a curious raccoon. He was something more-a keeper of secrets, a swimmer in the deep.

And the pool was waiting, calling him back, just as it always had. But now, Rollo knew that his adventures had only just begun.