Travel to Sockland

Chapter 38

The swim lasted longer than Arnie though it would. Each time he stopped and looked up they seemed to be in more or less the same place, the beach not far away and yet still as distant as it was when they started. After discovering this for the fifth time he called out to Isabelle to stop too. She was still next to him, now tredding water instead of swimming.

"It doesn't look like we are getting any nearer to the beach." he said to Flimgog and Isabelle.

"You are right Arnold, we seem to be staying in exactly the same spot." Flimgog replied. As was customary for Flimgog he didn't sound at all worried or flustered. He simply stated what was in a matter of fact way.

Arnie looked around, still tredding water and he was amazed at his own lack of tiredness. Isabelle was also looking around.

"I can't see any explanation for not moving though." she said. She sounded confused, like Arnie felt.

They fell silent. The only sound was the gentle swishing of the ocean and the distant lapping noise as it washed onto the unreachable beach. A sudden thought came into Arnie's mind.

"Stop swimming and float." he said to Isabelle. "Flimgog, come round onto my front and I'll float on my back."

Flimgog moved himself round to the front as Arnie lay on his back. Isballe was also floating on her back. She turned her head slightly and looked at him. "Why?" she said.

Before he could answer he felt himself moving and saw her moving. They were being carried towards the pink beach.

"That's why." he said, excitedly. "We're moving now. I suddenly remembered what Magnus said back at the paintbrush village. 'From there you must allow yourself to be carried.' "

"That's right!" she exclaimed.

Arnie looked up again over at the beach. It was closer now. "We're getting there."

"Well done Arnold, I had forgotten those words of advice." Flimgog said. He had stood up on Arnie's chest and was looking ahead towards the beach they were heading for. He stood steady despite the motion.

"We are going to arrive there soon."

The water carried them right to the beach and straight onto the pink sand. Arnie was not surprised to find that they were dry. He had been deposited lightly on the sand and the waves splashed against him where he lay on his back. He looked up and saw Isabelle was also lying there. She started to scramble up and Arnie followed suit. He felt the sand beneath him and in his hands as he pushed himself up.

Flimgog jumped off and landed smoothly on the ground. They faced inland. The sky looked normal - the same whispy clouds floating by and the orange sun blazing down at them. Oddly, despite the sun, it didn't feel too hot. In fact, if you'd asked him, Arnie wouldn't have been able to describe the temperature. It wasn't hot and it wasn't cold, it was sort of no temperature at all. He shook thoughts of the temperature off and looked ahead.

Up ahead was what appeared to be a forest. It was a normal looking forest. Tree trunks of various thicknesses, with extending brownish branches and green leaves. Swaying slightly despite no wind. Before the trees, the pink sands were lined with something. Arnie thought they looked like bottles, green and white bottles. But he couldn't be sure.

"Are those bottles?" Isabelle asked before he could get the question out himself. There were a number of them lined up in two straight lines acting almost like a fence on either side of a path.

"It looks like it." he said simply. "Let's go up and check."

They stepped forward towards the objects.