Intergalactic

CHAPTER 5: The Lake of the Sirens

There is no end. The depth of the lake is unlimited, or at least it's next to impossible to define it. Aquamarine is holding Heather's hand in order to lead the way to...somewhere? Both swimming in the crystal clear waters...until at some point, some kind of a light starts appearing. Just as if they have been swimming upwards, trying to get close enough to the top and take a breath. This is what Heather actually needs to do in order not to drown. Aqua knows it. But why is she taking her down there? Or maybe is it...up? It looks like this place doesn't really follow the Earth's gravitational rules.

The two girls reach the end, the bottom of the lake. Heather gets out and actually manages to take a deep breath, having forgotten this strange, unearthly place because of the lack of oxygen.

Aaand maybe the fact that she has already seen so many strange things that nothing surprises her anymore, played its role too. Maybe.

Heather looks around in awe, trying to fit this imaginary picture in her brain. This mixture of lights and colors, so far from what a human could imagine. The place is full of stalactites above, and each and every stalactite is covered with colorful lights, each differing from one another. Aquamarine gets out of the water, having turned her mermaid tale into feet as if it's the most natural and everyday thing for her. Maybe that's because it really is.

"I don't even want to know how on Earth this" Heather makes a circular hand gesture, "is scientifically possible."

"It's not." A man's voice is heard from behind them. Heather looks back and she sees Daròn trying to get out of the water, and only then she realizes that she still is in it and she carefully gets out too. However, she doesn't find a good balance and before she falls she feels Daròn's hand grabbing hers. She wasn't expecting that. She looks at him while he gently tries to pull her up.

"These are the Atlantis' Crystals." Aquamarine says with her beautiful voice, while walking around the shiny, blue crystals. "The source of our power, our energy, our life...it is in us all."

Heather is amazed by the pleasant aura the crystals emerge. As if they are actually alive. As if all the Atlanteans are living because of them -oh...wait they are.

"This," Daròn continues, "is what saved us from the Bermuda Triangle, what kept us alive." He grabs Heather's hand slowly and leads it on the crystals. The texture of them is not like she had expected. It's more smooth and pleasant, magical... "It is not just some crystals inside a lake. They are our city's force field. What protects us from threats from the outside."

"And you said 'hey let's bring this alien redhead to the most important and vulnerable thing in existence for our civilization'?" Heather says sarcastically.

Aquamarine looks at her as if she said something she shouldn't have. "Nobody," she says with a strong voice, "is alien to the crystals. Therefore, nobody is alien to us."

"Wait..." Heather decides to interrupt her, "so you are going to bring each and every outsider you meet here?" and she points at Daròn, "You said that it protects you from threats from the outside."

"Yes." He answers naturally as always. However, Heather isn't satisfied with his answer and continues with a stronger voice.

"I'm an outsider! Why did the force field let me in?"

"That's the question we were about to ask you." Aqua says. "The crystals chose you." She goes closer to her. "Why?"

The aliens. The mission. How on Earth am I going to find a respectable excuse for that?

"Do I have the right to remain silent - or you are not familiar with-" Heather stops and looks at both of them awkwardly, looking at her the same way your teacher does when catching you cheating...that kind of way. "I do not. Okay." She says hesitantly because she knows she has no other choice.