World of Make-Believe: Khirsten's Story

It's All Connected

I can't believe you can see me. Joe smiled as he hovered over the mossy floor.

"It's really weird." Khirsten whispered, "I wonder why I can see you." She looked past him then closed her eyes, laying back down, "It doesn't seem like anyone else can. I'll admit, I thought I was seeing things when I first glimpsed you... I'm so tired. I think that burst of adrenaline earlier completely totaled my energy."

I think I'm going to explore this place, see what I can disco- A loud thud and the shaking of the castle made Joe halt in his speech. His eyes lit up suddenly. Bingo!

"Bingo? Bingo what?" Khirsten flailed as the castle shook again, and again. "What is that?"

That's my 'bingo'. He smiled and drifted unnoticed past the guards. He sent an uneasy glance back through the watery door of the room, to where Khirsten lay.

He turned back around, following the sound of the banging. He looked around. Upon the walls were old mosaics of the people who used to live here. They looked almost of Egyptian influence with the style of their pictures. Upon each wall, heavily decorated in gold, were pictures of everyday, average things; washing clothes, cooking, caring for their families. It made him wonder if they somehow saw their demise and left the small parts of their lives immortalized in the ruins that survived.

Sad that their city fell where no one would ever find it. He felt his heart ache for them, for their lost people. Everything that had once been valued, every tradition, custom, child and elder lost forever. Not even to be recorded in the annals of history. Lost to their watery grave. He touched the wall, jumping back instinctively as another tremor shook the walls, causing parts of the ceiling fell into the water, pillars cracked.

He shook his head and began on his path again, focusing on the task at hand. He had to somehow save Khirsten, and he was going to give her the means to do so.

"Come on!"

Joe turned towards the voice, a tendril of fear snaked in him as the voices drew closer.

"They're attacking again."

A handful off odd underwater fae swam by him, completely oblivious to his presence. Curiously he followed them through the dark, watery halls, through windows and doors to a large grey wall made entirely of cement like magic.

how interesting. He mused as he drifted closer, recoiling as a deafening slam reverberated the mechanism he now realized was meant to keep something out. Curiously he drifted down the hall to the other side of the stairwell. Upon closer inspection he saw a system of pulleys that kept a series of large walls shut or opened. He realized it was a large cage, like a maze system that kept whatever it was out of this fortress. He swam further up the stairs, realizing that whatever was trying to get out was locked mostly inside of an underwater cave. It was probably endlessly deep, but he could see why the creature was enraged.

Or creatures. He corrected, swimming towards on of the three men working the various pulley systems. he watched as they unlatched a lever and let the chains holding the walls in place go slack. He jumped at a bang as the wall dropped deeply into the sand, beginning to topple in. He looked at the man with wide eyes.

Are you crazy?!

The other pulley workers laugh, "Terrifies them every time!"

He looked through the now gaping peep hole. The wall falling in had chased the creature back into its den. A blast of magic through the hole caused some of the cave to collapse, ensuring the creature knew that there was real danger.