Flash Fiction Anthology

777

This might just be your biggest mistake, Lara thought, as she sat in a little boat attached to their well-equipped, floating laboratory.

Her team of scientists came to this remote spot, off one of the smallest tropical islands of the world, exactly a month ago. They did a lot of research, took samples, and got friendly with a pod of dolphins.

But now, they've all had enough. They were impatient and ready to go back to the civilization and their real lives.

All except Lara.
She felt that this place held a secret. Something no one was supposed to find out. She sensed it, and could not ignore her nagging feeling.

None of her colleagues would listen to her. They explored the surrounding waters as far and deep as was reasonable, never coming back with anything more interesting than a piece of nearly extinct seaweed or a sign of a very light volcanic activity somewhere far out in the sea.

They would leave today, as soon as they woke up after the party they had organized on their last night in this place.

But Lara didn't want to go back. Not yet. There was more in this place and if no one would listen to her, she would find out on her own.

It's now or never, she thought, untying the thick rope holding the little boat close the ship, and pushing it away from its hull.

The boat drifted away fast, and soon was far enough for Laura to start the engine. She looked around carefully, then directed her vessel towards the rising sun.

Everything was so beautiful and peaceful here. The sea was calm, reflecting the ascending sun like a huge mirror. The waves were flapping gently against the hull of her little boat, and she could see a couple of the playful dolphins following the trail of foam it left behind.

Soon, she noticed a black rock jutting out of the water. Her destination.

When she rached it, Lara tied the boat to it securely. She checked her diving equipment; everything was perfect.
There was nothing to stop her now. It would be just one more diving excursion before leaving this place.

This time, she would have to push herself to the very limits. The place she was looking for lay out of safe, reasonable boundaries. Lara needed to go deeper, and re-emerge faster than she had ever done before.

No, it's not safe. But if you chicken out now, you'll think about this morning forever. You'll never find peace...

She needed to do this, otherwise her curiosity would kill her, she was sure. Lara checked her equipment again.
Then, she took one last look at the morning beauty of the world around her, and jumped.

The sea felt different here. It looked oily and calm, even when the surrounding water was agitated. She wondered how her colleagues failed to acknowledge this strange anomaly.
They put it all down to currents around this single piece of rock, that looked like a last pillar of some ancient temple...

What an awesome, unusual place, Lara thought, swimming deeper, as fast as was reasonable.

The rock pillar grew wider and smoother the further down she ventured. Shoals of colourful fish seemed to avoid the nearest proximity of the weird rock, and now Lara noticed that even her two dolphin friends were gone. She was starting to feel like coming down here today wasn't the wisest thing to do.

A bit too late now, right? Just go on, do not think...

She pushed herself a bit deeper again, trying to ignore the warning that both her brain and her diving equipment issued.
Then she stopped abruptly, surprised.

Shocked.

The water around her was supposed to feel cold in this depth, but instead, it felt warm. There were air bubbles, like strings of pearls, surrounding her body. The strange bubbles vanished just above her, never reaching the surface.
Lara tried to reach out for them-- they were beautiful, bright and sparkly, a source of light in the dark water.

Then she noticed more bright light coming from somewhere deeper, and descended again. Her head was starting to throb, a sign she should go back, fast, now.

But the light...

There seemed to be an entrance to the rock here. Completely invisible until you came this close and touched it.

Then, you could feel, rather than see it. A smooth, elastic membrane replaced the stone in this spot and there was something wonderful... alien... hiding behind.

Lara had to go back up, while she still could. But no one would go home today.

They needed to explore this first.

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Prompt: write a story of exactly 777 words about a mistake that results in wonderful consequences.