The Lark

Kill the Lights

It's dark all around me. I feel cold, then I feel warm. I was falling, and now I feel like I'm rising. I'm floating, higher and higher.

I hear a song in the distance, quietly echoing in the dark, and then ringing as clear as a bell. I echoed its response, twisting my body and turning, turning, turning...

My heart feels full. Things are starting to fall into place. My people...my home...they'll be glad when I tell them I succeeded. For once in my life, I feel like I did the right thing as queen. I've led my people to victory. I've found a solution to their problems, and I've united our peoples. Land and sea will never see each other the same...

Bubbles erupt from my mouth as I giggle, stretching my arms out in front of me. The sun is rippling through, shafts of light weaving in and out of each other like glowing ribbons. The darkness of the water is lightening, now, and the blues begin to shift the higher I rise.

There are orcas, twisting all around each other. They call to me again, swimming up curiously, doing turns above my head. They want to play.

With another giggle, I twist my body, gesturing toward one young one with my hands, arms hovering.

It comes closer, swimming by fast, and I catch hold of its fin. It swims faster, singing for the others to follow and I ride, hovering above while keeping my form straight. My heart feels light, and my is beaming. The water rushes by, barely skimming under the surface.

The others sing behind it, turning about like the porpoises without the attempt to impress. Just having a little fun, no strings attached.

I look forward again, and my smile fades. Something is up ahead, and I feel the young one I'm riding has not seen it. I nudge her before letting go, and it slows. The others scatter, leaving it to feel confused, looking around in either direction to figure out which way it wants to go.

I start to swim closer to the object, still unsure.

Suddenly, a sharp pole jabs into the water, stabbing the orca. I stop, arms hovering as I let out as I let out a scream, streams of bubbles jettusoned before my eyes.

The orca lets out a pained squeal, thrashing in an attempt to wrench free from the object, but a next is dropped and it swims right in.

I tuck my arms at my sides, pushing myself forward to get it free. The others are calling out, racing upward to help.

But the more the orca thrashes, the more entangled it gets. The pole still lodged in its top, and it cries out in agony.

I can't tell if I'm crying, but I must because my chest hurts. I grab hold of the net, even as it is being lifted up and out of the water. I try to sing, cooing that I'll get it out. That help is coming, but it won't calm down and the net only tightens around its body. Its fins jut out in various holes, sticking out either side. Its mouth is trapped open, the net tangled in its teeth and keeping its jaw from hinging closed.

I'm trying. I'm really trying! But its this net is tougher than anything I've fought before. I need something sharp to cut through the ropes woven into each other, but I have nothing.

The net is almost to the surface. The orca looks at me with its wide black eye, a desperate plea for help. I shake my head, closing my eyes as I move to float back. There is no hope here.

But its when I try to back up I realize I have been caught myself. In slipping my hand through the net, between the orcas thrashing, the rope had twisted so tightly about my wrist that every movement pained me more. I brace myself against the net, trying to wrestle myself free while the orca continues to scream, moving its tail and torso and tightening the net more.;

There is nothing left to do but hold on. As soon as I lift my face upwards, the light catches my eyes...

We've broken the surface.