Treading water was difficult. The waves surrounding Millicent were endless. The thrill of her escape had started to fade and exhaustion had set in. Having fasted for two full days in the other world, Millicent now desperately needed nourishment, before it was too late.
Millicent had been paddling in the rainbow waters for hours when an agonizing pain erupted throughout her entire body. She screamed as her joints lock and she was forced under the waves, falling through the waters, breathing it in. Liquid crystal rushed over her body, cooling her skin, massaging it. Relaxing. Sleep returned to her eyes quickly and Millicent found herself drifting downwards, enjoying the ride. Just floating away, watching the lights above dim and the waters darken. Freedom at last…
ZOOM!!!!
In a flash of tiny bubbles, a small pale purple thing zipped through the water right in front of Millicent’s nose. Stopping suddenly, it turned upside down and around and started swimming back to Millicent, this time more slowly and on its head.
“’Ello’.” It said in a high voice.
Millicent stared at the creature, her eyesight fading fast, the last ounces of breath leaving her body, sinking further down wards.
“Er, are ya alright Lady?” It said with concern.
The last few bubbles of air escaped Millicent’s mouth and her eyes closed.
“That’s not good!” Said the tiny creature as it suddenly zoomed downwards into the murky sands below. With in less then a few seconds the little thing was back, and in its curly tail it held a pale pink stone, about half it’s own size. Gently it swam up to Millicent and pushed the pebble thought the small gap in her lips.
Light ran through her veins, air filled her lung and her skin warmed from the instant the stone touched her tongue, Millicent felt alive again. She opened her eyes, which at first had stung, but now they grew used to the water, the magical waters around her became lighter and for the first time Millicent could she her savour clearly.
“Are ya OK Lady?” Asked the small thing.
Millicent nodded her head in answer but the small sea creature shook his.
“Ya can speak ya know…” He said. “Just keep the Rosa Aquamarine in ya mouth.”
Millicent stared at the thing in confusion.
“No I can’t.” The words escaped her mouth before she could stop them. Quickly graping a hand firmly to her mouth, Millicent prepared for the water to enter her lungs. And althouhg it did, it did not harm her and she found that she could breathe it in and yet she lived.
The aqua fellow just laughed at the startled expression on Millicent face.
“Calm down.” He said. “Ya’ll be alright down here, just remember to spit it out when ya go back up.”
“It would be alright if I knew where I was going.”
The little fellow smiled at her.
“What are you?” Asked Millicent, curiosity getting the better of her.
“Ya humans!” He said. “I take it ya not from around here. A cleaver human would have brought their own Rosa Aquamarine and they would most certainly know me!”
“Oh.”
“I’m a Seahorse is what I am. And proud to be one. I am also the ‘Water-Guide of the Year’.” He said noblely, sticking his little head up high as he spoke. “The names Jimmy. Jimmy Furioso.”
And with that he uncurled his tiny tail and extended to for Millicent to shake, which she did gently with two fingers.
“I’m Millicent.”
“Please to meet ya!” He said gaily.
“I don’t suppose you know where I might find my sister Alice?” It was a long shot but it was worth asking.
“Well if she’s got two legs she should be up on land with the other land folk.”
That make sense, thought Millicent, after all it was ludicrous to suspect that this world existed of nothing but endless ocean.
“Mr Furioso…” She began.
“Now don’t ya go starting on all that mister stuff…I weren’t born no mister, I’m Jimmy, that’s my name that’s what ya call me!”
Millicent couldn’t help but smile. For a tiny fellow this little seahorse had a lot of spirit. But spirit or not, Millicent was still lost in a strange new world with no thoughts on where to go or how to find her sister. So she continued her question and asked Jimmy Furioso where she could find land, after all he was a friendly like chap and he had saved her life.
“I’m not entirely shore…get it, shore!” Jimmy Furioso laughed merrily at himself. “We can swim to the surface and ask someone.”
“What do you mean ‘ask someone’?” Said Millicent. “I’ve just come form the surface, there isn’t anyone up there, there’s nothing up there…”
“Oh look who knows so much!” Said the seahorse laughing still. “Just cos I said ‘someone’ don’t mean I’m talking about any humans.”
At first Jimmy Furioso had zoomed of at his usual speed, whizzing through the waters like a bullet, until he realise that Millicent couldn’t keep up with him (Millicent may have been able to breathe but she still had little energy). Stopping directly Jimmy floated back down to Millicent and started to tell her his plan. He explained as they swam upwards that there was nearly always seagull patrols circling different areas of The Sea at all times. All they had to do was find one and they would be directed to land.
After a while Millicent’s head broke the surface of the water. Cold, salty air pierced her lung, driving her back under the ways. Panicking she looked at Jimmy before remembering that she still held the Rosa Aquamarine in her mouth. Pushing it out of her mouth and into her hand, Millicent pushed her way to the surface once more. Looking up Millicent was able to see thought the fading light a few dull shapes in the sky. Calling out, she asked the Air-Guides in which direction land was. One of the shapes few down lower, but it was far too big for a common seagull.
“Greetings wonderer!” He said in a deep rustic voice. “I am Captain Kull of the Albatross Unit. How may I serve you this day?”
“Please.” Said Millicent to the albatross. “I need to find land, my sister is there and…”
“Are you Millie?” Ask the Albatross.
Millicent was shocked at first to be so easily recognised that all she could do was gently nod her head.
“Your sister will be glad to see you.” Continued Captain Kull. “Head North West for the rest of the night and you shall reach The Golden Shore by sun rise.”
“Thank you!” Millicent shouted as the great bird retreated back into the sky.
Diving back down into the depth, Millicent replaced the Rosa Aquamarine and told Jimmy all she knew.
“Not a problem!” He declared cheerfully. “That’s this way!”
“How do you know?” Asked Millicent politely.
“Well…ya don’t become ‘Water-Guide of the Year’ by not knowing ya left and right.” The little seahorse looked Millicent up and down, examining her tiered eyes and the battle wounds. “Don’t think ya’ll make it in the state ya in now though.”
Millicent looked at some new busies on her arms and silently agreed with the statement but before she could do anything Jimmy Furioso was of, Racing thought the waters way from her, leaving nothing in his wake but the fading sound of the words, “Be right back!”
With in moments he was back, a beaming smile formed on his little mouth, eyes gleaming.
“Where d…” Millicent stopped speaking before she had even begun as before she could even form the words the silhouette of a large beast had emerged in the background beyond the amethyst seahorse and it was getting closer. Thought the gloomy waters drifted one of the most magnificent creatures Millicent had ever set eyes on. It was the most delightful hoary fish ever, and even longer the Millicent was tall.
“This is Bob.” Said Jimmy. “He’s a mute dolphin…he don’t talk much. But he’s agreed to give us a lift.”
Following Jimmy’s instructions Millicent took a firm grip of the dolphin’s dorsal fin and uneasily prepared for the launch. Once he had position himself of Millicent’s shoulder with his tail securely wrapped around a bit of her hair, they were off.
Water rushed pass then at an alarming speed as they raced through the murky azure. The sights and sounds of other marine life flashed passed Millicent quicker then lighting. After a little while the exaction consumed Millicent again and she found herself drifting in and out of sleep, watching every now and then to insure that her grip on the dolphins fin was steady.
“Hey wake up!” Cried a little voice in her ear.
Millicent’s eyes snapped open. They had stopped and Jimmy was now floating in front of her face. All around the waters were a clear, bright blue; Millicent could see yellow sand below and the glow of a new sun reflecting of the waters above her head. Behind Jimmy there was a row of many thick wooden pillars that reached up though the waters and into the air beyond.
“We’re here!” Chirped Jimmy excitedly.
Letting go of the dolphin Jimmy and Millicent thanked his and waved goodbye as he drifted of into the distance.
But now Millicent could wait no longer, kicking her legs as hard as she could she drove herself up and broke thought the waters. The sun was warm on her face, beaming down on this beautiful sea.
“Good morning.” Said a voice from behind.
Kneeling down on the docks was a boy with both pale and dark skin and the most brilliant brown eyes. Pip just smiled at her.
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