The Tunnel at The Bottom of The Ocean

 As I allowed my boat to drift, I gazed toward the island in the distance.  I was certain this was the right place.  Taking courage, I dove into the shimmering water, and swam without hesitation to the entrance of the city, and knocked at the gate.  A pudgy face appeared in the window, peering at me with large, round eyes.  She squinted up at me, “Why you come?”   I opened my palm so she could see what ailed me.  She cocked her head to the side, scrunching her nose.  Bright, glowing green oozed from my hand, spreading into the surrounding waters.  A look of troubled affirmation, spread slowly across her face.  She nodded, and without saying a word, opened the gate.  She gave me another look, this time not meeting my eyes, and pointed down.  My gaze followed past her fingertip, to a black hole, surrounded by leaves and seaweed. 

 

I swam through the hole, and entered a tunnel.  It was barely wide enough for me to fit.  My appendages scraped against the edges as I swam.  Far ahead, the only thing I could see was a grandfather clock.  Loud, repetitive ticking echoed in my head, as I met the resistance of heavy water, making my limbs grow weak.  My mind was filled with thoughts that were clear and transparent, as if seen through a fine sheet of glass.

 

I swam for what seemed like days, then months, then years. All at once, my thoughts shattered into millions of tiny shards, piercing the edges of my skull. I could still hear the tick, tick, tick, of the clock.  Eventually, the shards smoothed over, becoming soft and fluffy.  They stared at me with goofy smiles. I laughed at them and they laughed back. There was something familiar about them.  I tried to recall their familiar touch, taste, and smell.  But they faded into a pallid, colorless mist.  

 

I was floating in a vast and open area, floating gently back and forth.  There were warm sparkles all around.  They spoke to me in muffled, soothing voices.  Then light poured into me, a light so bright it made me hum.  I felt solid surface beneath me.  Sprouts of green were sticking out of the ground all around me.  A large figure appeared overhead, concealing the distant blue, “What a sweet little thing you are, come here.”  I was lifted from the ground by large welcoming arms.