IV. The Ocean

I walked to the edge of the beach, and then into the waves until it was waist high. As I waded I felt the dirt and leaves disintegrating into the ocean. Underneath all this water I became aware of my breathing. The fact that I could breathe became fascinating so I did, and I swam. I swam until I couldn’t see the sand and mud underneath me. I was now lost in Blue.

 

There were no fish in this ocean, nor particles of dust or life. There was a certain sense of up and down but beyond that I couldn’t say. I followed shafts of light until I became curious and endeavoured to rise above the waves. I swam towards the light source.

 

For a moment I surfaced, but all I saw was death and destruction; A flaming red sky corrupted only by smoke. Ash fell into my hair, coating my face and making my eyes sting. I closed them and let myself be pulled under by the waves. As I sank back to my underwater sanctuary I watched the ash I’d accumulated wash away and I looked up to see only pretty distorted colours. The world seemed so scary without something between you and it.

 

I spent a few minutes examining the surreal blue colour that seemed to echo out from my existance. I hoped to imprint it on my memory without looking so closely as to have it disappear, should such a thing be possible.

 

But before I had the time a wave carried me away, to the surface through the ash and onto land, a small muddy oasis in this red wasteland. I turned my face to the mud and crawled forward away from the wave that had so viciously rejected me. I soon encountered feet.

 

***

 

“Good morning, What do you know?”

The voice was masculine, as were the feet. I followed the voice with my eyes - Patterned jeans, a hard rock café shirt, seven arms and aviator glasses. He had long blackish hair.

I gave him a baffled look and he reached out and touched my shoulder. “Not much eh? Me either.”

 

He sat cross legged on the ground and started playing a guitar. It smelled like familiar dust and sounded like the sun. He just smiled, and soon he began to sing. Although his singing was strained and not as skilled as his fingers, it was soothing. He sang of a city and he played the blues. I watched the muddy island we were on expand and grow, with grey buildings forming from the ash, and towering in front of me.

 

The man’s song was comforting in such a way as to make the presence of this ever growing city seem meaningless, for he smiled when he sang. I crept beneath his guitar and cradled myself inside his arms, that though silent seemed to whisper “I love you.”

 

The city, in a rush of speed and wind, grew out from it’s circle and engulfed me there. The man was separated by a wall. Now all I could hear was a buzzing getting louder. I hummed and waited. I wanted to tell him something, but I couldn’t figure it out, and perhaps it was too late now.

 

Reviews

"The world seemed so scary without something between you and it. "
So simply written and yet so poignant.