Cat's Wire: The deep

10/27/2010

The deep

I shouldn't have fallen in. It was an accident. One minute I was on the pebble beach, the next minute I was down there. Why I could breathe, I didn't know, but to be frank, I was quite happy about it. Now how to get back? It felt as if I weighed a ton. Granted, no one would have compared me to a feather, but that was ridiculous.
While I was still thinking about it, I felt something touching my shoulder. I turned around and, uh-oh, this looked like trouble. The something had been a tentacle and the trouble I looked at was an angry sea god.

"Listen", I started to say, but he cut me off right away. "What are you doing in my realm, human? You have no right to be here." "Ehm, well, I didn't intend to intrude you know, I just ..." "Leave now or you may never leave again." That did not sound like an invitation for tea. "I assure you, I tried, but somehow it doesn't work." He gave me a look that made my inside freeze. "Find three species of the water who will help you and I will let you go unharmed." With these words he turned around and left me standing there.
Now where was I supposed to find water creatures to help me? In a hurry even?
It seemed my luck hadn't left me all the way. I could see a water dragon coming nearer who looked very friendly and although she looked at me a little wary, she listened to my story and told me to hold on. What a ride, I tell you!

But where were we going? I found out when we stopped in front of a huge shell. Now I was the one to look a little wary. I had read about those shells, how they caught diver's legs and wouldn't let them go. Had that been a trap? I was put to shame immediately, though. The water dragon knocked and out came a crab who was almost as huge as the shell. He solemnly nodded to everything that was said and went back into his house, saying "I need time to think." Did you know water dragons are actually very entertaining? I know. We spent hours there together, talking and playing games. I wiggled around as if I were sitting on an ant hill, but finally, when I almost had lost hope, the crab came back out and nodded in his silent way.

Not too early, either. I could see the sea god approaching. I jumped on the crab's back, held on to the water dragon's tail with my hand and they did their best to pull me up to the surface. "Three species", I kept thinking. "This won't be enough." The longer we needed, the slower my two friends became and I, still feeling as heavy as in the mornings when I needed to get out of bed, couldn't help them although I could already see the sky through the water.
Again and again I turned around, just to see the sea god behind us. I couldn't get rid of the thought that he was playing with me.
Just when I was losing hope, a hand reached out to me through the water and pulled me up with ease. I was almost catapulted out of the water and looked into the smiling eyes of a beautiful mermaid.