Dents

[+] The Parish Of Space Dust

I woke to the sound of the engine droning. The gentle sway of the current embraced the steel walls.

The lackluster sleep I'd gotten only served to make me more tired. My eyes were too heavy to open. I lay still, half awake, hoping to fall back asleep.

Over the course of the night, 2D moved his leg over my waist and buried his head in the crook of my shoulder. I didn't know how anyone could sleep like that. He looked comfortable nonetheless. As for me, his knee was digging into my protruding hip bone.

He was sweet, surely. He also needed to learn a few things about personal space.

"2D. Hey. Scoot."

I kept my eyes closed, squirming around to try to get him to move. He ignored me. Instead, in an act of subconscious defiance, he rolled completely on top of me.

The mattress teetered. Suddenly, we both tipped into the water below.

"Shit! 'D, come on! Again?!"

We must have been asleep for some time. Overnight, the water had risen nearly to our knees. When 2D threw the balance off we were both soaked to the bone. Drenched, I crossed my arms over my chest, eyeing him furiously.

Then, he started laughing. So did I.

Maybe I liked him more than I thought. Maybe I was delirious from no food or clean water. Maybe it was a bit of both.

When we could finally catch our breath again, the reality of our situation settled in. Our shoddy patches did nothing in the long haul. The freezing cold and the constant exposure to salt water had prevented the epoxy seals from curing properly. The submarine was flooding more quickly than ever.

We had a day or two, at most.

It was eerily silent, disregarding the swelling gurgles of the sea and our shallow breathing. The quiet was broken by the shrill ring of an alarm. It sounded similar to the sort that plays in a car when the seatbelt is undone.

2D ran to the driver's seat, tripping along the way from the resistance of the water. He looked at the gauge. It displayed a light indicating we were low on fuel. Based on 2D's horrified expression, we'd be lucky enough getting to the surface, let alone to shore.

He pressed buttons and pulled levers madly. The submarine banged around violently. I lost my footing and fell into the wall, sliding down into the rapidly rising water. We propelled upwards. Ascending from the deep reminded me of the rickety lift on Plastic Beach, only it was much more intense and it was over in seconds.

Rays of daylight filtered through the leaks and holes, glimmering on the water like hope in a sea of despair. The sky was a hue of pink and tangerine. The fresh air tasted salty and wondrous.

2D fidgeted with a lever in the center of the console. The windshield lifted open. He crawled up onto the front end of the submarine and turned around. He smiled.

He looked breathtaking. It was as if he had stepped out from a dream. The orange light played at the edges of his features, contrasting his azure locks. The endless depth of his eyes drew me in. Affectionately, he reached a hand out to me, helping me onto the hood with him.

Together, we watched the sun fall below the horizon. We floated aimless amongst nothingness. There were no signs of land, no civilization beside the Atlantis of fish below and the endless rippling of the waves. I held his hand as the sun fell, a small twinge of fear residing within me as I wondered if we'd ever see it come up again.

And then, as quickly as it arrived, the moment departed with the light. We were alone.

We probably wouldn't last much longer out here.

We hadn't eaten or had water for two days. Death was becoming an ever-present, viable outcome to our present situation.

For some reason, that didn't bother me anymore. I was content.

Rolling clouds overtook the sky. The engine faltered and failed, spitting grey smoke from the rear. We were out of fuel. Thankfully, the submarine had been designed with emergency airbags under either side, which kept us floating. Our path would now be decided by the merciless sea.

2D leaned back with an arm behind his head, laying against the cracked windshield. The flooding inside had gotten out of control. Our best bet at staying dry was to be on the roof of the vehicle, so that is where we stayed, taking in the stars as they slowly came to light.

Despite the hopelessness of our future, 2D couldn't appear happier.

Better to die a free man than live as a slave and a sellout, I supposed.

"Think we'll be okay?"

I rested my head on his arm. With a look of pleasant surprise, he leaned into the touch. Grinning widely, he traced his tongue over the chapped skin of his lips.

"We'll be alrigh'. Don't worry."

He sounded completely confident in his reassurance. It was enough to let me doze peacefully for a while. I yawned. Hesitantly, he ran his fingers through my hair. I fell asleep to his stuttering heartbeat.

"Saoirse! Aye, look! Ova there!"

2D unexpectedly sprung to his feet, leaving me terribly startled as I tried to catch myself. It was still dark. Fully awake, my surroundings raced back to me. I remembered everything.

Alone together. The ocean. Lost.

There was fog on the distant edge of the skyline. 2D flailed his arms wildly, dancing around the roof. I worried he'd fall in all of his excitement.

"What? I don't get it."

"'At's not fog. Et's light, shining from a coast or somefink!"

"You mean that there's land there?"

"Somefink." He nodded, satisfied.

"No way," I exclaimed.

I leapt up and took his hands in mine, spinning us in a narrow circle. We celebrated joyously, knowing our fates were no longer as certain as they once seemed.

We had hope, which had been beyond our reach for what felt like ages.

I was so happy. My mind was a flurry as I took him in my embrace. I hugged him as tightly as I could. He held onto me like the world was ending. Then, entirely on impulse, I kissed him.

It was wonderful, and amazing, and right.

It's all going to be okay.

We can start over.