The Island Curse

Sea Monsters

The voice led me deeper and deeper into the caves, but instead of being swallowed by black, I found the world growing brighter. The dark gray walls developed an iridescent hue and were streaked with veins of gold and silver. The rough, natural edges became smooth, and the ground sloped down, leading me to the center of the cliffs, nearer to the sea.

    "Don't you think it lovely?" The light pulsed- each beat mirroring the voice's inflection.

It spun and zoomed ahead, forcing me to pick up the pace. Not an easy task on the slick, damp floors, but the fear of being lost and alone in the bowels of the bluffs overwhelmed my fear of falling. It would seem my worry was unfounded, barely a few seconds of running led to a large, semi circle room with a gaping hole in the outer wall facing the ocean. Now I understood why it grew lighter the further I traveled. You wouldn't be able to see the opening unless you were on a ship or swam around the cliff- a feat not possible most days because of the dangerous waves and rocks.

    The turquoise orb hovered off to the side, trembling as I wandered about the room. For the most part, the ground was flat, but as I neared the right half, it began to drop again, slanting down to a beach.

    "How?" The single word echoed in the cavern, and I stooped to gather sand in my hands. Every fleck sparkled though no light touch its surface. Pinks, blues, peaches, and silvers. Every color winked at me, tugging on something familiar in my mind.

    "Do you like it?" The light whizzed about my head.

    "How is this possible? There's a storm out there, and the tide is rising. This should be underwater."

    "Do you like it?"

    "Yes, it's beautiful, but why have you brought me here?" And why was I talking to a disembodied voice so casually? I should've been screaming my head off.

    An angry buzz sounded from the light, and it raced away from me and dipped into the cerulean waters lapping at the sand. The placid surface began to boil, and the foam it generated rose in the air, taking the shape of a woman from the waist up. The turquoise became twin pricks of vivid light where her eyes should've been.

    I threw my hands over my mouth and stepped back. My heel shot forward, pulling me down to my butt with a hard thud. The water woman laughed.

    "What are you?"

    Her lips twisted into fizzy disgust. When she spoke all softness was gone from her voice, and her words were banded with steel. "Why do humans always ask that question? Such arrogance. As though you have cataloged all species and anything you don't understand becomes a what instead of a who."

    "If I was the first human you'd ever seen would you not ask what I was?" I spat back. Probably not my wisest choice, but I  had two options to go with: rambling fear or false bravado. It would seem I was settling for somewhere between the two.

    "But I have seen humans. Many, many humans. You pollute my kingdom with your trash. You kill my people with your boats. You hunt our food to extinction!"

    She was screaming now, and with every shout, the water rose until the beach was gone. I raced to the top of the room, but the ocean nipped at my heels. It was around my ankles, then my waist. Another screech sent a surge that lifted me from my feet and battered me against the wall. Paddling, I swam for the tunnel that would lead back to the other side of the cliff, but a hand of water hurtled in front of me, pushing me backwards. When I turned back, the doorway was gone, covered by the rising sea.

    "Please," I begged, lifting my hands above my head to keep from striking the ceiling.

    "Mama! Mama!"

    Her dark head reappeared, long, angry scratches ran across her cheeks and shoulders. "Go, Isla. Out of the water. Now!"

    "Give me your hand," I commanded, abandoning the float and swimming to her. Something strange flashed to my left. The water looked as though it had human shape- if humans had tails. Mama sank again, but I grabbed her hand. Immediately, I was pulled below the waves, the salty water driving up my nose and draining into my lungs.

    Eyes burning, I searched for whatever creature held onto my mother. No blood stained the water as I would expect if it were a shark. Only dark ripples around her legs gave any indication she was being pulled.

    "Let go," she mouthed, prying at my grip.

    "No!"

    A flash of pearl and fin. Then agony. Mama slipped away.

    "Please," I whimpered, pressing my nose against the rock and drawing in one last breath.

My pleading was disregarded, and the final bit of open space became engulfed with salty water. Dad would be devastated. A daughter and a wife, both lost. Yet, no one would ever know the truth of my demise. My chest burned and vision blurred as I sank to the bottom of the cave, but my mind became clear.

Whatever this being was, she'd followed me around the world. Had she been waiting for my return to the water? Biding her time? Turquoise eyes followed my descent, and even though her form was gone- she'd become one with the water, I could sense the satisfaction that would have curled her lips if she'd still had them as my back thudded into the floor.

The light grew brighter. Blinding. But now it was pearl colored and warm. And in its center was a thing of nightmares- long, black hair that billowed about like snakes and eyes of jade set in a rotting face. A face that looked just like Mama's.

When the monster's skeletal arms reached for me, I sucked in water as I tried to gasp in fear, making those strange eyes narrow. It shook its head, grabbing me by the arms. I thrashed, causing its long nails to tear through my coat. Clumps of white feathers floated around us.

Whatever this thing was doing, it was making the ocean angry. The sea pressed down on me, turning my bones to fire and ash. But none of that mattered as everything around me faded to gray and then to black.

"Let me go." My request echoed my mother's. But I was gone before I had an answer.