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Excerpt from upcoming story "Mar, the baby ascendant"
Mar hated the hottest days of summer. Muscle cramps could take hold for hours without water to drink.
Pressed against the darkest part of this hidden cave, she knew she could only suffer silently. She had lived alone in the wilderness for ten summers. Ever since her whole village was slaughtered.
A sound of distant water whispered in her ears. She crawled deep in a crevice, following that sound. When she got past the tightest part, she saw light.
The huge rock was actually hollow. A lush place with fruiting trees had been so close for years and years.
There she saw a pool of water. So pure it mesmerized her, and the scent was so dear.
As she got close a dragon fly hovered there.
In long splink of water, it caught the dragon fly in sudden water drop. Then drug under to leave the surface unnaturally smooth again.
Her foot trembled. You do not live alone and survive the wasted ruins without solid fear.
She turned slowly to run.
A thick rope of water caught her ankle. She did not have time. No thought to taking in air.
It yanked her down into the freezing pool. darker and darker. colder and colder.
The darkness and pressure from deep water, pressed her.
She felt guilty. The only survivor "little mar". "If bad people come mar. You know what to do. Go play bunny. Still and unmoving."
Bunnies used to visit and romp. Until that day she got too hungry and ate one. She needed to eat. But the bunnies no longer get too close. They cast a guilty eye on Mar these days.
Eyes. That is what she sees first in the dark deep spring.
Mar's arm slides slowly. Touching the neck and face with the back of her wrist.
That skin is smooth with color of green lizards. The mouth triangle teeth. The ears quite complex.
As Mar's body spasms for air. One thought runs through her.
"I do not care. Did want my soul to torture? Did you want my body to eat? Why did you grab me? I will not care what you do. Just Please tell me why?"
The face of the water creature changed so many emotional twists.
Like an arrow Mar flies up and out of the pool. A broken coughing and gasping wreck next to the pool.
The creature is there encased in thick water. Hanging above the water surface like a thick tree sap. Water of impossible clarity.
That creature stares at Mar.
Mar shivers and is not able to look away. She knows the feeling you have with that look. Loneliness.
The creature has hands and feet (with pointy claws).
It regards Mar on ground. Hovering in a in water column, it backs away.
Turning way, it looks back with the far eye from the other side of the twist. Then it sinks away into the mirror flat pool. No ripple. No splash.
Mar nervously licks the water drops on her hands and arms. Her belly is in knots. No food, but water adds invitation to her earnest hunger.
A few minutes later the creature appears and watches Mar shiver tightly.
Mar is lifted up to a very tall tree.
The creature has a thick column of water from poll to the tree branch.
Mar is landed on a limb so high it scares her more.
The creature lands off further on the branch. Shaded by leaves.
Mar settles onto the large thick tree limb. In direct sunlight, warming and drying by rubbing her wet body.
Before twilight, she warm enough and dry. The creature points to stars and sometimes matches the pointing with a hand high to its own chest.
Mar: "I think I understand. That is where you are from."
