The Children: The Moonserpents

Chapter 6 Calder - Outside the Dome

After making his prayer, Calder lifted his head and made his was towards the exit of the cathedral. As he made his way down the stairs, he was met by his childhood friend, Amirah. Amirah ran towards him and threw herself into a hug. Calder fumbled in an attempt to catch her in his scrawny arms, but instead only succeeded in tripping and sending them both to the ground. They laughed so hard that their stomachs hurt, and their eyes filled with tears. After a few minutes of rolling on the stairs and having the bishop usher them away from the sacred place. Amirah and Calder make their way through the city. They didn't have school today, so they headed straight for their usual hang out spot. It was a spot towards the edge of the city, right next dome wall. They ran behind a block of houses and into a seaweed field. Seaweed fields where not uncommon in the dome, there were pits filled with water for the seaweed to grow. Behind the field was the dome wall. They would sit there for hours watching the fish swim past. They never seemed to mind being stared at, if anything there were more fish here than anywhere else. Calder was completely absorbed in the pretty fish swimming past when he felt a warm hand quickly pat him on the shoulder.

"You're it." Amirah giggled as she darted off towards the field.

If Amirah made it to the field, he would never catch her. She was a much stronger swimmer than he was. Calder took off like a rocket. Chasing after his friend with all the speed he could muster. Just as he was about to tag her back, she dived straight into the seaweed field.

"Zapnarg." Calder cursed, but just as he was about to dive in after her, he had a stroke of genius. Instead of swimming through the water he ran along the edge of the field. Calder raced to the other side of the field and waited at the edge of the water. He waited. And waited. Where was Amirah? She was a great swimmer. There was no way she wasn't out by now. Just as Calder's worries reached their peak, Amirah's head burst from the water. She breathed heavily as Calder dashed over to her.

"What the zapnarg just happened?! Where were you?!" Calder questioned, his voice cracking from stress and the fact that he was fifteen.

Amirah continued to gasp until she caught her breath.

"There's a tunnel down there!" She said excitedly. "It leads straight outside the dome!"

Calder choked at her words.

"YOU WENT OUTSIDE THE DOME?!?!?!?"

Amirah nodded excitedly. "It goes straight outside. Calder, we have to go!"

Calder's eyes bulged. "OUTSIDE! ARE YOU MAD!?"

"Calder this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Your Dad would have wanted you to go out there."

Calder gulped and nodded slowly. Your Dad would have done it. The words rung in his head.

"Y-Yeah ok." Calder managed to say.

"Realy?!" Amirah gasped as she brought her hands to her checks. "This is so cool."

Amirah lead Calder to the edge of the field as she pulled him into the water. As Amirah dragged him deeper into the field the seaweed began to block out the light.

At the bottom of the field was a tunnel, it swallowed all of the light left at the bottom of the field. Amirah swam towards it excitedly. Calder grasping her hand as he swam along behind her. The tunnel was dark and tight. Very tight. All Calder's he had been very, very claustrophobic.

Calder squeezed his eyes shut as he pummelled his legs, desperate to escape the walls which felt as if they would collapse on him at any moment. Until eventually the water was filled with light, Calder and Amirah emerged from the tunnel and into the wide-open ocean. Calder just stood there. Taking in the beautiful, empty plane. Sand spread for miles and miles with the ocean water moving it gently. Fish of all sizes darted back and forth, sending ripples through the water. Calder's eyes scanned the water, filled with awe. That was until something caught his eye. Of in the distance he could see something. Something big. It looked as if it was made entirely of metal. It was so big that only half of it was submerged in the water. The other half jutted into the sky. Calder squinted harder in an attempt to try and make out what the object was. The harder he look the more Calder's eyes scanned the water, filled with awe.