The fish was mouthwatering, the fruit was the freshest I have had in a long time. We ate star fruit like apples and ate fresh grilled vegetables till we burst. We drank lemon and lime margaritas and watched the sunset. We danced, talked, laughed, and watched the moon rise, then the stars come out. We pointed out constellations to each other and even made up some stories about them. We stayed up all night catching up on anything and everything that happened in each other's lives. As we watched the sun rise and the new day begin I decided not to go below deck to sleep but instead to sleep on the deck with the sunlight, fresh air, and cooling sea breezes. The others decided to join me. None of us could bear the idea of leaving such fresh air for a stuffy cabin. We had all been underground for far too long.
Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
Upon waking I quickly realized that someone had hung up a uv proof tarp over us so that we would not fry in the bright sunlight. None of us had thought of this but the ship’s crew is competent, kind, and thoughtful. It will take about five days to reach the islands so we have plenty of time to figure out what we want to do. Maybe Sandra even planned some on island adventures. Snorkeling is a must but maybe we can go skydiving in those suits again. They give so much freedom of movement in the sky. You can do flips, turns, and loops. Sure you are just falling really fast but you have control over it. I always wanted to have wings and to fly like a faerie but this is the closest I could ever get to it. The taste of freedom pure freedom like I could fly anywhere, do anything, be anyone. Flying like that is almost magical. Flying is the ultimate way to feel alive.
One crew member is cleaning up the deck and washing the remnants of last night’s party off into the ocean. The cook from last night is approaching with what smells like coffee. It’s a wonderful full bodied roast served in beautiful blue cups. The coffee is in a carafe to help keep it hot. The tarp above us is flapping a bit in the wind not being pulled fully tight. I have a hard time disentangling myself from the pile of girls I am sleeping in. I am simultaneously laying under and on top of people. We are cuddling together for warmth and comfort. I have an elbow in my back, an arm under my neck as a pillow, and a leg across my bladder creating much unwanted pressure. The real question is who is feeling me up in their sleep. Struggling to get out of the ple without hurting anyone I wake up most of the girls. We race to separate bathrooms desperate to make it in time. After splashing some water on my face I head back up to start on the coffee. This stuff is delicious and is served with toasted biscuits and honey. The simple savory foods are always the best.
Sitting in the hot tub trying to soak out some of the toxins I drank last night I relax and drink more coffee. The other girls slowly join me. A crew member wakes me up telling me that I can’t sleep in the hot tub and recommending that I go to bed. Reluctantly I trudge off to my room.
The feather soft bed surrounds me in comfort. The soft sheets caress me, and I drift off back to dreamland.
I’m running through a forest. Fast, so fast. I’m barefoot and running. Am I running from something or to something? The shrubs and trees fly by. There is just me and the forest in perpetual twilight. Ghostly shapes fly past me but no roots trip me. No matter how fast or how far I run I never tire.
A clearing bathed in moonlight appears before me. I speed toward it. A ring of ghostly stones rises up around me. They are at the same time gray and blue somehow twinkling and pulsing as though alive. They tower around me, but I don’t fear them. I only feel small before them. I can feel something I lost before. Something familiar but just out of reach. I long to be in his arms. He is here Asa is here standing within the inner ring of stones. I am enveloped in his arms. I look into his face longingly. Then he is gone. I search. I call. I am frantic to find him. There is whispering all around me. I glimpse him moving between the standing stones. Why won’t he come to me? Why is he hiding from me? I spin searching for him frantic. The stones whirl around me.
Returning to the center there is an alter with his body stretched out upon it. I don’t want to approach knowing what I will find but the alter moves toward me. I close my eyes but it is no use. He is splayed out brutally murdered as I found him before. He turns to me and speaks. How can he speak? How can he be alive? I know he is dead but it doesn’t make any sense. I can’t bring myself to approach him but I must hear what he is saying.
“They did this to me.”
“Who?” I demand “Who did this to you?”
“A bomb they are building a bomb. The preparations are almost complete.”
“What? Who?” I’m confused. I don’t know what he is talking about.
I blink and he is gone. Sobbing I beg for him to return whole and healed as I once knew him. The whispers close in around me. They press in upon me. I feel like I can’t breathe. They are all around me. There is no where to run. They keep getting louder and louder I just can’t quite understand what they are saying. What are they saying? What does it mean? The whispers are so loud now I can’t even think. They are thundering a message I can’t quite catch.
I wake up with a start soaked in sweat and shaking. The frightening memory of the dream slowly fades from my mind as my heart slows. It was just a bad dream.
I decide to take a shower before seeking anyone to talk to. The bathroom is surprisingly large with silver gilding on almost everything. The water is good and hot. Unlike most low flow faucets it comes out more like rain drops than a light spray. Relaxing into the warmth I put the rest of the dream out of my mind. The lavender soap is calming and refreshing. The towels are large, soft, and fluffy just the way I love them.
Someone unpacked my bags, organized, and put away my things. All my shirts and skirts are hung up and nicely arranged. Finding an outfit is refreshingly easy. Maybe I should reorganize my closet at home.
Following my nose I locate lunch. The chef is standing behind a hot grill built into a dining table with seats all around entertaining the girls while preparing what smells like a fantastic meal. There are onions, peppers, garlic, shrimp, fish, beef, and an amazing array of colorful vegetables flying about. Different cooked things fly onto plates to applause.
As soon as I take a seat a plate appears like magic and is filled with all kinds of tasty things to eat. A mouth watering mix of stir fry and sauces. I eat everything and ask for more shrimp which she happily makes. We all get as much as we want to eat served however we want. Shrimp can even be flipped into your mouth from across the grill.
Wondering what we want to do for the day we wander on deck all we can see is blue. The blue sky meets the blue ocean and blends into eternity. The sun is still high in the sky. A warm light breeze caresses my cheek. Sighing in contentment I feel that something is wrong. Something doesn’t sound right. I know the sound of the engines but there is something else added to it. Looking at Sandra she feels it too that something is wrong. There is a strange black spot in the sky. We are too far from land for it to be a bird. I should tell the captain just in case it is something we need to be concerned about. Turning to do so a crew member appears frantic exclaiming “Quick get below deck. Now!”
We all hurry to file down below the deck and she hits a button behind a light fixture. She uses her com to tell the captain that everyone is below deck. Loud buzzing surrounds us and something is moving. The ship is changing somehow. Looking at her I ask “What is going on?”
“That helicopter shouldn’t be there so we are transforming the ship into a sub and traveling below the ocean. This ship can’t travel more than 100 feet below the surface but it does give us some options for hiding from people we don’t want to see us. Go relax in the lounge we will keep you posted.”
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