‹ Prequel: Ninety Days of Water
Status: Active.
Tundra
Chapter V – Whispers – Part I
The wave in the sky was far above the water, but could still be seen sparkling on the surface. It was a cool night, with a restless current, and in the dappled depths of the ocean where he had been exploring, Aais heard whisperers in darkness.
‘Aais,’ came the voices, mystical and faraway as dreams. ‘Aais…’
Aais flailed, turning in the stream. ‘Who’s there? Hassis?’ But it did not sound like Hassis.
‘We’re your friends, Aais,’ said the whispers. ‘You know us.’
Aais pricked his fins, fanning the water into his ears. ‘Menaus?’
‘Yes, Menaus.’ The voice was swimming. Coming closer. ‘You know me. We played together as children.’
A shape writhed out of the dim water– two arms beside a streamlined body, scales glittering in a mesmerising way, fins alert, webbed hands searching. His amber eyes had an oddly glazed quality, filmed over with distance.
‘What do you want, Menaus?’ Aais asked, warily.
‘Your friends are all here, Aais. Your friends and your family. We have something to show you.’ Two more shapes came forward, and a surprised bubble escaped Aais’ gills. They were his family, unmistakeably, his brother and sister, born of the same egg cluster, but they looked limp in the current, like floating prey.
‘What is it?’ he demanded.
‘We have something to show you, Aais.’ The voices echoed. There was more than one speaking now. ‘You will like it. Come with us.’
Aais twisted for a better view, his fins fanning the water agitatedly. ‘What’s going on, Menaus…? This isn’t like you.’
‘We have something to show you,’ the voices chorused, stronger now, and clearer. They had a siren sound, an allure that he couldn’t explain. ‘You will like it. Come with us.’
‘Menaus?’ Aais saw his friend in the shining water for the first time, and he was frightened. ‘What happened to you?’
‘Nothing happened to us,’ the voices said, in unison. ‘We swam into the dark water… Come with us. We have something to show you in the dark water. You will like it.’
‘Menaus, I don’t know what’s happened to you, but this is wrong.’ Aais was fanning frantically now. He spun around, preparing to slither out into the open blue, back to where his shoal was.
‘Aais, come with us. Come into the dark water where you cannot see the stars. We have something to show you. You will like it.’ The voices were chanting, closing in. There were more than Aais had expected. He was surrounded. ’You will come with us, Aais. You will swim in the dark water until you can see in darkness.’ The voices were closing in. There were two dozen pairs of lamp lit eyes. And then the voices shouted.
’Get him!’
‘Aais,’ came the voices, mystical and faraway as dreams. ‘Aais…’
Aais flailed, turning in the stream. ‘Who’s there? Hassis?’ But it did not sound like Hassis.
‘We’re your friends, Aais,’ said the whispers. ‘You know us.’
Aais pricked his fins, fanning the water into his ears. ‘Menaus?’
‘Yes, Menaus.’ The voice was swimming. Coming closer. ‘You know me. We played together as children.’
A shape writhed out of the dim water– two arms beside a streamlined body, scales glittering in a mesmerising way, fins alert, webbed hands searching. His amber eyes had an oddly glazed quality, filmed over with distance.
‘What do you want, Menaus?’ Aais asked, warily.
‘Your friends are all here, Aais. Your friends and your family. We have something to show you.’ Two more shapes came forward, and a surprised bubble escaped Aais’ gills. They were his family, unmistakeably, his brother and sister, born of the same egg cluster, but they looked limp in the current, like floating prey.
‘What is it?’ he demanded.
‘We have something to show you, Aais.’ The voices echoed. There was more than one speaking now. ‘You will like it. Come with us.’
Aais twisted for a better view, his fins fanning the water agitatedly. ‘What’s going on, Menaus…? This isn’t like you.’
‘We have something to show you,’ the voices chorused, stronger now, and clearer. They had a siren sound, an allure that he couldn’t explain. ‘You will like it. Come with us.’
‘Menaus?’ Aais saw his friend in the shining water for the first time, and he was frightened. ‘What happened to you?’
‘Nothing happened to us,’ the voices said, in unison. ‘We swam into the dark water… Come with us. We have something to show you in the dark water. You will like it.’
‘Menaus, I don’t know what’s happened to you, but this is wrong.’ Aais was fanning frantically now. He spun around, preparing to slither out into the open blue, back to where his shoal was.
‘Aais, come with us. Come into the dark water where you cannot see the stars. We have something to show you. You will like it.’ The voices were chanting, closing in. There were more than Aais had expected. He was surrounded. ’You will come with us, Aais. You will swim in the dark water until you can see in darkness.’ The voices were closing in. There were two dozen pairs of lamp lit eyes. And then the voices shouted.
’Get him!’