Happy Birthday

Breathing slowly in and out. The air feels so clean You open your eyes slowly as if trying not to disrupt the peace and you realize you are underwater. You stop breathing because you have also come to the realization that you have no equipment. Shock sets in and you start breathing in more water, except it feels like air. You examine your body as much as possible and find out nothing looks different. Then you look around you, the water is crystal blue and you can see the sun reflecting off of it when you look up. You push through the water propelling yourself forward, suddenly you feel something nudge you. You look back and see something you didn't notice before. The colors of the floral surrounding you. Bright blues and purples, reds, greens, yellows, and pinks. Beautiful species curious about you, watching your every move. You realize that the object that touched you was but a small clown fish. You say "hi" as if it will answer you and you are caught off guard when it does. "Follow me," it tells you. Then the creature turns around and moves slowly away. Your curiosity takes a bigger step forward as you begin trailing the fish. As you pass the other creatures they move into a position that looks to be as if they are bowing. "It is her," you hear whispered all around you. Moving along you see something pearly white in the distance but it is hard to draw the details from where you are at. Then you realize that is where your guide is leading you. Each stroke that propels you brings more beauty and curiosity to you. As you draw closer you realize that the gigantic pearly white thing is a castle, and creatures of the sea are seen going in and out of it. You gasp, it is beautiful. The small guide turns around and tells you that there is no time to waste and you must hurry. When he picks up his speed, so do you. Racing towards the castle, images flash through your mind. Why does this place look so familiar to you? Soon you are at the door. You push it open and follow him inside. Bright lights blind you for a millisecond. Once adjusted to the light you can see that the castle isn't just pearly white, but it is actually made out of pearls. Another thing is there are other humans here. They smile at you then resume their chatter, you start smiling. Your guide is nudging you toward a glass table. There is someone at the head of the table. He reminds you of someone, but you can't remember who. Those images are still flashing through your mind but more vividly now. This man was in your childhood. That's all you can see of it. His eyes are crystal blue, like the water, like yours. The clown fish who brought you here places you at the seat to the left of the man. Everyone grins at you again, and you feel a sense of belonging. The man who haunts your mind stands up. He goes to take your hand and you let him. "Child," he says, "I am Poseidon, and I am also your father." Then he lets go of yours hand, reaches beside you and grabs a tiara off of a pillow that you did not even notice before. He places it on your head and tells you that he is happy to finally see you again. You faint.