Submerged in Water

Once I got past the fate, destiny, drama bullshit, I realized I felt calm around Jonathan. At times, he had a little bit of a bad boy side, but underneath it all, he was just as scared as I was. It was so nice to know I wasn't the only one.

He had finished eating and we were both staring out at the ocean. The sun was out and beating down on us but with the cold season still here, we didn't really feel it. Jonathan more so than me. I had to snuggle up to him to keep him warm. Or at least, that was the excuse both of us used. I just wanted him to wrap his arms around me. A girl can get addicted to being cared for like this. Especially when it was Jonathan.

He rested his chin on my shoulder. He breathed in deeply. "You smell just like the ocean."

"Well we are by the ocean..." I didn't want to take all the credit.

"They're probably worrying about us, you know, especially your parents."

"I really don't want to think about it."

"Fair enough."

"Tell me something about yourself." I swayed from the previous topic.

"Hmmm..." He thought. "Not much that I would think you'd find interesting enough."

"I was riveted by your whale story the other day." I lied.

"Riveted?" He chuckled. "I bet, since your face was smashed against the table the entire time."

I stood up from the sand and stared down at him. "Sorry." I lifted half of my mouth into a side smile. "I'm going to go for a swim, want to join me?"

A smile was permanently on his face. "Sure."

I offered him my hand and he took it. We entered the ocean together and when he started slowing me down, I let his hand go. He seemed fine staying near the shore but I wanted to go deeper.

"I'm going to go under." I told him, so he wasn't worried.

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll be here."

He swam a little and he looked relaxed so I didn't feel bad about diving under the water. It took a minute this time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I opened myself up to the water and let myself feel it but something was wrong. Strangely wrong. I felt like the ocean was talking to me.

I listened closer and focused in on where the panic was coming from. Something was happening to the ocean, a deep rumbling sound that echoed out throughout the bottom. I let myself reach out mentally to the surrounding water, sinking deeper into it until I became one with it. A deep sense of calm overtook me and with it, the option to let that power, the one that didn't belong to me, come out.

I came back to the top and took a deep breath. I turned to look at Jonathan and he seemed at ease.

I was afraid. "Jonathan!" I called, swimming to him.

"Hey, water princess." He smiled. "You weren't down there long..." he noticed the look on my face. "What's wrong?"

"The ocean is roaring." I told him. "It's quaking, something is wrong. I think we need to go back to Oregon."

"Now?"

I nodded quickly. "Yes, now. I feel like something bad is going to happen."

"Okay let's go." No hesitation.

I gripped his shoulders tightly, knowing that his body heat and skin contact would serve to calm me down. I was still in my own created state of peace but the anxiety of the situation was clouding the ice button inside of me. I focused to try and concentrate on it. The sense of desperation made the frost button easier to find

I better ice vessel formed this time, one that would be comfortable for Jonathan and lacked the things the last vehicle had missed. I remembered which direction we came from. I picked up the clothes and my spear that we had left on the beach before leaving the island and heading back home.

While the vehicle was skimming the water as fast as I could move it while still remaining stable, we both got changed back into our clothes. I was a little disappointed to see him clothed again, I liked him in just his boxers. I mentally slapped myself. I couldn't believe I was thinking about this during a crisis.

"So what is wrong exactly?" He asked while lifting his leg to put on a sock.

"I don't know." I told him truthfully. "It was almost like the water was uncontrollable. It was telling me something was wrong."

"Well do you know what it is? Any ideas?"

I pursed my lips and leaned over to check the ocean water. "It was like it was preparing for an attack."

"The water is going to attack?" He seemed confused by this. "How?"

"That's what I'd like to know." I sighed, turning to look at him. "Do you feel anything strange?"

He shook his head. "No, should I?"

"Maybe. I can feel it from here now. What ever it is, it's getting stronger." I explained.

"Well it's hard to tell when I'm not on land." He explained. "When we get to town, we'll find the Oros and..."

"We'll see." I finished for him.

He turned to me and nodded in agreement.

There was no excitement and amazement this time, only worry and fear as we skimmed across the water. I could feel the roaring grow the entire time as we headed back. When I saw the mainland and all the ships, I stopped and lowered us into the water. I didn't want any ships or people to see us. It was different last time we left since it was getting dark out and everyone was at home.

"We need to swim from here." I told him. "It'll be easy with my spear. You just need to hold on to me."

"Okay." He agreed.

I grabbed onto my spear and looked at the ocean. I didn't like that I was going to have to swim in my clothes but there really was no other way. They would dry off by the time we got back. I looked at the mainlanded and decided to head for the part of the shore that had mostly forest behind it.

I jumped it and Jonathan followed. He grabbed onto my shoulders and I held my spear forward, making it quick towards the mainland. I dissolved the water back into the ocean before anyone found a floating ice block out in the middle of sea.

It took us about ten minutes and I did a quick check to make sure nobody had seen us. We looked in the clear and I turned to look at him. "What was that thing you were riding last time?"

His smile was cocky. "I thought you'd never ask." All of a sudden, he whistled loudly. He was calling for it.

"Her name is Lucy." He explained as she rocketed out of the forest. "She's been in my family for centuries, she can shrink down to the size of a rat when she wants to. That's how she stays hidden."

He walked up to her and stroked the side of her face. Cooing at her. I watched closer and it almost looked like he was having a conversation with her. He turned to look at me and waved me over. He held out his hand to help me get on her back and then he launched himself up to where I was.

I felt unsteady on the back of the tiger, but I held onto Jonathan's waist as he steered is back into the forest.

"I feel it." He told me as we flew through the forest quickly. "Something is wrong. The animals are afraid."

"Do you know what it is?"

He shook his head. "No, but I think we're going to find out soon."