The Deep The waves crash against the side of the ship, making her stomach toss and turn. Normally it would be comforting, but with the given circumstances it was hard to feel anything but fear. The damp ropes gnaw at her wrists and ankles. She'd been discovered. The sailors snicker and point as they stroll past, and she can feel their eyes on her from all angles. She knows she has at least another hour before they reach the dropoff: a huge underwater chasm, the perfect place to throw something off that you never wanted to see again. As they draw closer, the uneasiness grows in her stomach and spreads to her throat. She's heard stories; every child within fifty miles of the coast knows the tales of the dropoff. Some say it's cursed. Others say it's all a facade for something bigger. But whatever it was, she was now hurtling toward it with no chance of escape. When the lookout spots it, a streak of darkness against the crystal blue, the first mate kneels down next to her. He's thin and quick, surprisingly young to have such a high office. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "No, you're not. You don't care." It feels good to say those words, but that's when she feels tears prickling the back of her eyes. He sighs. "It's the captain that doesn't care. And the rest of the crew. Superstitious little prigs. I would fight them if I thought I had a chance." Her face hardens. "And what good does that do? Leave me alone!" The first mate rises, hands up in surrender. "Just thought you ought to know." When the captain gives the word, they turn so the starboard side is facing the dark streak in the water. They hoist her to her feet and push her onto the very edge. The cold, briny air rushes around her, and she almost loses her balance with the waves. "Any last words, stowaway?" the captain calls, laughter lining his cruel mouth. "You are a bunch of superstitious little prigs. The world may not ever know of your crime, but the sea will." She let her words settle with a slight smile as fear flashed through the eyes of the crewmembers. The captain motions, and someone steps forward, ready to tie a stone to her feet and push her in. Before he can, though, she leaps in, ragged dress and tangled hair flying in the wind. The water envelopes her. The salt stings her eyes, but she quickly gets used to it. A little too quickly. A gentle haze coalesces in the water in front of her and takes the form of a huge serpent. The spirit of the ocean. It spoke to her. Not in words, exactly. It spoke through pure emotion. The spirit of the deep did not need to corrupt its thoughts by putting them into words. The hazy creature wraps around her, and she understands. There is a choice to be made. But the darkness is closing in. She's running out of air. Just as she begins to nod in acceptance, she blacks out. The last thing she sees is a flash of brilliant blue-white light from the mouth of the serpent. *** The transformation is ,of course, quite painful. But the memory soon fades as she remembers why she agreed to it. Revenge. THE END
