‘Now then, are you going to foul the water again or tell me why a creature like you is in a place where you have no business?’ The massive fish’s words vibrated through the boy’s body once more stilling his shock at being able to breathe. Floating closer to the giant glowing blue eye the boy tried to speak and to his surprise said, “I jumped in the hole to save her!” The scales of the fish changed from blue to greenish as it replied, ‘You came to this place to save someone else? I’ve never heard that one before.’ Now with a bit more courage the boy replied, “Well Sir Fish, it’s true! This bigmouth girl dared me to go up on the dam and then when I did, she dared me to jump into this hole because only the older boys were brave enough to do it! But I wouldn’t and she got mad and pushed me away, but she fell in!”
The great Fish’s gills flapped twice at the boy’s story and its scales turned yellow. ‘So how did you get here if you would not jump?’ The boy eye’s darted away and the light from the fish’s large eye also turned yellow as its wide pupil narrowed. ‘Well?’ asked the Fish expectantly. Looking back to the eye the boy stammered, “W-well I didn’t want her to be trapped with no one to help her... so I jumped in after her.” The great eye’s pupil widened and suddenly the mouth of the fish was in front of the boy. Rows of teeth shaped like long razor-sharp crystalline swords flashed with the red light emanating from the fish’s body! The boy reflexively covered his face with his arms as he waited to be devoured. Instead, he was buffeted by what could be none other than the vibrations uproarious laughter!
‘HA! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Oh like I said, this stuff just never gets old! Perchance little one, how familiar was this ‘girl’ to you?’ Too thankful to have not been eaten the boy thought for a moment and realized, he didn’t know the girl at all! That was strange because he could have sworn he knew her.... Suddenly, the eye was right before him and it twitched back and forth as the Fish said, ‘Ah little one, alas you have been tricked. I can tell you that no one you knew directly was there. It was all a ploy to bring you here.’ Confused the boy replied, what do you mean? I saw her! I talked to her! Please tell me, where am I?”
The Fish’s pupil narrowed a bit and orange light spilled from its body as it said, ‘No little one, whatever you thought you saw was real only to you. And this ‘place’ is no place at all. I can only describe it as somewhere in-between where you must be in order to get from one place to another.’ Stunned, the boy exclaimed, “How am I supposed to get back? I don’t know the way!” The great eye’s pupil narrowed to a circle the size of the boy’s fist and the Fish’s scales turned a dark red as it replied, ‘I have traveled this way many times and you are only the second being I have ever encountered here. You will not get back unless you know from whence you came.’ Just as the boy was about to panic his father’s words came to him once more as he said, “Stay calm and relaxed.”
As the boy paddled his arms gently to remain at the level of the monstrous fish’s eye, he thought about how he got into this place. The sudden fear of leaping off the dam, the rush of wind and his explosive entry into the dark waters of the hidden reservoir burst to mind. He had to admit, it was all quite thrilling! He was also thankful to have survived and found the bottom.... On a whim, the boy extended his foot downward and looked where it went. In the light of the fish’s scales, the boy could see his toes as they made contact with a silt covered boulder! It was then he felt his lungs again begin to burn and he once more grabbed at his throat. This time the fish encircled the boy and said, ‘Pull off one of my scales!’ Without having to be told again, the boy yanked off one of the small glowing scales which was large enough to cover half his face. For a second time when his lungs forced him to breathe, the boy did so easily.
“Thank you Sir Fish! Thank you!” With nothing else to give, the boy stripped off his plainspun loin skirt and placed it in the wound caused by removing the scale. To his astonishment, the wadded skirt changed into a fish scale of the same color and texture as the skirt. ‘Thank you little one. I will keep part of your skin as a reminder of our visit. Now, look above you. The way to your destination is clear. Safe journey and if you meet the other traveler who passed me, give them my greetings if you would.’ Excited, the boy waved to the giant eye and said, “I will Sir Fish! Thank you, thank you very much!” The boy continued to wave until the light of the strange fish faded to nothing.
Now with both feet on the bottom, the boy looked up and could see the bright blue sky through the hole between the boulders. With one mighty push of his legs, he shot upwards and stretched his hands out toward the surface. Abruptly, a firm hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him bodily out of the water! Standing next to him on a boulder’s outcrop was a very wet and very annoyed Priestess. Before the boy could say anything, his youthful eyes went wide as he took in the details of the Priestess’ womanly form in her clinging and now see-through soaked garment. Suddenly realizing what the boy was seeing, her ire turned to mirth. “I wouldn’t be so quick to ogle my beautiful naked boy!” The Priestess emphasized her jest with a hard swat on his young backside.
Literally embarrassed, the boy went to cover his privates, but then remembered the fish scale in his hand. Noticing what the boy held the Priestess said, “Well it seems you and I have a mutual friend.” Shocked the boy exclaimed, “You were the first to meet ‘Sir Fish’?” The Priestess laughed out loud at the boy’s name for the otherworldly being and said smiling, “Oh yes. I met ‘Sir Fish’ a very, very, very long time ago. I’m surprised he still remembers me.” Reaching under her wet robe, the Priestess pulled out a necklace with a large pearlescent fish scale just like the boy held.
“You’ve been to a very special place boy and come back. It is just as if you had been reborn. From now on, you will see the world very differently. So now you must be very careful who you take challenges from! There are people and things in the world which will want to lead you astray. No more jumping off the dam understood?” The boy nodded emphatically ‘yes.’ “Now, I have to go help a friend. Come, and I’ll show you who played this trick!” The boy had to cover his eyes as the shaded space between the boulders suddenly filled with amber light. And for the second time this day his eyes grew wide as chicken eggs!
© 2011 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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