Falling Into Atlantis
The ocean quickly envelopes my body, as I cratered through the surface. The sting of the fabric tightened around my skin, suctioning my sweat glands. The texture of the water pulled me in, as gravity did purposefully. And the light shrunk from eyes yielded little of what was to be said above the watery entrapment.
As I fell deeper into the ocean, the less I was conscious of it. School of fish passed me by. Nests from lost fishermen. Suffocating turtles with plastic harnesses on their necks. Whales. Dolphins. Jellyfish. There's no end to the watery life forms.
I'd reach out towards the mirage. In search of hope, or was it hopelessness? Moving further under, maybe it's because I want someone to save me. Conversely, it's because I'm alone, why bother seeking someone to save me?
Time’ll move forward. It wouldn't wait for me. The power to control time means everybody would die quicker or revert to a time when they weren't born. There's no solace in infinite possibilities. An eternity of trials might as well be an eternity of mistakes.
Mankind has long forgotten defeat.
Ever since the evacuation, no land has been spared. An alien lifeform fell from the heavens and corrupted the cities. Then the countryside, villages, settlements, and neighbouring continents and their neighbour's continents. Move on to the islands and their neighbouring islands until no liveable land remains. Only the crust remained.
Underneath.
Mankind retreated within the surface to where they couldn't be detected. And in the last line of defence, I was amongst those allies. We fought a commendable fight, till I used my stopwatch. There, I saw the truth. It was in the clues throughout history. A comprehensive game of chess, an almost limitless piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Fitting those together, we were doomed before the creation of dinosaurs. A predetermined defeat.
How I'd arrived here wasn't predetermined, but from the last portal coming back from the earth's historic past. I've concluded there'd be nothing to do. The end of humanity’s story.
Then, there was a whisper.
“Ame...”
They called from below. It was faint. If I hadn't paid attention to the sound, it would've passed me by. The sound vibrates slower underwater. And maybe that's why it was the only thing I could hear amongst countless sea creatures.
It’d reached out. Like hand to skin. The sensation was warm, calming my half-hazard breathing. A feeling that I'd once had come in contact with me. It was stupid beyond measure.
I focus on the sound with not only my ears but with my eyes. I spun around, my eyes dilated, consumed by the depths. I couldn't see anything, it was beyond dark. As if I was staring into the void. It'd eaten my entire being, like a whale devouring ocean waters.
A slight glimmer of blue. That was all I could see. A faint light within the depths of what did exist. She'd be there, of course.
After that, I'd pass large structures. Towering in the water like sky-scrapers. A strange phenomenon, like arriving in a city. I observed in awe, looking side to side at these tall buildings. They had a variety of peculiar markings, carved in shapes like pottery. A faint light came from these buildings, but the light coming towards me was blindingly close. They'd grabbed my hand.
“Ame! Ame! Ame!”
It took a few tries before their words registered. Calling my name a final time, I'd let out a voice crack.
“A...? Gu...? Gawr... Gura?”
“Why'd you call me by my full name? Did I do something wrong?” Gura said questioningly. “Besides that, you made it here without drowning. You're amazing as ever, Ame. A real miracle worker.”
“Ah... I'm gonna...”
“Calm down, you're not going to drown. You have moved into Atlantis' barrier, which protects us from the rest of the ocean. So there's no need to fake it. You survived the whole trip,” Gura said, giving me a small smile.
She dragged me up close to her chest and I looked in the other direction. She put her forehead on mine. And after a short while, she dragged me deeper into the city.
There I saw rows of men lined up, in a military-like stance. Their numbers went on for miles, and their movements were synchronized.
“We're gonna finish off those weirdos,” Gura spoke confidently. “Ame, you're going to take part, right?”
I felt hope. With these men by our side and Gura at the ready, maybe we'll have a chance. I looked towards Gura. Maybe she was the hope I needed.
A shark in the depths of hopefulness. My salvation.