Cez Presents: Fish Dreams Part 1

Date: 10/2/2018

I dreamt I was living on a planet light years away from earth. It looked a lot like earth, with its people and customs, but it had one main difference. The planet had only one ocean on its surface. Since it was only twice as big as a Great Lake or a Sea, the locals dammed it up into a gigantic fish tank. The water soared above the glass dam in a spectacular view of achievement, reflecting whale like creatures and fish of all kind. I was tasked as an aquatic engineer there, the only people who dare go in were scientists and ship craters. Most were banned from entering. But a few brace souls with vast amounts of wealth and status would take a joy ride for thrills. As I walked up the steel construction stairs, I was informed about my mission. I was tasked to change a light on one of the buoys. The buoy also needed a new lightbulb switch function, because when the last lightbulb shorted, it caused the switch to malfunction also. It seemed simple enough, however, a siren-like creature lived in the exact radius of the faulty buoy. Several of the chief engineers had tried to replace it before, but were killed in the process. The others feared going in, and had send many single engineers to fix the problem, but to no avail. "So I'll be sent to my death?" I asked the assistant marine engineer on the staircase. "Just focus on resolving the issue," she barked, "And remember, you can always back down from the mission." I would have exactly 6 minutes until the mermaid would track my scent. I was sent in a row boat alone, among only wires and other weighted supplies. I wore a lifesaver, not because I couldn't swim, but it would be easier to get away if thrown overboard. The location was just on the edge of the tank's rim. The water was choppy today. Once I got to the buoy, I leaned over the boat and began my repairs on the wires. The lightbulb was twisted into place. I heard the gurgling in the water and the sound of a silent high pitched whine in the distance. When I was about to finish, my boat tipped over. It hurled me into the water, deep, cold, wet and most importantly, dark. But I could make out a luminescent face staring back at me. I gasped for air at the surface. Bobbing, I swam on top of the buoy and clung to it tight, still fighting to breathe. The eel like tail peaked and circled the bouncing bouy, and it was beginning to rain. "HURRY IT UP!" Ordered the engineer, clinging to the rim of the fish tank. Her short blonde hair looked like stands of pasta in the storm. I held my breath, and my arm tight around the buoy. My legs plunged in and out of the of the water sucking me deeper and deeper with each wave. I looked out to the boat. Luckily they gave me a tool belt. As I began unscrewing the nails from the control switch, the voice grew louder and louder. It was cooing. Demanding. Pleading. Seducing me to get in the water, "oh please if I could only go just for a minute, " oh, "it would be fun," it said, "it was beautiful," it said, "there was everything I needed" down there, if only I would swim down. Almost finished. I unscrewed the last nail. Almost all at once, a great wave pushed the buoy over, submerging it completely. As I clung to the buoy, my drill was lost in the waves. The buoy rose up to the surface and suddenly I could feel the nails. The inhuman, clawlike nails. Digging into my back. The taunts got louder. I flailed my arms, kicking and scratching, desperate to be free. Like a wildebeest, I too became the prey. I didn't look back. The creature hissed and screeched in my ear at every hit, and clawed deeper into my back. The next wave hit. As the buoy tipped over, I used all of my strength to pull the lever. The buoy, the creature and I submerged again, and a bright light charged the brackish waters. DING, DING, DING DING. The buoy sounded it's automated bell. I did it. The creature swam back in pain from the high pitch sound. My boat, previously capsized, was floating away from me and was now far beyond swimming reach. I would have to swim it. From here. My partner yelled and mouthed words but I couldn't hear them from the ringing in my ears. I jumped into the water, panting, splashing, swimming as fast as possible. I felt the eel like tail on my legs. I could feel her claws dig into my calves. I kept swimming. Frantically moving my arms, pushing the water in any way possible. Reaching for air. I could feel my self being pulled under. I was at the rim. A hand held out for me. I could taste the blood in the water. As my partner pulled me from the water, another set of arms pulled back. My spine felt like it was being pulled apart. There was a cry in agony. The siren was detached. I crumpled to the other side of the rim, bleeding salt water out of every nail mark and gash on my body. The buoy sung in the distance. And then I woke up.