Friday Fiction for March 26, 2010

Welcome to Friday Fiction, which I have the pleasure of hosting this week! Look at the bottom of this post for MckLinky, to either enter your link, or to click over and read the other submissions.

This week, I decided to post one of my personal favorite Challenge Entries from the Faithwriters Weekly Challenge. While this story didn’t place (possibly due to the Topic that week being the United Kingdom, of which Northern Ireland is a part, but Ireland proper isn’t, and I didn’t differentiate which I was referring to in this story), it remains one that very much struck a chord with me as I wrote it.

The hymn is one that I both love to sing, and to play on my flute, and this made it especially easy for me to imagine the scene as I wrote it. I hope it resonates with you as well.

Visions of an Old Flutist

Challenge Entry: Week of January 22, 2009

He ran his gnarled fingers lovingly down the wood of the old flute, still impressed after all the years by the craftsmanship that had gone into it. As a young man, it had seemed to him a gift too rich to receive. Now that he was old, it was a friend too precious to lose.

Drawing a breath that was not nearly as deep as those he’d taken the first time he’d played it, he brought the instrument to his lips and, with practiced ease, blew a single, long test note. Happy with his tuning, he launched into the first phrases of the tune, playing by memory and singing the lyrics in his mind.

Be Thou my vision,

Oh Lord of my heart.

Naught be all else to me

Save that Thou art!

Thou my best thought

By day, or by night.

Waking or sleeping,

Thy Presence, my light.

The rich music of the flute carried over the hills, much as his voice once had when he’d still been able to sing. His father had taught him to play, and he’d refined his skills along with other musicians at the local pub. The sessions had always been a pleasure, and an Irish tradition that dated back longer than any could tell.

Be Thou my wisdom,

Thou, my true Word.

I ever with Thee,

And Thou with me, Lord.

Thou, my great Father,

And I, Thy true son.

Thou, with me dwelling,

And I with Thee one.

His Father had taught him the true joy of music, though. While the lively jigs and reels were exhilarating to play, it was in worship that his spirit found release. Sometimes, an old friend would come by and join him in the praise, playing the fiddle or the bodhran to accompany his flute, but most evenings now, he played alone.

Riches, I heed not,

Nor man’s empty praise.

Thou, mine inheritance

Now, and always.

Thou, and Thou only,

First in my heart.

High King of Heaven,

My treasure, Thou art.

You could make some money, playing for tourists in the city, friends told him. People come from all over the world, looking for a taste of the old Ireland, and you could give it to them, they said. His old home wasn’t much, but it was where his children had been raised, and where he and his wife had enjoyed many happy years together. It was where she had smiled at him before telling him good-bye, and he fully intended to make that same journey from the same bed she had passed away in.

When he was young, he had enjoyed the accolades given to his music. It had been his flute that had caught her ear long before his smile had caught her eye, and of all the Earthly audiences he’d played for, she and their children had quickly become his favorite. He imagined her now, sitting alongside the angels, listening to the simple solo.

High King of Heaven,

My victory won,

May I reach heaven’s joys,

Oh bright Heaven’s Son!

Heart of my own heart,

Whatever befall,

Still be my vision

Oh, Ruler of all.

The last notes echoed away on the breeze, and he lowered the flute. Holding it close across his chest, he allowed only a moment of sad nostalgia before mouthing a silent prayer of thanks for the voice of the flute. For as long as he had breath, he could still praise the Lord.

Standing from the old chair, he felt the wall behind him for the door and entered the dark house. He put the flute in its case by feel, and set it in its place on the shelf where he could find it the next evening. Shuffling off to bed, he fell asleep with the assurance that his next vision would be of the Ruler of All.

Friday Fiction for March 19, 2010

Friday Fiction is hosted this week by Christina, over at With Pen in Hand. Set aside your pen for a moment, and check out what she produced with the pen in her hand, along with the other submissions in MckLinky.

I’m trying to decide if this is a good place to leave Timothy and Teresa for a while, or if I need to give a more conclusive ending to this story. Sometimes, leaving room for imagination is a good way to finish a story, and sometimes it’s not. Feel free to chime in with your opinion on whether this is a satisfying place to stop for now.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 7

By Rick Higginson

Teresa entered through the front door of the bungalow, wearing a blue tropical print sundress. The fabric appeared lightweight, and well-suited to the climate of the island. She spread her arms and glanced down. “I can’t believe how much the gift shop wanted for such a simple dress,” she said, sounding like she was about to apologize.

“It looks nice on you,” Timothy said. “Did they have everything you needed?”

“Sort of; I’m not real crazy about the souvenir print panties they had. I mean, I can understand t-shirts or hats or tote-bags, because people will see those and the resort gets advertising from them, but underwear? It’s not like I’m going to let the whole world see my panties so they can know that I visited here.”

He shrugged. “It’s probably not much different than a tattoo someplace on a person’s body that they wouldn’t show to anyone else, except underwear can be changed.”

“I suppose you’re right, but it still feels weird to pay extra for a piece of specially decorated clothing that I’m not going to show anyone else. They’ll do, though, until I can get to my clothes in my bungalow.”

“Look beside the bed,” he said.

She took a few steps farther into the room, and stopped. “My luggage – how’d it get here?”

“When I called the manager earlier to tell them it was okay for you to charge to my bill, I mentioned that you’d been locked out of your bungalow. He went and investigated, and had your stuff brought here.” He crawled up beside her. “Your bill is being credited for your share of the bungalow from last night on. He doesn’t have another open room for you yet, but is going to try and find you one. Until then, you can stay here if you want.”

“He couldn’t get Jenny to let me back in?”

He hesitated a bit before answering. “No. She wouldn’t budge, even when he told her she and her boyfriend were going to have to pay the full cost of the bungalow.”

“Did she tell him why?”

“Before I answer, do you have any idea what she’s angry about?”

“Not a clue.”

“She said you’d hit on her boyfriend.”

“What?!? Where’d she get a stupid idea like that? I can’t imagine what she sees in him, let along having any desire to be within arm’s reach of him myself.” She released a disgusted-sounding noise. “I’d hit on a pig before I’d hit on him.”

“Well, wherever she got the idea, I guess that explains why she’s locked you out.”

“I should just change my flight and go home.”

“No, you shouldn’t. Why should your vacation get spoiled because she has a problem?”

She gestured in frustration. “I came here to spend a week with my friend, and I’d hoped she’d get over whatever her problem was so we could salvage some of that, but that’s not going to happen now. So I don’t have my friend, I don’t have a bungalow, and I don’t really have any reason to stay.”

He moved to the foot of the bed, and took hold of the corner post. Struggling hand over hand, he pulled himself up until he could get his fluke under him. Finally standing upright, he hopped awkwardly to turn and face her, holding onto the post for support and balance. He let go with one arm, and held it out to his side. “You still have a friend here, at least if you want one.”

“That looks really uncomfortable for you.”

“Maybe a little, but I thought it would be more comfortable for you than asking you to get down on the floor with me. I don’t have legs to go for a walk with you, but I do have arms that work just fine for hugs.”

She stepped into the embrace and lowered her face to his shoulder. “Why have you been so nice to me? I’ve been such a pest.”

“I don’t know, Teresa. I’ve spent pretty much my entire life surrounded by the Pod, and I came here thinking that being alone for once would be enjoyable. The funny thing is, you’ve been the best thing about this vacation so far. Maybe I’m just not cut out to be alone.”

“You’re the only reason my vacation hasn’t been a total disaster.” She sniffed and squeezed him a bit tighter.

He gave her a light kiss on the neck. “Would you really want to split up the duo of Merman and Crazy Reef Girl? There’s still so much ocean to save.”

“How am I supposed to save an ocean when I can’t even save my oldest friendship?”

“You don’t know that it’s not salvageable yet, and if it’s not, it’ll be because Jenny doesn’t want to save it.” He stroked her hair. “The Pod has an old friend named Diego. He’s a church pastor, and he often has some interesting perspectives on things. He told us once that God sometimes has to use a bad situation to direct us towards something good.”

“I’ve told friends similar things. Funny that it doesn’t seem as easy to accept when it happens to me.”

He chuckled. “Diego says that faith isn’t accepting things that are easy. The Pod had to accept a lot of things that weren’t easy since the day Dr. Marcel was taken from us. Some of us still don’t accept that it was all part of a plan, but looking back, I see too many things that were just too much to be coincidence.”

“My pastor says there’s no such thing as coincidence.”

“Then maybe both of us being here this week is no coincidence, either. I’m not suggesting we rush into anything, but we could always take the rest of the week to decide if it’s worth pursuing beyond that.”

“A week isn’t much time to figure something like that out.”

“Ten feet isn’t much of a swim, either, but we’d never have made it out to the reef without swimming that ten feet first.” He shifted his weight slightly, trying to relieve some of the discomfort in the tip of his tail. “There’s a restaurant in town that’s setting up a low table for my birthday tonight. I’d love it if you would join me for dinner.”

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his face. Her eyes were red and wet. “It seems I’ve invited myself to so much of your vacation. I think this is the first thing you’ve invited me to.”

“There are a lot of things the Pod has no experience with, but I think I’m actually asking you out on a date.”

“It’s been a long time since I was asked out by anyone that I would consider going out with. Are you sure you want to date a crazy girl like me?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure.”

“Is this dress nice enough for the restaurant?”

“It’s nicer than the t-shirt I’ll wear.”

She put one hand on the back of his head, and gave him a quick kiss. When he smiled, she gave him a longer kiss.

“Does this mean it’s a date?”

Nodding, she whispered. “Thank you for saving my vacation.”

“Thank you,” he said.

Friday Fiction for March 12, 2010

Friday Fiction this week is Dancing on Rainbows with Sharlyn. Since St. Patrick’s Day is this coming week, dance an Irish jig over to the rainbow, where MckLinky awaits like a pot of gold, only full of fiction links for you.

No Irish jigs in my story this week, but we do have a guest appearance by one of my favorite characters, and maybe just a glimpse of the end of the rainbow. If this is your first visit to this story, please start at Part 1, or else you’re probably going to find it confusing coming in this close to the end.

If you’re completely new to my blog and my stories, it might help to know the Pod first appeared in my book, Cardan’s Pod. I have quite a few Pod stories here (hence the name of the blog), but a good one to start with would be The Rescue, from August, 2008.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 6

By Rick Higginson

Timothy ate his breakfast, absently staring out over the ocean through the sliding glass door. Teresa sat at the desk with her breakfast, still wearing the Ocean World t-shirt and fidgeting her left hand through her hair.

She’d been talkative until she had tried calling her bungalow. As near as Timothy could surmise, her friend had hung up the moment Teresa had spoken. Her mood and expression had both changed when she placed the phone back in its cradle, and she’d kept her face turned away from him.

I don’t even know what’s wrong, so what could I say to make her feel better? He took the last bite of the raisin toast, and wiped his fingers on a napkin.

The phone rang, and Teresa snatched it to her ear. “Jenny?” she said, and then, “No, no – he’s right here. Let me hand him the phone.” She got up and brought him the handset. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to answer for you. I just thought maybe Jenny was calling back.”

“It’s okay,” he said, as he took the phone from her. He rolled onto his side to take the weight off one arm for holding the phone more comfortably. “Hello?”

“Happy birthday, Timothy,” a chorus of voices shouted from the other end of the connection, followed by assorted whistles, cat-calls, and cheers.

The noise had barely quieted down when a single voice spoke over it. “Even if you’re not here, we couldn’t let your birthday go by unnoticed, could we?”

“Well, I’d kind of hoped you would, Marta,” he said.

“I doubt that,” Marta said. “You’ve always enjoyed previous birthday celebrations, so why should your own be any different?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t really feel like it this year.”

“Hmm, well, I guess I can’t argue much with that. So, who’s Jenny, and who was the girl who answered the phone?”

“Oh, that was Teresa,” he said, and gave a quick rehash of the previous two days.

“Crazy Reef Girl?” she said, and then laughed. “I can hear you smiling when you say that, Timothy. Are you sure she’s only a friend you just met?”

“I’m – not sure, Marta. I – um,” he stammered.

“Hold on a moment. Let me get to my room where I can talk without all the distractions.” There was nothing but background noise for a few moments, until it faded and allowed the sound of her crawling to carry through the phone. When that stopped, she spoke again. “That’s better; now, your hesitation tells me that there’s something more on your mind. Are you feeling something more for this Teresa?”

He sighed, glancing towards the desk where she’d returned to face away from him. “I don’t know, Marta. I really think I could, but – ”

“If you think there is a potential, then what’s holding you back from seeing if she might feel the same way?” When he didn’t answer right away, she pressed further. “Timothy, do you know what’s holding you back?”

“Yes, Marta,” he said quietly.

“Has there ever been anything before that you couldn’t tell me?”

“No, Marta.”

“Then why don’t you just go ahead and tell me what the problem is now, and maybe we can work it out together?”

He could almost feel her giving him a gentle, encouraging touch, just as she had done so many times during his life. “It’s Annette,” he said, almost in a whisper.

“You’re afraid of what she might do if you fall in love with someone else?”

“That, and what Eva might do if I hurt her sister.”

“Do you really think Eva would punish you for following your heart, Timothy?”

“I don’t know. They are sisters, after all.”

“Do you ever remember a time when Eva set aside what was best for the Pod in favor of what one of her sisters wanted?”

“No, but as Annette likes to remind me, this is what Dr. Marcel planned.”

“Eva and I knew Dr. Marcel longer than any other members of the Pod, and I can tell you that, despite how much we loved him, he wasn’t perfect. His plan wasn’t perfect, and he kept changing it as he realized his mistakes. If he’d lived, Timothy, I’m sure he’d have changed the plan many more times. We’re much too far from the last revision of his plan to even think of going back to it now, and Annette should know that.”

“Yeah, well, she sure isn’t acting like she knows it.”

“You just leave Annette to me and Eva, and see how things go with your crazy reef girl this week, all right?”

“Are you sure about this, Marta?”

“If we always waited until we were sure, I doubt most of us would ever find love.”

“I suppose you’re right about that.”

“So, promise me you’re going to do something special and fun for your birthday.”

“I promise.”

“Good; now let me talk to Teresa real quick.”

“You want to talk to Teresa?”

“If she’s still there, yes.”

He held the phone up. “Teresa, she wants to talk to you.”

“Huh?” Teresa turned and looked confused. “Me?”

He nodded, and stretched the phone a bit higher. “That’s what she told me.”

She took the phone. “Hello?” she said. “Marta? You mean, that Marta? You’re really – I – oh my – I don’t know what – yes, ma’am, er, sorry, Marta. Sorry, Marta. Uh huh, yeah? Okay.”

The side of the conversation he could hear gave him little clue as to what Marta might be saying, though he found Teresa being starstruck amusing.

“It is? Ah, I see. Uh huh, uh huh. Sure, I think I can do that. Yes, I definitely will. Really? That would be awesome, thank you. Uh huh, okay, you, too. Bye!” She put the phone back in its cradle, and turned to him. “You didn’t tell me it was Marta on the phone.”

“Who did you think I was talking to, all those times I said her name?”

“I wasn’t listening. I was kind of lost in my own thoughts.”

He smiled at her. “You don’t look quite so sad, now.”

“She said it’s your birthday, and asked me to make sure you go out and do something especially fun today.”

“I should have figured she wasn’t going to just take my word that I would. What else did she say, if you can tell me?”

“I’m supposed to take lots of pictures and send them to her, to prove you had fun today, and that she’d love it if I came out to your island sometime and meet her.”

“So, what are we going to do today, Crazy Reef Girl?”

“Can we break into my bungalow and get some clothes for me to wear?”

“I don’t know about that, but they do have some nice outfits at the resort gift shop. I saw them when I was checking in, and you could just go pick something out to wear until we figure out how to get Jenny to let you in.”

“I really can’t afford the gift shop prices.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can afford it.”

“I can’t let you buy me clothes.”

“Why not?”

“I just – can’t.”

“You’ve been my swim buddy for two days, my meal companion, and you even shared my bungalow last night. You’re not afraid of gossip, are you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Are you worried that I’ll expect something in return?”

“Well, maybe a little.”

“It’s my birthday, Teresa. There’s nothing in the world I need or want, and you’ve already made this vacation far more interesting than it would have been otherwise. You told Marta you’d make sure I had fun today, and I would enjoy it if you gave me the gift of letting me buy you something.”

to be continued...

Friday Fiction for March 5, 2010

Friday Fiction is hosted this week by Karlene over on Homespun Expressions. Find MckLinky and more stories for your enjoyment over there!

My apologies for making you wait an extra week for the next installment of Reef, Her Madness (I really should come up with a better, more fitting title), but with the return travel last weekend, I didn’t get much chance to work on the story. I think this one will have maybe one or two more parts, though it will depend on how the rest of the story plays out. Sometimes, my characters have different ideas than mine.

If you’re new to the story, you’ll probably want to start back at Part 1, and read your way to this week’s chapter.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 5

By Rick Higginson

Timothy was in a twilight sleep state when the faint tapping came. He continued to lie with his eyes closed, trying to decide if the sound had been part of a dream. When it came again, louder and more insistent, he opened his eyes and looked around the dark bungalow. The tapping had been crisp, unlike the slightly muffled sound of someone knocking on a wooden door.

It repeated a third time, and he localized it on the sliding glass door leading out onto the beach-facing patio. He crawled through the dark room, and then pulled the blinds aside to peer outward.

Teresa stood on the patio, still in her bathing suit and holding the dive lights and her snorkeling gear.

He loosened the clip in the bottom track of the sliding door, and opened it. “Did you forget that we already went for the night swim?” he asked.

“I, um – Jenny locked me out,” she said, her voice softer and more timid than any other time she’d spoken to him.

“Wait – that’s your bungalow, too. How could she lock you out?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know if her and her boyfriend made up and wanted some privacy, or if she’s still that mad at me, but all the doors are bolted from the inside. I tried knocking, without any response.” Her look was embarrassed but hopeful. “I was wondering if you’d mind if I used your couch tonight.”

“The couch? What for?”

“To sleep on.”

He backed out of the way, and gestured for her to come in. “Why the couch? Why not the bed?”

“Well, because I’ve never been into the idea of sharing a bed with a guy that I’ve only known for a few days.”

He slid the door closed and tightened the clip to secure it. “I wasn’t implying that we’d share the bed. You’ll have it all to yourself.”

“I don’t want to displace you from your bed.”

He chuckled. “Come over here,” he said, and led her over to one corner of the room. “This is my bed,” he added, indicating a large pad on the floor, with a lightweight blanket and pillow over it. “Whether you’re here or not, I won’t be using the regular bed. While I could probably lift myself up into it, this is more like what the Pod has back on our island, and what I’m most comfortable with.”

“Are you sure?”

“I was snoozing right here when you knocked.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay. It’s really not much different than when another Pod member crawls by me to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night.”

“Well, I really do appreciate it. I was starting to wonder if I’d have to sleep out on the beach tonight. Is it okay if I use your shower before I go to bed?”

“Whatever you need; just make yourself at home.”

She put the dive lights and snorkel gear on one of the end tables. “It would have been nice if Jenny was going to kick me out, if she’d let me get clean clothes and something to sleep in first. I guess I can just sleep in my bathing suit for tonight, and hope she lets me into the bungalow tomorrow.”

“Would a t-shirt work for a nightgown?”

“It would, if I had one with me.”

“Look in the overnight bag by the television.”

She went to the bag, and opened the top. “Why do you have t-shirts? I didn’t think you ever wore anything.”

“I have them because human culture is weird. If I’m in an airport or a hotel lobby or something like this, it never fails that someone gets upset because I’m naked. If I wear a t-shirt, though, they’ll be satisfied because my human portions are clothed. They never care if the dolphin part of my body remains naked, just so long as my human part is covered.”

“You’re right – that’s just weird.”

“Eh, it’s not just the Pod that people are that way with. Think about fantasy movies. If a human character was running around naked from the waist down, the film would get a more adult rating. If the character is something like a centaur, though, nobody cares if his horse portions are naked.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure pants or even shorts would really fit the centaur image, and I wonder if the typical centaur could actually manage to twist the human torso around enough to pull shorts up over the horse hindquarters. That’s a rather long reach.”

“I suppose we should be glad Dr. Marcel didn’t get it into his head to create centaurs, then.”

“I’m betting if you were a centaur, you’d have picked a different place to go on vacation. I don’t think a centaur body would be very good for diving on a reef.”

“True, but at least I’d have legs.”

She held up a t-shirt with a large Ocean World park design on the front. “Is this one okay to borrow?”

“Sure. I have a lot of those shirts. I went on one of the appearance tours, and the park gave us all a bunch of shirts to wear when meeting the public. You can keep that one if you want.”

“What?” Her voice was playful. “You don’t want it back after I’ve worn it?”

“Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what some people would pay for a shirt worn by a Pod member? I doubt you wearing it one night will devalue it at all, so if you don’t want it, I can always auction it off online.”

She flipped the shirt over her shoulder, and headed towards the bathroom. “In that case, maybe I’ll go ahead and keep it and auction it myself. I might be able to pay for this trip with this t-shirt.”

He laughed, watching her walk away. She had a swimmer’s body, rather than a swimsuit model’s figure, and he found it a pleasing look. He especially liked the muscle tone in her legs, and for a passing moment, he wondered how she’d fit in with the Pod.

He was pretty sure Annette wouldn’t like her.

To be continued...

Friday Fiction for February 19, 2010

Friday Fiction is hosted this week by Sherri Ward, on her blog A Candid Thought. Find MckLinky there for more fantastic Friday Fiction.

This week, we’re winging our way across the Pacific Ocean for our Fiji vacation, so it’s only fitting that we check in with Timothy again on his tropical getaway. If you’re new to this story, I encourage you to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before diving into this week’s Part 4.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 4

By Rick Higginson

The lagoon that was serene and inviting by day, looked unpredictable and foreboding by night. Though the waves were actually calmer than they had been that afternoon, the distance to the reef seemed a far more daunting swim than it had appeared under the bright, tropical sunshine. Timothy waited on the sand, staring out across the water as he struggled with second thoughts.

Teresa sat beside him, apparently no more eager to dash into the unknown than he was. She held her snorkeling gear loosely across her legs with one hand, and the bulky dive light in her other. Her right heel plowed a curved furrow in the sand, but beyond that she didn’t do or say anything.

He turned on his dive light, and sent the beam scanning across the surface ahead of them. The white LED flooded a narrow swath with intense light, far brighter than what he had expected of a hand-held, battery operated device. Nothing revealed itself within the beam – not the dreaded dorsal fin of a prowling shark, nor the welcome sight of a dolphin popping up for a breath of air.

The moon was higher and a little bit brighter than it had been at the same time the night before, and the scattered reflections of her glow created the illusion of organic motion at the periphery of his vision. Whenever he cast the beam in that direction, though, there were only the peaceful ripples of the sheltered lagoon.

He took his eyes from the sea and looked at Teresa. She gazed out across the water and took no notice of his attention. He felt an odd sensation in his stomach, and realized he was more afraid of appearing scared in front of her, than he was of anything that might be hiding just out of sight.

With a determined breath, he crawled forward to the water, and scanned his light on the sand in his path. Wouldn’t do to stick my hand right down on an urchin or stingray, he thought. He continued until the water was deep enough for him to float, and then swept the light back and forth. Small fish darted into view, charging after potentially edible detritus his motion had stirred up, but nothing threatening appeared anywhere he could see.

A moment later, and Teresa floated next to him, pulling her fins onto her feet now that she was deep enough that she didn’t need to walk. Her light swung from a wrist cord as she occupied her hands with the fins, sending its beam out in a chaotic manner until she finally took hold of the handle again.

Her breathing was rapid, and sounded louder through the snorkel than it had on their previous swims together. Just as he had done a few minutes before, she scanned her light around, searching for the source of her fears. She found, just as he had, that there was nothing in the shallows that warranted such trepidation.

Transferring the light to his left hand, he reached over and took her free hand in his, and then started a slow, gentle kick for the deeper water. When they arrived at the first formations of shallow coral, he gave her hand a squeeze, waited for the pause in her breath, and descended for the bottom.

A crab scooted slightly under the edge of the coral, turning to keep his face – and claws – towards them as they passed by. Fish hovered within the protection offered by crevices, hoping to escape the notice of nocturnal predators, while a sea slug made a lazy track across the sand at the coral’s base.

He turned his light upwards, and followed the beam on a lazy ascent. Exhaling before he reached the surface, he poked his head up just long enough to inhale before returning his attention to the reef below, and gave Teresa enough time to clear her snorkel and take several breaths.

When she gave his hand a squeeze, he towed her down along another part of the reef. For a moment, he turned his light to look behind them, and smiled. Her legs trailed relaxed, rather than kicking to help propel her through the water. She’s letting me do all the work, but that’s okay. She won’t need to surface for air nearly as often this way.

He stopped short. A group of reef sharks sped across the bottom, just a short distance away. At their size, one alone would be of little concern to him, but this was a decent sized pack. Teresa’s grip on his hand grew tighter, and he weighed his options. If we bolt for the shore, will it attract their attention? If we stay here, are we just as likely to be noticed?

The sharks’ movements seemed disorderly, making the decision process all the more difficult. As he watched, though, he started to notice a certain method to the madness. Sharks on one side of a rock or coral formation would scare fish into darting out the other side, where more sharks waited to make the catch. They weren’t lone hunters all crowded into one small space – they were a cooperative team, working together to catch enough food for all.

The revelation was both fascinating and frightening. If they want us, they’ll surround us and leave us no avenue for escape. They have to know we’re here, though. This is their world, and they can sense us at a much greater distance than we could see them. If they wanted us, they would already be closing in, but they’re not. They want the fish they’re herding out of the reef.

They floated slowly to the surface, where they both caught their breath, and then they followed a short distance behind the sharks. Dolphins hunt at night, when they have the advantage of their sonar. These sharks don’t have sonar, but they have the advantage in the dark nonetheless, and they coordinate like a pod does.

The sharks eventually sped off into the distance, and Timothy turned back towards shore. All these years of swimming in the ocean, and I’m still discovering His wonders in the deep.

To be continued...

Friday Fiction for February 12, 2010

Friday Fiction is hosted this week by Yvonne, over on My Back Door. Look there for her touching love story, and for MckLinky to take you to more great fiction.

I’m pleased to post Part 3 of “Reef, Her Madness” this week, and my plan is to have Part 4 uploaded and scheduled to post next week, when we’ll be on our way to our own tropical island vacation. If you’re visiting the story for the first time, you’ll probably want to catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 first, before getting to this week’s revelations and action.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 3

By Rick Higginson

Teresa was on the beach waiting when he crawled towards the water the following morning.

“So, are things any better at your bungalow today?” he asked.

“Not really,” she said. “Jenny isn’t speaking to either me or her boyfriend now, and she keeps shooting me these looks like it’s somehow my fault.”

“Her loss, then, if she wants to spend the kind of money a resort like this costs, just to waste her time sulking. I, on the other hand, came here to enjoy warm, clear water, and a change of scenery, so that’s my plan for the day.”

“Would you mind if I tagged along?”

“It depends; are you just interested in tagging along because I’m one of the Pod?”

“Well, that is why I took your picture yesterday, but I’m more interested in tagging along because – unlike Jenny and her boyfriend – you’re actually doing something out here. You’re not afraid to go out farther than the shallow reefs, and you make me want to be as at home in the water as you are. I mean, I’m a lot better in that regard than most people, but you – you were literally born for swimming.”

“No, the swimming was secondary. All of us, myself included, were born to prove that Dr. Marcel could change fundamental characteristics of the human body predictably and repeatedly.” He stared off towards the ocean. “He never did tell us what he planned for us after he’d proven his point.”

“Does it really matter now what he’d planned?”

He snorted. “Well, to at least one person, it seems to. That’s a big reason why I’m here, instead of celebrating my twenty-fifth birthday at home. I’m just not into sticking to Dr. Marcel’s last-known plan for my life.”

“What plan was that?”

“We were supposed to be a breeding population. The ultimate proof of his concept would be that the changes he forced into our genetics would be passed along to our offspring, hence demonstrating that he could design away the potential for various diseases from the human body. There are four of us turning twenty-five this spring – myself, Robert, Francine, and Annette. Robert and Francine have been something of a couple for several years, so Annette is determined that means I’m supposed to be with her.”

“I take it you don’t love her.”

“Yes, I do, but pretty much the same way I love anyone else in the Pod. She’s Eva’s youngest sister, though, and while Eva has mellowed some as she’s gotten older, Annette has only gotten more serious and headstrong. I can’t imagine being her boyfriend or mate or husband or whatever kind of arrangement she wants to have, let alone considering the thought of raising children with her.”

“Did you tell her that?”

He laughed. “She’s Eva’s sister, and is convinced that if we do not argue with Eva, then the same rule should apply to her. She’s decided that Dr. Marcel’s plan was that I should be with either her or Francine, and since Francine is already taken, that leaves her. She doesn’t want to wait much longer to start trying to have children.”

“It sounds a lot like the way Daddy had my life planned. I was supposed to graduate High School and then marry a decent guy who could provide for me so that I could stay home and pop out a couple of grandchildren. When I went to college, he hoped I’d meet an up and coming professional there, and get back on track for his plans, but I just don’t see myself as the happy housewife.”

“I guess we’re both big disappointments.”

“Yeah, Daddy keeps asking when I’m going to grow up and settle down.”

“Funny – Annette was asking the same question about me. Why do people assume if you don’t conform to their plans, you’re being immature?”

“I’m still trying to figure out what’s so bad about being immature.” She kicked off her sandals and dropped her towel. “Race you to the water,” she said, and took off running.

He crawled through the sand as fast as he could, which was nowhere near as quick as her legs carried her. By the time he covered the distance to the lagoon, she was already a short ways out, and had her fins, mask, and snorkel in place.

Slipping into the brine, he wiggled forward until the water was deep enough to swim, and then skimmed the bottom to catch up with her. He swung wide, approaching from behind her left side, and as he drew close he kicked hard for the surface. Leaving the water at a steep angle, he rolled slightly to one side and landed flat right beside her with a huge splash.

She coughed through her snorkel, and turned upright to bring her head out of the water. “What are you trying to do, drown me?”

He grinned. “No, if I was trying to drown you, I’d have grabbed your arms and shown you just how long I can stay under without breathing. I just thought since you enjoyed demonstrating your speed on land, I should give you a little demonstration of my speed in the water.”

“By catching up to me and splashing me?”

“No, by jumping and splashing you, though that was an easy jump. I don’t think I went more than about five or six feet up on that one.”

“Five or six feet is an easy jump?”

“I’ve done a lot higher. I could do a five foot jump carrying you along.”

“I swim fast, and I can’t manage so much as a one foot jump. Even with your tail, I can’t imagine you getting that much speed and power.”

“Fine; put your arms around my neck, and when I tell you, be ready to hold your breath.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Hold on and find out.”

She gave him first a doubtful look, which transformed into a daring smile. “You’re on.” She wrapped her arms loosely about his neck, and clasped her hands together.

He reached around her back and gripped both wrists with the opposite hand. “Hold that breath,” he said, and when she complied, he flipped backward.

The descent was an easy, slow pace, drawing her farther from shore and into the deeper water. Her eyes through the mask showed that, so far, she wasn’t impressed. You don’t waste speed on the dive, when it’s the launch that’s important.

Those blue eyes, though, so close in front of his face, made him think of all the times the Pod had danced in the Family Room pool. Why did I never notice anyone else’s eyes when they were this close to me before? Is it just the tropical water, or is she really that much warmer than anyone else I’ve embraced?

Concern appeared in her expression as some air escaped her lips. She can’t stay down too much longer.

He shook off the distraction, and put every bit of energy he could into his tail. The surface seemed to rush towards them, and he held tighter to keep her from slipping away in the force of the water.

They departed the water nearly straight-up, and he leaned backwards to take the brunt of the splash. With just the slightest flick of his tail, he brought her to the surface.

“That was incredible,” she said, still holding him around the neck.

He released his grip on his wrists, and rested his hands lightly on her back. Yes, it was. Why hasn’t jumping ever seemed that incredible before?

“There’s still the reef to explore,” she said.

He nodded, and removed his arms from around her.

Her hands started to slip from his neck, and then she suddenly placed one on the back of his head and kissed him, before diving away towards the reef.

Here I go again, chasing her.

To be continued…

Friday Fiction for February 5, 2010

Friday Fiction is hosted this week by Joanne, on her blog An Open Book. Open it up to find MckLinky and the list of other stories for your reading enjoyment.

This week is part 2 of the new Pod short story, Reef, Her Madness. If you’re coming to the story for the first time, you’ll probably want to click over to Part 1 before reading this week’s entry. For those continuing on, we now rejoin Timothy on his tropical island vacation.

Reef, Her Madness

Part 2

By Rick Higginson

Dinner was ordered, and would arrive shortly, so Timothy occupied the time while waiting by watching the lagoon. The lights of a boat receded into the distance, carrying the scuba divers out for a night dive, and he considered the idea. Maybe I should get a dive light, and see what the reef is like at night. There were a few guests down on the beach, and some even ventured a dip into the water, but from what he could see, none were wandering too far from shore. What would it be like to be out there in the dark, without any of the dolphins staying close to watch over me? The idea was both frightening and exhilarating. All my life, I’ve trusted the dolphins to keep me safe from what I couldn’t see, but regular people go out all the time in dive gear, with nothing but normal human senses and bright flashlights to guard them. Why couldn’t I do the same thing?

He chuckled, thinking of what Eva and Marta would say to the idea. ‘Keep the dolphins close, and listen to their sounds – they’ll alert you to any threats in the area.’ Dr. Marcel had taught them that, and it had been repeated with the determination and reverence of a religious truth. Maybe that’s part of the problem. Maybe we depended on the dolphins so much for so long, that we’ve robbed ourselves of the heightened senses we should have been developing all along.

The light of the waxing, crescent moon shimmered across the nearly smooth surface of the lagoon, and he found the effect enticing. Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow, I’ll look into a dive light, and if I can get one, I’ll enjoy a night swim to see what the reef is like in the dark.

He didn’t bother turning at the sound of knocking on the door. “It’s unlocked,” he called over his shoulder. When he heard the door open, he added, “Just put it on the low table by the chair.”

“Excuse me?”

He shifted position. The woman from the reef stood on his porch, peeking tentatively around the slightly ajar door. “Sorry,” he said. “I thought you were room service.” Why is the Crazy Reef Girl here?

“Were you expecting them to deliver a woman to you?” she asked.

“No, I was expecting them to deliver the Shepherd’s Pie I ordered for dinner. Were you afraid I’d need a buddy for safe eating?”

“Um, no, I was, um, just-” She looked down at the floor. “I was kind of hoping I could hang out here for a while. I got back to our bungalow after dinner, and my friend was having a big fight with her boyfriend. I’m not sure what it’s about, but after hearing her yell my name before I even got to the door, I decided I’d rather not find out.”

“Why did you think to come to my bungalow?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know anyone else here at the resort. I thought about going to the lounge, but I’m just not really into that whole, ‘girl alone at the bar is looking for a date’ perception that most guys have. They buy drinks whether I want one or not, and then act like I owe them big time for it.” She gave him a hopeful look. “So, can I come in?”

What do they call that look? ‘Puppy-dog eyes?’ How am I supposed to say no to puppy-dog eyes? “Yeah, come on in,” he said.

She stepped through the door, and closed it behind her. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“So long as you don’t mind me eating in front of you, no. Until dinner arrives, I was just looking at the lagoon and thinking about getting a light for a night swim tomorrow night.”

“I’ve thought about that, but it kind of scares me.”

“That’s part of why I want to. I’ve been in the dark ocean before, but the Pod was always right there. We had the dolphins to rely on, and each other, but we never really had the ability to just go out and see what the ocean was like at night. I just watched a dive boat go out, with all these people who weren’t created for the ocean like I was, and they’re going to do something that I’ve always been conditioned to be afraid of doing. If they can do it, I should be able to also.”

She came over and stood by the sliding glass door, looking out at the sea. “Would you take me with you, if you do?”

“Would you stay away if I said no?”

“Considering you could easily leave me behind if you wanted to, it wouldn’t make any sense for me to try and come along if you didn’t want me to, but wouldn’t it be more fun with someone to share it with?”

As much as I hate to admit it, it was more fun chasing around the reef with her earlier today. “Yeah, it would. Do you have a dive light?”

“I need to rent one from the resort dive center, too.”

“I’ll make you a deal – if you do the leg work to go pick them up, I’ll cover the cost of the rentals.”

“That sounds fair.”

“You know, if you’re going to stick around, I should probably know what to call you besides ‘Crazy Reef Girl’.”

She giggled. “Oh, I don’t know. ‘Merman and Crazy Reef Girl’ has a certain ring to it, like a super-hero and sidekick.” She affected a deep, theatrical voice. “Protecting the oceans from profiteering polluters and felonious fisheries!”

“Okay, point taken. You are Crazy Reef Girl, but you’re still going to need your secret identity that I can call you in public.”

“Teresa,” she said.

“Timothy,” he said, and then tilted his head to one side to listen. “If I’m not mistaken, that sounds like a cart right outside the door, so if you wouldn’t mind, Teresa, let room service in so I can have my dinner.”

To be continued...