The Heir of Depths

Her breathing was accelerated, drops of sweat appeared on her forehead and neck and tears emerged from her dark hazel eyes. She was running without a destination, just to escape from the consequences of her actions.

She was passing through tall grass, tall enough to hide her short figure. When she was sure she was far enough, she dropped to her knees, exhausted and trying to calm down her breathing. The same scene played repeatedly in her brain, the tears clouded her vision while they hung from her long eyelashes.

Arline Cole was twenty two years old when she chose to run and hide in the woods. Since that moment, her entire life took a turn, it was still for the universe to decide if it was for the best or for the worst. She was born into a well positioned family. It was loving and it had its problems, just like any other, but it was her blood.

In between her agitated breath the calm murmur of the sea invaded her ears. This would’ve been normal if the sea was nearby, but she happened to be in the middle of a deserted field, surrounded by trees. She was confused and was debating wether to go back and face her well deserved punishment or search for the source of this out-of- place sound.

Arline almost went for the first option when she heard people approaching her hiding spot. The panic and guilt of her actions invaded her senses and without fully getting up she started running again towards the thick grove in front of her. She wasn’t ready to stand in front of who she had hurt.

She easily hid behind one of the trees, paying straight attention to who was coming for her. How am I getting out of this one?. A very concerned voice spoke in her mind.

For a second time, before she was about to turn herself in, she heard it again. That calmness hugged her, it eased her mind, almost hypnotized her.

The curiosity was stronger than her sense of responsibility, so Arline decided to turn her back to the horde that was searching for her and try to find where the sea that was calling for her. She knew she was delaying the inevitable and playing dumb, wasting destiny’s time before it could get to her.

As she was passing through trees and branches, her legs came to a sudden stop and listened carefully. On her left, under a dark shadow she made out a mirage, just like those in deserts or very hot roads. But it was settled in a dark, cold forest, on a cloudy day and was shaped as an arc.

She was unsure to approach it and felt stupid when she did. The closer she got to the blurry arc, the colder it got. She felt how someone or something pulled her towards an unreachable sea. She had crossed the arc. One moment she was walking and in the other she was sinking into the floor. Except the floor was wet, freezing cold and moved violently.

Arline started to freak out, to choke on water and sink deeper, the cold and lonely darkness of the water surrounding her. But quickly she put her thoughts together and rose to the surface. While trying to stay afloat she glimpsed a piece of land with enormous mountains. It wasn’t far away, so with all her remaining strength and adrenaline, Arline started to swim.

Once she reached the rocky shore, her arms and legs were cramped and tired. She felt frozen, clammy and heavy due to her soaking clothes. She just wanted to close her eyes and give herself into a deep sleep. Until she heard people approaching the place where she was laying. So she forced her exhausted body to get up and seek for a place to hide. The sinking feeling of untrustworthiness settled on her stomach, and felt as if she was being chased down a road.

Arline felt how her knees were shaking and how her clothes weighted her down but managed to hide behind a fallen tree trunk in the beginning edges of the pine tree forest, she felt relieved to be hiding. Her intuition didn’t fail her. These men were carrying big hunting rifles, one of them a bow and arrow. Not to mention they were ripped and tall, with thick beards. They looked intimidating and violent, and were laughing hysterically as they were preparing a bonfire to cook their dinner.

She tried to stay alert and awake as long as she could but her lids became heavier every time she blinked, so she fell asleep in the cold, damp soil, covered with leaves, trusting that the forest did her a favor and hid her well enough to keep her safe for the night.