Click to read the first page of this article- Lighthouse Keeper's Boy-1
“Welcome to Atlantis” she whispered and pulled apart waving seaweed to reveal another world. It truly was another world, and much more than what he imagined when his mother narrated tales from this very place. A part of him wished that this wasn’t coincidence and that he was in the place from the bedtime stories. If that were true, then how did his mother come to know about it? On the other hand he hoped he was dreaming, for he had no idea what was to happen once his dad found that he was missing. Either ways, he wished he was dreaming. All these thoughts burned in his head as Vieira led the way to the legendary city. The domes were just like she said, blue with golden statues running across them. The entire city seemed to be draped in an invisible force that held air inside it. Caspian searched for the gates. They were big, blue doors where the strongest mermaids guarded them. Not sooner after he thought of it, it appeared and he felt the tinge as he swam past them.
Caspian gasped as he spilt out the water that had gotten into his lungs. His vision was fuzzy as his eyes darted to see what had pushed him into the water and gotten him back now that he was alive. A round pale white face came into his view and she kept apologising. When his vision cleared, he could’ve have sworn that it looked like his mother; or whatever memory he had of her. Her ebony hair hung in wavy curls that swung back and forth as she spoke to him. He propped himself up on the rocks and got a good look at her. He would’ve believed that his mother had come back for him if it wasn’t for the rest of her body. Below her waist were her legs wrapped in green scales up till the protrusion of her fins at the end. “Well there’s the answer” he thought, “those were what sent me drowning.” Then the obvious hit him, he was looking at a mermaid, a mythical creature. Did this mean that everything else was true? Shaking the water out of his ears, he heard her charming voice.
“You’re the Lighthouse Keeper’s Son, Am I right?” she asked directly. Half amazed and spellbound, Caspian stuttered a reply of agreement.
“Come with me, we need your help!”
“But wait, I’m just a boy! I’m not supposed to swim at sea!”
“Caspian, you’re the boy, quick we’re running out of time!” Caspian glanced at the Lighthouse towering behind him then at the mermaid who was almost into the water. He hesitated and she swam back to him.
“Look, don’t you want to see the world your mother told you about? I thought you were full of adventure. Come on, I promise I’ll leave you back by sunset.” There was nothing more he could say, his mother was involved in this. Past, or present… she was involved. He had to go. He had to get his questions answered
Throughout the journey, the Queen’s handmaiden, the mermaid didn’t say a thing. He asked a lot, ever since she fitted a mask of oxygen to him, and he just couldn’t quit. The sun lit the waters and showed a path that was fast fading. Coral reefs, colorful algae, and pretty fishes passed by him as his eyes remained wide throughout the journey. They crossed many trenches, and then Vieira, the mermaid, quickly sunk into one of them.
“Welcome to Atlantis” she whispered and pulled apart waving seaweed to reveal another world. It truly was another world, and much more than what he imagined when his mother narrated tales from this very place. A part of him wished that this wasn’t coincidence and that he was in the place from the bedtime stories. If that were true, then how did his mother come to know about it? On the other hand he hoped he was dreaming, for he had no idea what was to happen once his dad found that he was missing. Either ways, he wished he was dreaming. All these thoughts burned in his head as Vieira led the way to the legendary city. The domes were just like she said, blue with golden statues running across them. The entire city seemed to be draped in an invisible force that held air inside it. Caspian searched for the gates. They were big, blue doors where the strongest mermaids guarded them. Not sooner after he thought of it, it appeared and he felt the tinge as he swam past them.
The only thing that didn’t seem right was the shimmer and the glow that she used to say lit the city. It was so empty rather.
“Where is the magical touch to it? It looks so…”he dragged not knowing how to describe it.
“Ruined, deserted, I know. That’s why we needed you.” She finished for him. They came to a stop in front of an old temple. Inside were all the missing mermaids he realized. And they were all bowing down to a statue that completely resembled his mother…and in the story, mermaids only bowed to their Queen. Caspian took a deep breath.
“Our Queen, Gabriella…Your mother” said Vieira as she too bowed paying respect to the dead Queen.
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