Where the Darkness Rises

Not like this. It couldn't be like this.

   The water was cold. Dark. A murky abyss that held horrors unknown to all but God himself.

   Maple's feet slipped as she tried to pull herself further up the shelf. Her vision was limited, all light lost to the void that was gradually filling the space.

   "Tyler!" Maple yelled. The name had been screamed so many times that it was now nothing more than a near inaudible rasp, and just like the times before there was no reply.

   "No, no, no, no, no. Please, please, please," were the words that fell from Maple's lips in a desperate prayer. She could feel the numbness around her waist now, steadily creeping up. The eerie silence caused by the lack of company made every other sound seem so unnatural.

   The splash somewhere to her left, the bubbling a few meters in front. Something touched her leg and Maple frantically tried to scramble further up the shelf, only for the metal above to prevent her escape.

   Why had she agreed to this? What had made her think that it would be ok?

   After a particularly devastating break up, her adrenaline junkie big brother had approached with the plea for her to join him on a weeklong retreat on the dingy little yacht he'd splurged his savings on. Had it been anyone else, and any other circumstance then Maple would have placed a firm foot down and refused, but she hadn't been able to ignore the desperate look in her brothers eyes.

   If only she'd stuck to her gut.

   She'd never liked boats, the ocean, lakes, water in general. On the hottest of days she'd prefer to sit in front of the open freezer than dare to venture towards any large water source for heat relief.

   Now here she was, in the dark and surrounded by the thing she hated the most. A part of her wished desperately for any form of light source, but the other half was afraid of what she might see beneath the ink once illuminated by yellow light.

   A few hours ago she had been awoken when a violent bump had rocked the ship. She'd stumbled out of her bedroom whilst simultaneously attempting to rouse herself from the remnants of her slumber. When her bare feet had come into contact with a coldness that splashed around her ankles, the sudden wave of panic that had drowned her had been paralyzing. By the time she had finally managed to regain control of her body, the water had already reached her knees.

   "Tyler!'

   That had been the first time his name was screamed into the night. Maple had tried to get to him, but the moment her hand enclosed his door handle a torrent of water knocked her off her feet. It rushed down the stairs from the upper deck as if it were an army on horseback overwhelming their enemies.

   There was nothing she could do but retreat back to her room as she waited to be consumed by a watery grave.

   She felt exposed, nothing but shorts and a tank top to protect her skin from the unknown objects that brushed against her. Holding tight to the top of the shelf in her room to prevent herself being submerged, she pulled her knees up as high as she could. Having her bare feet floating in the liquid void made her feel uneasy. She didn't know what things could be lurking around her, gliding through the water with ease, watching her struggle, waiting for her to stop kicking.

   Or maybe they wouldn't wait that long. Maybe they would just wait until she was weak, exhausted, and couldn't fight back. Maybe they'd slither forward through the water, latch on with gnashing teeth or twisting tentacles, eyes large, eyes small, eyes bulging, or maybe even no eyes at all.

   Maple was finding it hard to breathe. Not because the water had reached her face, but because she was surrounded by the unknown. A large, dark, murky unknown. The ocean is vast. It goes down, and down, and down. Large caves and caverns, creatures that not even science can explain.

   "Tyler," Maple tried once more, her voice wavering as she felt water lapping at her chin. The room she was in was small but yet it that moment it felt so large.

   Something nudged against her arm and she nearly screamed. She floundered, water splashing into her face as she attempted to discern what it was that had touched her. Her hand enclosed around a cylindrical object and her mind determined it to be her brothers waterproof torch. Forcing herself to take deep breaths she fumbled for the on switch.

   A small circle of pale light hit the surface of the water. Maple couldn't stop the shaking in her hands as she slowly moved it around the room. Various shapes lay beneath the surface, dark and distorted. Was it just her or were they moving?

   She nearly jumped as a shoe floated through the light of her torch, but upon realising what it was, she let out a shaky sigh. Shifting to hold the torch between her cheek and shoulder, she grabbed the shoe with one hand, checking it carefully to make sure nothing was hiding inside. Once she was satisfied, she slowly raised one foot up as high as she could before awkwardly slipping the shoe on. That was the smallest bit better. It made her feel less exposed.

   She turned her light towards the door to see it was completely submerged, to try and leave she would have to swim. She would have to fully submerge herself. Hold her breath and hoped there was space to breathe on the other side. But what if there wasn't? What if they had already sunk so low that there would be nowhere to catch her breath? Even so, if she was somehow able to make it out of the boat and to the surface, what then? Would she just be left to float in the wide expanse of blue? Feet dangling, and completely vulnerable to all that may lurk below? How long would she be stuck like that? Would anyone ever find her?

   The water had risen past her lips, and she had to tilt her head back to keep her nose above the surface. What choice did she have? It was either she waited there to be swallowed, or she took a gamble on the only option she had.

   Growing up, her and her brother had always saved each other. When they were climbing a tree and the branch below her snapped, it was Tyler who had grabbed her ankle and kept her from falling until their parents came to help. And when Tyler had ran onto the road after accidentally hitting his ball the wrong way it had been Maple who had grabbed the back of his shirt just in time as the car sped past.

   But Maple was on her own this time. Tyler wasn't there to save her for he had surely already fallen prey to their watery enemy. What would he do if he was here? Surely he would say to take a gamble. After all, he was never very good at waiting.

   Maple took one last deep breath, and with a silent prayer passing through her mind, she dipped beneath the water.