Arenia

The waves crashed against the sides of the canoe. Cosmo gripped the hull of the boat with everything he had to stay above the water. As his small ship rose and sank with the aggression of the midnight storm, the fisherman knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his stability. With every gust of wind and pelting of seawater, Cosmo was quickly losing strength. He’d been on the water for only 2 hours when the skies began to darken, and the temperature dropped rapidly. He’d been planning this fishing trip for months, and when the time finally came, he wasn’t going to let a “chance of rain” stop him from getting out and enjoying his holiday.

This mistake was at the forefront of his mind as he clenched the wooden slats of his canoe with wet fingers. The energy of the sea seemed only to be increasing, and the strength in his fingers and arms to be declining. His biceps trembled; his fingers slid on the smooth timber. With one final explosive smash from the ocean, Cosmo’s small canoe was obliterated, wooden shrapnel sent in every direction. His fishing pole, gear, and lunch bag were shot off into darkness and the man was plunged deep below the surface. In the black of night and the midst of the storm, it was impossible to tell which direction was up. His head was spinning from the impact and he flailed underwater in sheer panic. After a few minutes of struggling, Cosmo saw the darkness closing in around him and he slowly ceased to fight.

Laying on his back on dry land, Cosmo opened his eyes and coughed up a mouthful of warm seawater. He was disoriented and confused, but safe and dry. He knew he was out of the water, but as he examined the air above him with squinted eyes, he saw ocean. He glanced fish swimming far above his head; algae, coral, and deep-sea vegetation were visible in every direction. He pushed himself up with his elbows and coughed up more seawater. He was re-gathering his bearings and at the same time becoming more confused with the situation. Cosmo was on a beach, but at the same time deep underwater. His fingers wriggled through the dry sand, his lungs cycled the air around him, and his clothes fluttered in the wind. He rose to his feet and let the sudden rush of dizziness pass before walking towards what appeared to be a wall made of sand off in the distance. Starting off slow, his strength soon returned to him and he made his way towards the wall. As he approached, the structure seemed to grow larger. When he was within 100 feet, it was apparent that this was a massive construction, very different in size than his viewpoint in the sand had him believe. As Cosmo took the final steps towards the base of the wall, he had to crane his neck almost 90 degrees upward to see the top. He was in utter disbelief and frozen in place when the structure slowly began to vibrate. Too afraid to approach and to mesmerized to run, Cosmo planted his feet and waited for whatever was going to happen next. Within seconds, the massive barrier split with a vertical opening and the pieces slid through the sand to either side. The slot grew until it would allow Cosmo enough room to pass. Cosmo felt a strong urge, a pulling from inside his chest, to seek whatever was beyond the wall. He followed the path inside and fell into absolute astonishment.

Once inside the massive barrier of sand, Cosmo laid his eyes on the largest, most intricate set of buildings he’d ever seen. Not the types of structures he’d seen on the surface of Earth, these constructions were made of perfectly packed sand, glistening obsidian, smooth rock, and colorful coral from the depths of the ocean. Every wall of every building was expertly crafted and beautifully constructed; some of the largest rising through the clouds. He was standing amidst an underwater utopia. The sea was above him; clouds were below that. He didn’t feel trapped, or claustrophobic. It was as if this was normal; everything felt correct and in order inside these walls. Bliss spread through his body as he walked towards the city of sand. There wasn’t a shred of doubt, anxiety, or worry about who lived in these dwellings. He felt euphoric at his discovery, unsure if he was dreaming, dead, or hallucinating. Everything felt real, everything felt right. In the center of the city stood the most intriguing building of them all. Most of the structures had hints of glossy obsidian, maybe a flash of colored coral. Most parts of the city were made of predominately sand – all of it breathtaking, however. What Cosmo was looking at now in the heart of the metropolis left him speechless, almost without tangible thought. He struggled to find anything from his life that he could compare to what he was looking at now. Dwarfing the other structures, made from pure black stone and speckled with shining glass, this part of the town was not like the rest. The amount of color exploding from this building was breathtaking. Cosmo was being drawn directly towards this attraction. He was aware of his feet shuffling him forward, his mind detached from his body. He realized he didn’t want to stop his forward progress. Instead, he did what he could to move quicker. As he came up to the front of the building, a single panel at the base eroded, and a doorway appeared. It was the perfect height for Cosmo, and he entered without hesitation.

Inside the great monolith was a single chair, a throne, large enough to hold a human 10 times the size of Cosmo and adorned with every color imaginable. The colors didn’t clash; instead, they blended beautifully and seemed to create a rainbow that flowed throughout like art. Coral had been chiseled and sculpted to shape the throne and it appeared both smooth and comfortable. The shine from the obsidian walls reflected in the background, and as Cosmo tilted his head upward, he was unable to see a roof to this room. The stunning walls rose to infinity. As Cosmo leveled his head back towards the gigantic chair in front of him, he was struck with amazement as he realized it was no longer empty, as it had been before. Seated before him was the most impressive being he’d ever seen. Fitting the chair seamlessly, the being was much larger than Cosmo, but not frightening or intimidating. The man in the chair shared the qualities of a human, but on a much larger scale. He was built to perfection, embodying an almost supernatural flawlessness. Atop the head of this enormous man sat a golden crown. All 16 points of the crown had a small carved piece of coral, each a different color. The gold glistened and coral popped with vibrant shades. The man sat his throne with grace and power, but also with benevolence. The softness of the man’s face comforted Cosmo, and he approached, stretching his head upward to keep eye contact with this fascinating man. When he was at the foot of the throne, and only at the height of the man’s ankles, the sand below Cosmo rose swiftly. He was lifted like an elevator until he was at eye level with the king.

“Hello Cosmo, welcome to Arenia, my underwater kingdom.”

Cosmo felt it easy to find his words, the feeling of shock he experienced outside had been replaced with a relaxed feeling of contentedness. “Thank you, Great King. I’m not sure where I am or what has happened, but I’m awestruck by what I’ve seen. It’s beyond words. The beauty of this palace and the city surrounding it is past description.”

The king gave a modest bow and continued to speak softly and kindly to his guest. “You were in an accident on the surface of the sea, Cosmo. The storm capsized your boat and sent you underwater. I am the God of the deep sea, protector of those taken by the ocean, restorer of aquatic life. Arenia is a unique city in that it can accommodate both those who breathe air, and those who are sustained in water. You were on your way to death before I came upon you and brought you here to my kingdom.”

Cosmo was amazed by what he was hearing, but he knew it was true. He knew he wasn’t in a dream, and he knew he was experiencing something that very few have before.

The God of the Deep Sea continued. “Cosmo, you have an option that I am going to present to you now. You are free to return to your homeland, to the surface of Earth and to the troubles plagued by that society. We are on the ocean floor, but I can return you to your home in a matter of seconds, if that is what you wish. On the contrary, you may select to stay here with us in Arenia. We have everything you need for a fulfilling life. The societal troubles of the surface have not made their way down here, nor shall they ever. You will find this life full of happiness and enrichment but will need to leave your surface possessions behind. In addition, if I return you to your native homeland, I will erase the memory of this kingdom from your mind. You will have no recollection of this happening and therefore will not spread the knowledge of Arenia. We protect the sea in silence. What is it that you wish to do?”

Cosmo stood on his platform of sand, full of bliss but aware of the decision he must now make. The feeling inside his body and at the forefront of his mind was unmistakable. His worries, his plaguing thoughts, his anxieties – they were all gone. There seemed to be no problems down here, no negativity. He could start his life anew and live out his days in pure happiness. If he were to leave however, he would have no memory of this experience, no sliver of proof that this encounter ever occurred. The prospect of staying in Arenia was intriguing, but he made his decision quickly.

“Thank you for the offer to stay here and enjoy the fruits of your metropolis, but I’m accustomed to my life and to those that I share it with. I’d like to return to the surface, even if that means that Arenia will be washed from my mind.” The feeling of bliss that had flooded his body was suddenly flushed out by disappointment.

The God responded, “As you wish. I am going to return you to the morning of your fishing trip, but I am going to grant you the intuition to make a better choice regarding the weather forecast. The memory of this visit will be cleansed from your memory and the secret of Arenia will continue.”

Cosmo expressed his sincere gratitude for the saving of his life before darkness enveloped him. He awoke several hours later in his bed. Feeling well rested, Cosmo got to his feet, stretched out his back, and immediately thought about the day’s fishing trip. A smile spread across his face as he put on his slippers and walked outside to grab the paper. Standing in his driveway, he opened straight to the weather section. The smile soon faded from his face. “Chance of Rain” read the forecast for today’s date. Unsure exactly why, he had a strong feeling that he’d better mind the paper and go fishing another day. Disappointed, he crumpled up the print and tossed it into the trash. He retreated into his home, dumped his slippers by the bedside, and quickly fell back asleep.