Lea-rough drafts

Part 8

The tunnel levels out as it approaches the exit. The bright light of midday sun
forces Lea to squint. Far in the distance is the outline of land. She focuses on the dock in
front of her. Sunlight flashes on the water sending shocks of light into her brain. She
closes her eyes until Lorelei places a hard object into her hand. "Put them on your face
to cover your eyes. The arms fit on top of your ears," Lorelei gently commands.
The eye mask is made of a hard substance she hasn't ever seen before. It is shiny
like glass, but thick and dark like metal. Two circles, like windows are filled with dark
glass. Placing them on her face brings instant relief to her eyes and she is able to see
again unaffected by the brilliant sun.
Lea looks around her. Long square logs float in the water. Each connects at one
end to a flat walk way and the other end to a round floating ball. Small vessels are tied
along the logs. The vessels don't look like the drawings of boats in Lia's children's
scroll. The bottom forms a V under the water and the top is covered by flat boards to
form a floor. A metal and glass bubble cover an opening in the floor and seats are
attached randomly around the flat surface.
The boy is helped onto the boat and into a chair out of the sun. Lea steps on board
and feels the smooth surface under her feet. It looks slippery but is finely grooved to
prevent slipping. Orange puffy tubes with straps are piled in one corner of the room
under the deck.
"Life jackets," Lorelei whispers, "Terrans need them to stay afloat in case they fall
in the water. They will bob with their faces above the water, so they can breathe. Even
the best Terran swimmers can barely hold their breath for 3 or 4 minutes. Sad really."
Everyone climbs aboard and the boat engine starts up with a sputter and a rumble
unlike anything Lea has ever heard. The boat begins to move, slowly maneuvering away
from the dock and out into the open water. The faster the boat travels the more the wind
blows across her face. It is so fast and strong she can't breathe. She turns sideways so the
wind isn't straight against her mouth, She is able to to take a deep breath again, but her
hair whips wildly around her cutting into her eyes and mouth. The faster the boat travels,
the more fiercely it dances around her. The captain hands her a stretchy circle and she
guesses she can use it to restrain her wild tresses. Pulling both hand fulls of hair together
she manages to shove it through the circle and get her curls under control.
The boy is sitting up now and Lea realizes that she doesn't even know his name.
She turns toward him and tries to think of what to say. She opens her mouth, but he turns
his back and stares out at the water. Clearly he wants to be alone.
A white bird with gray wingtips scans the water looking for a midday meal. A
dolphin breaches the water and dives in with almost no splash. A second dolphin swims
along the opposite side. A third jumps across the boat's path. The dolphins are playing
and Lea smiles to see their personalities. The darker gray male is daring and crosses in
front. The lighter female jumps and dives showing off her twists. The largest dolphin is
more cautious and does not perform for them like the other two. He swims beside them,
almost escorting. Dolphins and whales are incredibly smart, sometimes smarter than
humans. They open locks like an octopus and work puzzles like an opal squid. They
have animal instincts to guide, giving them warnings humans no longer sense. Only a
very few have cracked the simplest codes of their languages.
Off in the distance Lea sees a large island. Barely visible under a fuzzy brown
cloud is the outline of Land. The largest dolphin gives a loud clicking signal and the
dolphins peel off back toward the underwater city.
With the island behind them, the captain explains the increasing danger. The
shipping lanes cross their path. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles provide most
of the trade products for the whole Terran civilization. Gigantic ships larger than an
entire community are stacked with square containers. Each container is larger than the
boat they sit in. Hundreds of thousands piled up like children's blocks. These ships are
very slow, but disastrous to a small boat in their way. Smaller sailing boats dot the
surface. Terrans out for a trip on their own boats, many have colorful fabric sheets to
distinguish them from each other.
Strange square islands scatter across the panorama. Fake trees attach along the
bases like a bad child's art project instead of a real island. Sharks surround the large
structures. Doctor Tohunga describes how the "island" warms water around it's base
making a perfect location for all sorts of fish, birds and seals. The sharks feast well and
will jump at anything or anyone who dares to swim into their territory.
"Machines," the captain says teaching Lea the word for the incredible metal
beasts. "They are created from steel which is a metal like gold or silver, but much
stronger. The constant up and down pumping draws oil out of the sea floor for the
Terrans to use in their transports and other machines."
"Machine," she repeats, "machine." She pronounces it slightly differently than the
captain, but he nods his head. She can say it well enough. Lea learned from her parents
both the language of her people as well as the language of their closest neighbors. Her
community trades and works with the neighboring Zealanders, who speak Ing-lush. Her
grandfather strictly only spoke Ing-lush in their home. Her mom was fluent at a young
age. Growing up her mom created "Zealand days." They would speak, eat, and dress to
appreciate the culture of their neighbors. Often visitors came to their home. Lea loves to
speak to them in their own language and ask all sorts of questions about the language
and culture.
The captain spots a coastal patrol ship and warns Lea and Lorelei to put on their
fins. If they are stopped the two women will have to swim to shore. The Terrans in this
part of the Land are very defensive of strangers coming onto their shores. They go to
great lengths to keep everyone out unless they can identify themselves and have
permission to be there. Other Terrans often try to smuggle harmful things from different
areas too.
If they are stopped Lea and Lorelei will hide in the water and escape without
being seen. The captain will be able to sufficiently explain one boy, but not all three of
them.
"Why don't we change our direction and travel away from them," Lea suggests.
"If we act like we are trying to avoid them, they will suspect us for sure," explains
the captain. "If we continue as though they aren't even there, we have a better chance to
reach the dock without them paying attention to us."
The coastal patrol suddenly changes direction and increasing it's speed heads
straight for them. Lea and Lorelei dive into the water off the side of the moving boat.
Lea is thrilled to finally be able to swim. Her skin feels so light and clean as she swirls
and speeds as fast as her legs can move her. She turns to find Lorelei wondering if she
needs to slow down for the old woman. She smiles in surprise to see her ahead, off to the
left. She seems to be enjoying the dip as much as Lea is.
Lorelei signals the direction they should head and both dash through the deep.
Under the water the patrol is unable to see them. The dark movement of something in
the water, a large shark glides effortlessly, tasting the water. It can't see them with it's
poor eyesight.
The shark responds to the waves created by their movement. He pivots gracefully
and circles them slowly smelling if they are the type of animal he is searching for. His
circle gets tighter and faster until he actually brushes against Lorelei's leg. Expecting an
attack Lorelei balls her fists. The shark rubs his nose against Lea and she lets out a small
squeak of anxiety. The shark circles them again, this time wider and slower. What can
he be doing, Lea wonders, this is not regular shark behavior. If he wants to eat them he
should attack, if he doesn't he should leave.
Sharks are not very complicated animals, all instinct and no thoughts. It's almost
as if he's searching for something he thinks is here, but can't find it. Another rotation and
the shark swims off into the deep. Lorelei is visibly relieved. Lea released her deep
breath, only afterward realizing that she would have to surface now to regain some air.
Lorelei signs that it is OK to surface, they are far enough from the patrol and still some
distance from the shore.
Catching her breath, Lea listens to Lorelei tell her the plan for arriving on the
beach. "There may be people jumping in the waves, lots of children and a few adults.
We will need to stop just outside the wave line to remove our fins before we swim in.
Under no circumstances should Terrans see a Mer with a fin. These people are very
susceptible to suggestion, always coming up with one crazy fad after another: aliens,
catastrophic events, fairies, wizards, etc. One person thinking they saw a Mer would
cause a ridiculous amount of insanity. People would fill the water around the Catalina
searching for Mer. Who knows what disaster it could create."
Diving deep they start toward the beach quickly but not in a hurry. The ocean
floor begins to slope upward. Plants and animals change the closer to shore. Seals play
tag in the distant surf. One small seal greedily gulps up the fish scared off by his friends.
Lorelei stops Lea and they pull off the green scaly fins exposing their bare legs
and feet to the cool water. Each tucks their fins a small bag Lorelei brought with her.
"It will be safer if we separate before arriving on shore, Lorelei tells her. "You
should stay under water until you get into the waves with people riding boards and
children swimming. Jump and play in the waves for a few minutes so anyone looking
will not notice a girl suddenly appear. Anyone who has spotted you will ignore it if you
act naturally."
Once she leaves the water, Lea will walk toward the pier and meet at the top of the
ramp by the seal statue. Lorelei swims off toward the left and Lea continues straight
toward the waves. A line of waves races up to people on long oval boards floating on top
of the water. The waves closer to shore are filled with children and adults riding on their
bellies on shorter boards.
Lea surfaces in between two girls floating on bright orange boards. She is startled
by how little clothing they are wearing. They are swimming around nearly naked. She
waits for another wave to arrive and jumps through the water letting it tumble her. Now
she can stand and raise her head above the water, catching a breath she waits for another
wave, then another.
Lea glances again at the girls, but there is now only one. One board bobs above
the water it's long tail floating in front of it in the water. She can't see the other child
anywhere.
Lea dives, the girl lying on the bottom sand not moving. In a smooth kick she
reaches her and grabbing the girl's arm she pushes off toward the surface. A large
muscular arm reaches through the wave, and grabs them both. A young man with a red
float on a rope drifting behind him catches the younger girl and carries her up to the
beach. Laying her down he presses on her chest. The girl doesn't respond, he tries again.
A gurgling cough erupts. He turns her on her side to help clear the water and vomit. A
woman frantically calls the girl's name.
Quietly Lea tries to walk off toward the pier to meet Lorelei. She fears she has
taken too long and Lorelei will be worried. The lifeguard yells at her to stay. She freezes
mid-step. The medic arrives in a urchin yellow truck and jumps out with his medical kit
to attend to the nearly drowned girl. The life guard heads over to Lea.
"You saved her," he announces with a smile, "It would have taken me much
longer to find her. She might not have made it if you hadn't gotten to her so fast."
Lea shifts in the sand, uncomfortable listening to the lifeguard's praise. "How did
you swim so quickly? You went under and then came right up with her. It was amazing.
For a second I thought I might have to rescue both of you but you are really a hero." Lea
blushed a little at his compliments but terror also froze her heart.
What reason could she give, what excuse could she make to explain how she did it
without telling him the truth? Her mind rolls through possible things to say. Finally she
spurts out, "I just looked for her and there she was."
The life guard stares blankly at her response and she hopes she is free to go, but
instead he asks another question. "That's a strange accent, where are you from?
Lea wants so badly to disappear. Once again her mind rolls through possible
answers to give.
"I'm just visiting my cousin," she avoids his question. "I need to go, she's waiting
for me," she blurts, turns and runs away.
The pier extends out into the water. She nearly stopped running as she marveled at
the huge tree trunks dug into the sand. Barely glancing she noticed the small box
building on the end, a bright sign advertises a restaurant. A few fishermen sit on the end,
long fishing lines disappear into the waves. Couples and families stroll along it's wooden
planks enjoying the ocean breeze without having to brave the sand and water. Lea sees
the sand hill to lead her upwards. When she reaches it she notices the sand is no longer
loose and soft. It is compacted into a sort of flat rock extending up the hill and along the
grass. Walking tentatively the rock sand is rough beneath her feet. Lea ascends the ramp
searching for a sea lion statue. She spots the sea lion replica, but Lorelei is not there. Her
stomach jumps against her heart. What if something happened to Lorelei? How can I
find the hospital with the doctor and the boy? How am I going to find my cousin?
Lea's heart calms when she sees Lorelei walking toward her down the rock sand
pathway. Lea can suddenly breathe and for the first time she notices the strange street
before her. She begins to look around. Square stores line the dark hard road surface.
Glass fronts are flat not round, but display items for sale similar to stores at home. Lea
reads the words "ice cream" wondering how ice can exist in a place with such a mild
temperature. She stares at the children trying to convince their parents to buy some. If
she remembers correctly "strawberry" is a type of fruit, but "chocolate" escapes her
memory and "cookie dough" doesn't even register. Individual transports line the straight
edge of rock sand. Lorelei points out the "cars." While she learned Ing-lish, she never
knew a car existed and certainly never needed to know the word. The older woman
explains how they travel, wheels rolling along the hard, dark surface. Several people
ride past on two wheeled contraptions, They push levers in a circle forcing their
momentum forward. "Bicycles," Lorelei shares.
The most wonderful surprise of this new land is a small furry creature running
along side a tall bald man. This cute little animal is darker than Squid, but runs the same
way. His ears bounce up and down just like her cuddly pet left at home. Homesickness
hits her. She sits on the ground to stop the empty feeling in her chest. The creature
approaches her and licks her hand. She stops the tears, but hides her choking voice in
purrs and love tones for the long haired "dog" now in her lap.
Lorelei and Lea walk down Main Street. Past the ice cream shop, a few more
shops sell clothing, paintings, and various tourist items. A sweet sugary odor drifts down
the street. It comes from the cinnamon roll stand off to her left. Lea realizes she hasn't
eaten since morning and her mouth waters as she stares at the small ordering window.
Lorelei offers to stop and get something to eat. Lea steps to the window but
doesn't know what to ask for. Lorelei asks for two cinnamon rolls and two cups of water
then hands the man at the window a green rectangular scroll. He hands her shiny round
metals pieces in return. The texture of the cinnamon roll is strange to Lea, but the sugar
and cinnamon is delicious. She eats it all and licks her fingers. The water has a horrible
smell and a sharp taste she can barely swallow.
"Drinking water here is not clean and people have to add chemicals to make it
safe," Lorelei explains.
Lea holds her nose and swallows. She is really thirsty but can barely empty the
cup.
A few squares further is a small pizza shop. Lorelei asks to speak to the owner. A
chubby, long haired man walks through a rectangular swinging wall.
"I'm hoping to order a clam and patai pizza."
He smiles and motions for them to follow him through a different swinging wall
into the back room. A large desk is covered in piles of papers, a computer, and a phone.
"Kai ora, I''m Matt Kale," the owner introduces himself in the greeting of Kina,
not Ing-lish, "How can I help?"
Lea is surprised he is a Mer. She never considered there would be more Mer here
than just Malina.
"Clam pizza is a code word," Lorelei tells Lea then speaking to Matt, "We need to
contact Malina Ariki."
He taps black tiles on a flat alphabet staring at an image repeating the letters he
hits. He speaks and types at the same time.
"Of course, I know Malina, I'll call her, let me find the number. Who may I tell
her is calling?"
"Lorelei."
The manager waits for a last name, but his eyes suddenly widen as he takes in the
old woman's whole appearance. Understanding dawning in his eyes, he begins to dial.
Lea can hear her cousin's voice through the receiver. Malina is relieved to finally
hear from Lorelei. She worried all day, unsure of where or when they would arrive.
"I'll come pick them up immediately."
"I'll keep them well fed until you arrive."
Mr. Kale hits a tile on the communicator and drops it on the cluttered desk.
Lorelei declines, but Lea accepts when he offers them a pizza and drinks.
"Pizza here is a little different than at home. Terrans cook their meat. Animals
here are unsafe to eat unless cooked with fire."
He hands Lea a small bite of three different meats to try. Each one seems more
disgusting than the the last. The corners of his mouth twist a little as Lea grabs a napkin
to spit out the last one. She can't even swallow it.
He leans through the swinging wall, "door" and tells the cook to prepare a spinach
salad. He names off fruits, peppers, and vegetables to add. Mr. Kale then walks into the
front dining room and tells the cashier to let him know when a young woman arrives
looking for him.
Lea is happy with the salad the cook brings her. She eagerly devours it. She even
likes the bitter peppers and "olives," unlike anything she tasted before.
The front door chime rings and Malina asks for Mr. Kale. Not waiting, Lea runs
through the kitchen and wraps her arms around Malina. It has been a few years, but they
start talking over each other as though they have always been friends. Lorelei watches
and waits patiently until the two girls finish their reunion. Malina hugs Lorelei as well.
"Thank you her for making sure Lea arrived safely." To Mr. Kale, "Thank you for
your help too."
He shrugs off her words, "It's the least I can do for a new arrival."
They all thank Mr. Kale again and Malina directs them down the street where the
car is parked in front of a small bank.
"We need to go to the hospital," Lea blurts out, suddenly anxious to check on the boy.
Malina panics looking from Lorelei to Lea trying to determine who is sick,
injured or needs medical attention.
"It's not us," Lorelei says, "a young man we were traveling with is waiting with
Dr. Tohunga as soon as we can get there."
Malina pushes a button on a small black oval in her hand. A clicking sound and
two soft beeps come from the car. Malina pulls the door handle and the side of the car
swings open. Lea jumps back in surprise. She didn't have any idea how to get inside the
car, but it shocked her to see it split in half and open. Lea sits on the cushioned chair
behind Malina's seat. Lorelei sits in front on the passenger side.
They barely shut the doors when Malina demands they tell her about the hospital.
She is still worried there is something wrong with Lea. Lorelei tells of the strange storm
and the boy injuring his head and arm after crashing against the seat in front of him.
Malina backs the car out of the parking space and drives to hospital. Street after
street blend together, glowing lights mark each individual business along their path.
They arrive at the huge building stacked with rows and columns of shiny glass windows.
Lea can't imagine a larger structure. How many people must live inside to need so big a
place. They park and enter the sliding wall partitions. Lea reads the words "Automatic
doors" and jumps through quickly, unsure of when the wall might close behind her. The
woman behind the security desk informs them only one visitor is allowed. Lea begins to
argue she wants to see him, but Lorelei assures her it will be better if she goes home to
rest. Today has been long and eventful. Lea needs a good night sleep and Lorelei will
call to update her on his condition as soon as she knows.
"We can all come see him tomorrow. Bad news will not be better for knowing
sooner and good news will be best for patience." The old woman can be a little odd.
More streets and buildings flew past the car until they arrived at the square
structure Malina calls home. Lea is ready to curl up on the sofa and spend time telling
Malina all the strange events since the phone call from her mom yesterday afternoon.
Was it really only yesterday? How can it only be one day, it feels like a lifetime
and a million miles ago.