Endless Summer

By The Cliffs

At night, the market bustles. As Marianna runs towards the cliffs, a mysterious figure suddenly appears before her. "Obsession sometimes is a scary thing." She seems to be a moody, dispirited girl, who scared Marianna. "Who's there? You scared me!"

"An obsession so strong it becomes your armor... Trapping you forever."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"Don't be deceived by what your eyes see, what's more important is... Don't kid yourself." Just as the girl finishes speaking, a black cat darts out from beside her, as if echoing her words.

"What the—"

"Just a cat. They're supposed to be good luck."

"...I have something to do. I should go." Marianna ignores the girl's warning, and keeps running towards the cliff. 'A tourist? Weirdo...'

Reaching the cliffs, Marianna finds her mother on the viewing platform, staring out at the vast calmness of the distant sea. "Mom, you came?!"

"We haven't come to watch the fireworks for such a long time." Her mother replied.

"Mom... I came looking for you..."

"You weren't looking for me so we could watch the fireworks, were you?"

"Yes. I want to talk to you about going to Hazlitt."

"...of course."

"I know it hasn't been easy for you to look after me on your own all these years. I know we don't have much money. But if I go to Hazlitt, dad would probably help out..."

"What is this? Your dad has been dead a long time."

'How long do you think you can hide this from me, mom?' Marianna thought to herself before speaking. "Mom, me wanting to go to Hazlitt has nothing to do with dad. Nothing at all. I know what I want to do with my life."

"Is it because Hazlitt has the best diving facilities in all of Seattle?"

Marianna stood in shock. "You knew about the diving?"

Nori doesn't answer. She just turns her head and stares again at the dark sea.

"I'm sorry for hiding it from you, but... Mom, I know what I want to do. I know what I'm doing. It's not a whim, the diving, I'm not chasing some fantasy... It's something I can strive for. I want to challenge myself."

"You've grown up. Strong wings you've got there." Nori sighs. "Seems I'm the one who has been lying to myself, all these years. Life's been hard every day since we moved here. Watching you grow up, day by day, that's the only thing that's made it feel worthwhile. You've been the force that kept me going." Nori looks up, and stares at her daughter intently. "I think, maybe, I just can't face the thought of you leaving."

"Mom..."

"It's okay. You should go. Go start your new life." The sea begins to surge in all its vastness, flashes of gold flicker on the surface here and there.

"None of that's important right now. The sun's coming up, we're running out of time. Mom, come with me when I go." Marianna reaches for her mother's hand, but Nori pushes her hand away.

"I won't leave. This is my home. I'll respect your decision, you should respect mine too. This is the last thing I can do for you." Nori hands Marianna the package she'd been holding. Before Marianna can even take it, the sun cracks the horizon. Gigantic waves engulf the pair of them, the dream becoming real. Looming at the edge of her consciousness, Marianna sees what seems to be a cube, rising slowly from the surface of the sea.