Posted by AlOmega on June 18, 2000 at 19:57:45:
Sometimes fish can have many meanings. And water has many dangers....
by
AlOmega
ART and RALPHIE
I’m Bart see and Ralphie’s my friend. We works for da Boss and when you’re doin’ a bit
of somethin’ fer da Boss it don’t make no difference what da situation is just as long as
da Job gets done. Sometimes everything goes as planned; sometimes not. Ya live with it
whatever comes. It started last week when dis here Frank Carp stole some smack from
da Boss. Now he don’t take kindly to when his income dips down to da poverty level.
And it weren’t da first time which made da Boss madder’n Hell anyway. That’s why me
and Ralphie was called in. He knew Carp was in an old beach house at da end of Canto
Street.
Now Ralphie he aint all too bright. He wanted to plug him quick and simple. But da
Boss had other ideas. He wanted ta send a message. Shootin’ was way to quick for dis
guy but Ralphie wouldn’t listen until I whacked him side da head wid a rod. Ralphie’s
good at bustin’ doors though and dats what he done. Carp and some dame he called
Claudette heard da door crash in and headed out da back. Course when they sees me wid
my rod, they sorta stops quick like. While I holds da rod, Ralphie ties ‘em up real good
back to back in some chairs. Ralphie does dat pretty good, also. But I always checks da
knots ‘cause Ralphie sometimes messes up.
We smack Carp ‘round a bit to see if he’ll open up about da stash. But Carp’s one of
them brave kinda guys. Ya know. A guy what rescues da girl at da end of da picture.
Stupid aint it. Never’ll happen in real life.
Then we threatens da broad wid a smokin’ poker. Gets dem hero types every time.
Coughs up da stash real quick. Now Ralphie wanted to put some slugs in ‘em both. I was
sorta agreein’ except I wanted ta play wid da broad a bit. She’s pretty scared already but
I can make her scared more yet. Strippin’ her a bit at a time ‘n’ then chokin’ her really
excites me. And wid a broad, ya can have some fun after she’s dead. But da Boss says
drowns ‘em. I gets the boat ready and Ralphie gets the two on it. Don’t take long to get
out ‘bout fifteen miles. We ties some weights and were ‘bout to throw ‘em in when
some Gawd awful light shone from da sky. Not da cops, I figured as I pushed the second
into da ocean. Current’s quick and they won’t be comin’ back. But dat bright light
caught me by surprise. Ralphie too. Whatever it was, we wasn’t gonna stay ‘round to
find out. We just hauled ass and never saw it or Carp and da dame again.
Ya we was scared but not enough dat we didn’t stay in da house dat night, do a little
drinkin’ and left the next day. We was drivin’ back to town and the radio was blazin’
away. News came on but we didn’t notice nothin’ until da radio guy said somethin’
‘bout some UFOs bein’ spotted ‘round Gull Point. Gull Point’s about five miles from da
beach house. I looked at Ralphie and he looked at me. But we never saw those two
again.
I know I shouldn’t have taken the cocaine. I had gotten lucky the first time. Of course
then, it was a larger amount although in reality, that was masked by the size of the
consignment. I figured just this one time and we would leave for Ohio. Claudette had
grown up on a farm there. Her parents had died in a car crash and she had inherited it.
We would stay there for a while until the farm could be sold and leave for Europe.
Between both that and the sale of the crack, we could live quite well.
I had met Claudette at a party about a month ago. The party was hosted by Ted Fransoni
who some knew only as the Boss. As crime bosses went, he was small time but he had
high hopes. I figured he wouldn’t last longer than a month. Two years later he was still
the Boss. Claudette, I found out later, had been his girlfriend. But when she had started
hearing strange voices, he had dropped her like a heated quarter. I didn’t know any of it
then but even if I had, it was too late. I was already in love with her. We dated like some
fourteen year olds and I never laid a finger on her hoping beyond hope that she might fall
for me. I invited her to a beach house a friend of mine owned. It wasn’t much but it was
better than my apartment. We talked and I confessed my love for her. Down on one knee
- the traditional method one pledges himself - I asked for her hand in marriage. She
accepted just as the door crashed open. We both knew what that meant. But the only
way out was blocked by one of Ted’s goons. We were doomed, I knew.
I could have taken any torture the two goons could have dished out. Not when it came to
Claudette. When I told them what they wanted to know, I did it with the sure knowledge
that I was sealing our fate. Our life together, our love, would be extinguished by cold
dark sea water. First she was push in and then I. Before I was pushed, I seemed to see a
Light. But that was wrong. I had read somewhere that, when one died, they went to the
Light and not before. As I plunged beneath the waves, I struggled to find her. Soon we
saw each other. For the last time, we gazed into one another’s eyes. Terror and
hopelessness creased her face as tortured lungs sought to retain the last visage of life
giving air yet her love for me still showed through. I watched helplessly as she gave up
letting go her life in bubbles streaming to the surface. Down we went as she tilted her
head back in the process giving her life to the sea. I tried to help, to give her another
breath from my mouth for I knew she might glean a little time from me if I could get to
her. But when I saw her eyes stare ahead, I knew she was dying and, deciding to join her,
I released my own pain-held breath to the sea accepting in its stead the salty waters of
death. Four dark shapes which looked like sharks appeared to rise from the depths. But
an oxygen starved brain will record many things that are unreal. As we plunged to our
deaths, I remembered no more.
We love the water. That we do. And when we can, we swim and fish and make love
(though not with each other for that is katha. We were here to test our selves;
hone skills that we must from time to time against different creatures, against humans
sometimes. Plard was in an island nation observing their simple moves and pitting
himself against the best in darkness and light. This is as it should be because he is of the
land and light. Weapons and none he used for that was what he did. Later he would
challenge the lands to the south where lived tiger and leopard.
Lou-San is of the land and dark. She was in the hot land where animals dwell who are
fast and deadly. Blood she wanted though this she denied herself. Speed and agility was
what she sought. Death could come of this as she challenged leopard and lion and
hyenas. No weapon she bore except fang and claw. To use such would be without
Honor either High or Low.
We challenged ocean and sea. Above and below we traveled. Both light and dark for the
sea is both. Deep to see the sights in darkness and pressure and above to see the clear sea
where lovely fish sported for us. Those we ate for that is how we live. Swimming ever
faster; challenging dolphin and shark. Poor shark which we could outrun. But more we
liked whales and dolphins so like us yet not alike. And seals and walrus. Fun we have to
take their fish before they catch before returning fish to them. Joy to leap from waters
high and dive again into depths. To fish is the thing we love. For all of us were on
vacation here on this water world with its small pieces of land. Slion am I and male
while Slito my Twin is female. That we are for now though like everything, that changes
also.
Yet always all of us remained unseen by the humans. That too is what we must do. That
was why we came from Betea so bright near planetoid called Pluto with Charion nearby.
She watches and studies until we depart. That is what she desires. This is her vacation,
too. For us she gave Darkin, the male child, to bring us to this paradise of water. Unseen
he remains from prying eyes and radar signals. But as we dive and soar and hunt, we
notice that things have changed.
We were here long ago when man was new and few. Even then we remained unseen
because Plard said Humans would think us gods. Not so we countered. We love the seas
not the land. But now we see even the oceans have changed. Not by pollution though
that is a problem difficult for the sea to resolve. The fishes are fewer and that can be bad
if left untended. For that, we sorrow. Because we sorrow and Plard and Lou-San say we
cannot interfere with Humans, we must leave. We will be the first to be picked up by
Darkin. Then Plard. Then Lou-San. Then to Betea and our home.
Night had fallen when Darkin came near. As we rose, we heard the water against an
artificial thing. It was not Darkin because He floats above the waters. This we heard
many (miles) away for sound travels far in water. Both Slito and I heard the Call.
Aid it Called. But for us the Call is enough. Faster we swam and near the artificial thing,
a Human entered the waters. Then as we rose for air, another Human entered the water.
We saw Darkin’s Light before we dove for he was at our pickup point. The artificial
thing sped away in terror at the sight of Darkin’s Light as should all who try to kill the
Call. We dove as two seeking with Echo and thought the Humans who Called. Which
one? Which one? We asked each other and Glink* and Pr*ok, our dolphin friends. We
knew not; they knew not. So down we swam and finding one found the other. Near
death but not, we found them and breathed Life into them we did. I to the female and
Slito to the male as we rose to meet Darkin. Our dolphin friends rose up with us for they
love humans, also. We asked one day when one was killed by fisherfolk; when Dr*ant,
our friend was killed. But they would not say. Even with Dr*ant’s scent of death in the
air, they would not say. Puzzled were we, Slito and I. They had Called when Dr*ant was
killed, but late for us to heal.
Danger the humans were in with loss of life possible. Humans are so fragile, we knew. I
healed the body while Slito healed the mind. The water was easy to remove but Humans
can drown so easy. Was this the case? Would they die and the Talent be lost? For the
Call is a Talent though few among the human can hear It. We can; dolphins and
whales can; and some others of the water can. But few of the land; and none of the air.
The knots we thought charming for to us they are so easy to remove. Tied up we
sometimes test ourselves to swim well and swift. Humans do not swim well. When
clothed and tied they sink, not swim. Foolish humans do not swim well like us but we
like them and would teach but Plard says no. They must learn on their own. But land
dwellers humans were. Not know waters like we know. For them is fear. For them is
danger. For them is unknown. Even with technology they fear the depths. If they only
knew the joy, the beauty. Lou-San knows it not though Plard has tasted the waters. And
Betea of the heavens will never know what we know though she knows the waters she
carries and lets us swim therein..
The male breaths and then the female. To Glink*, to Pr*ok, we Talk. But they cannot
here when I and Slito Talk. We Talk my Twin and I. We know that Plard and
Lou-San will not understand, will be angry but we must do this. We must Teach. I
Teach the male; Slito Teaches the female. Soon both will the Waters that we know.
They will know the depths of the seas. But after they visit the land one more time, we do
not know what will happen. For now, we Teach. We leave but if we return, they will
return, also, for that is what we place in the Teachings.
And what are the Teachings you may ask? They are of the Waters and the Talent the
female has is of the Waters. Both together have the Talent though the Talent is weak in
the male. Sometimes this happens when two should be one. The two are awake now and
soon we must leave. They be nervous around us but that is because Humans are so funny
sometimes. We like them but now we must depart and leave. We reassure the Human
male and female again and help them to the shore. As Humans we appear but
change as soon as we enter the water. For we travel swifter in the waters of the
sea. So now we depart again for Plard and for Lou-San. On Darkin we go - for a while.
I swore as the water of the ocean covered my head that I would be dying soon. And for a
time, I believe that may have happened. But I woke to the presence of a boy and girl of
about fifteen. We were on the beach I guess. Dressed in white they were but something
was amiss. They seemed so young yet their eyes seemed so sagacious, so ancient. They
were white like their clothes but their eyes were oriental I guess with dark rings around
them as if they used too much eye makeup. The girl, Slito, at first spoke in my head. Or
I may have thought she did. She smiled and spoke in the strangest accent I had ever
heard. She and her brother were from far away; however, because I had what they
termed a Talent, they were willing to Teach us about the Waters. I did not
understand what she meant. Both of them took Carp and I and brought us to the water.
Into the water - the sea - we plunged.
Being unbound and standing on the bottom, we didn’t have much trouble breathing. The
two plunged beneath the surface which soon glowed a pale blue. Out of the water -
leaped I can only call it - two furred creatures much like large otters or raccoons or
something like a cross between the two. Yet something different. Each grabbed our
hands and pulled us under the surface. Yet even as I looked into Carp’s eyes, I knew he
wasn’t frightened. Neither was I. The two creatures stroked us and played with us all the
while coaxing us deeper and deeper into the water. As relaxed as we were, we were
startled to discover that we could breath the water if we were careful. Its like we were
born to the sea. The water entered into our lungs and air passed through the membrane
into our bloodstream’s - at least that was what the two explained happened.
The two changed into humans after leading us out of the water. They smiled again and
said it was a Gift that Humans should have whether or not their People agreed. We could
Breath the Water only for a short span; but, as time passed and we practiced, we could
stay for an hour or two beneath the waves. Maybe longer. They said they did this to
maintain the Talent and because we could have our revenge and peace. What
them meant by that I was unsure. But Carp had an idea. He said the drowning thing had
to do more with someone else then a simple stealing of cocaine. I discovered what he
contemplated later.
We arrived at the shore near Carp’s beach house about the time the two thugs left. We
told our new friends that we would be unmolested. They agreed. That was when I
noticed for the first time that their clothing was neither wet nor wrinkled. That was when
I knew in my bones our ‘friends’ were from another world.
I don’t know why I listened to Babs. Its not that she runs things. Well her dad kinda
does. Without him, I couldn’t get away with what I do. He lets me know when the
police or the Feds are near and I just leave out the back. Well its a bit more then that. He
being the head of the Justice Department in this area don’t hurt none. Babs claims its
because she loves me but I know its because I feather his nest with about five hundred
large a year. And I know she lives with me to spite him. So to make him look good, I
drop a few big scores and he gets the glory and says he’s got drugs under control in the
area. But we know different. My only other task is to keep Babs happy.
I know from time to time that Babs has these liaisons with other men (and occasional
women) from time to time. But she knows who to turn to when the affair goes South.
That’s why I wasn’t surprised when she wanted me to kill Carp. The little bastard had
been skimming and I hadn’t even known about it. I rather suspected that she had
skimmed it for him but it wouldn’t do for her father to find out about that.
Anyway, she had come to me (like always) and, after dropping the little detail about the
skimming, had asked that I send some of my men to kill him and his new girlfriend be
drowning them as an example to anyone else who stole from me. That was her favorite
method of execution - drowning. So I sent a couple of dumb bunnies out to do the two of
them in. They reported back in the next day. Everything had gone according to plan they
said but something in the way they said it bothered me. Well I just figure that if no
bodies wash up in the next few days, I wouldn’t worry about that.
It was two days later that something happened that couldn’t have been explained unless
someone was there. Babs Beatherford, the daughter of the Regional Justice Department,
was kidnapped. She fought her kidnappers but soon was bound hand and foot.
Sometime later, she heard the sound of waves crashing on rocks and, assailed by the
smells of the ocean, knew she was near a beach. From her captures, she heard nothing.
They entered some cave, she figured as the light through the hood seemed to darken. The
kidnappers forced her into the water even though she fought them as best she could. As
the water came up to her chin, the hood was removed from her head. Quickly, she was
pulled under. Seeing for the first time in several hours, she was surprised to see her
boyfriend, Ted Fransoni, also in the water, bound hand and foot and swaying in the
current. She managed to get a gasp of air before her head was thrust into the sea for the
second time. She saw not her boyfriend’s dead body but the body of her father. She
opened her mouth to scream just as her head broke the surface once again. Where were
her kidnappers! What were they doing - glub, blub. She was dragged deeper into the
water. Facing her were Carp and Claudette. They were breathing water and smiling.
Her own scream was the last thing she ever heard.
AlOmega