Chapter 2: Awakening
Solemn and quiet, the midsection of a commercial jet provided the perfect shelter for varying kinds of a deep sea fishes. In the dark benthic depths of the Mediterranean a school of cuttlefish gracefully glided over the metallic surface of the structure, and colorful marine vegetation danced with the current that carried essential food within their grasps. As if wooing the sea itself into continuing its precious flow of life saving energy.
There was also something else dancing with the rocking chair motion of the water, eerily composing itself as just another plant casually waving in the oceanic breeze.
But the narrow width of the fibers, fair texture and abnormal coloring gave way to the first-glance vegetations true identity.
The stunning corpse to which the hair belonged was relatively still, the almost imperceptible movement of the water did little to disturb its composure. The arms raised shoulder level as if embracing the gentle, caressing movement of the sea as its only remaining companion in decomposition. The erosion of clothing revealed a strikingly firm body with cold pale skin.
A small fish swam through the waving protein based material in an attempt to cloak itself against nearby predators. However this technique proved futile, as an invisible assassin descended on the poor creature, and it abruptly ceased to move and began rising towards the roof of the makeshift tomb.
The conditions of the water had suddenly started to rapidly change, too suddenly for any life in the immediate vicinity to escape. Everywhere, in an instant, the lives of peaceful marine creatures were suddenly snuffed out like a lit candle wick squished between wet fingers.
The water around the aircraft began to boil as if an invisible volcanic shaft had just opened up beneath it. The liquid quickly reached flash vaporizing heats. In such grueling new conditions matter, organic and non, began to break down. Chips of metal, chunks of flesh and synthetic fabrics eroded away, rising with the heat waves towards the cooler liquid above.
But oddly the corpse with the beautiful face remained untouched by the sweltering heat. Instead of withering away like a torch to a weed, the corpse seemed to thrive off the lethal phenomenon. The dead lips started to regain some of their color, turning from a pale white to fleshy pink. And the hair began to turn an unreal dark blue, like the sea itself had dyed it to keep her beautiful in death.
Perhaps it was the will of God that a thing that could retain such beauty even as it rotted should be protected and preserved, as a testament to the robustness of what he had so ingeniously created.
As the environment dissolved around the corpse and the planes roof finally gave way, the thin strap of fabric holding the victim in her seat boiled away and the body was free of its restraints. The perfectly preserved woman was then abducted by the ascending warm water and carried upwards.
When the first rays of the light the body had seen in three years struck the woman's hair, it appeared as though a plankton bloom had suddenly taken place directly behind its head. Rays of bluish green light danced behind her, like a robe worn by ancient royalty would be gently blown by the soft breeze of Spring.
The ghostly pale face breached the surface of calm waters, illuminated by the silver light of a full moon; and gasped a lungful of salty air.
In the distance the soft humming of an engine could be heard slowly approaching, and in moments the sound of waves slapping metal could be made out. In response the now semi-conscious woman rotated her head in the direction of the oncoming boat, eyes wide and full of curiosity.
Her inactive brain had not been used for over three years, and she had trouble comprehending what the sound meant. You are safe now, Alicia, an unfamiliar voice hummed to her. "I'm… safe," she responded. Slowly forming the words with her lips as her body moved up and down with the waves.
When the boat came closer, one of the two men it carried was taken by surprise at the site of a body floating in the middle of nowhere and suddenly shouted, "***, stop the boat Creg! There's a lady in the water, over there!" and pointed in its direction. "Christ, she's probably one of them," Creg replied optimistically, causing the engine to roar as he slammed on the reverse to slow the boat.
"What? Why would one of those things be floating out in the middle of the ocean? Besides, I've never seen one that looked so pretty," the unknown commented as they neared the free floating body. "Damn. Hey! Are you alive out there!?" Creg shouted as they came within twenty yards of their target and he cautiously slowed the boat to a crawl.
"I guess not, what a shame. And she's so damn pretty, too. I wonder how the *** she got out here?" He said when the woman did not immediately respond. "Hold up man", said the passenger and stiffened himself, listening intently. "She is alive!" He suddenly shouted hysterically.
Whither out of fear, pain, relief or sadness was unknown. But the woman had began to sob softly, barely alerting the would be rescuers to the fact she was still breathing.
Eager to get the girl out of the chilly water the chubby, whiskered passenger of the boat dived in head first and swam out to her. He hooked one of his muscular arms under hers and towed her back to the watercraft, repeatedly reassuring her that she was going to be alright on the way. She had fallen silent.
Creg reached down and hoisted the soaking young girl into the boat and laid her down on a row of seats. "Well she ain't cold strange enough, but we've gotta get her covered up and in something warm, or she'll definitely freeze," Creg said as his passenger stood on the back deck of the boat and wringed his shirt.
"Jesus, I didn't even realize she was naked until I got up close", the unknown mumbled to himself with rosy cheeks despite the cold. He gave his shirt another twist and water pattered on the metal deck.
The skipper retrieved several blankets from a compartment and piled them on the young girl, tucking the edges under her body and head giving the appearance of a newborn child.
He squatted down next to her, "hey, you okay lady?" Creg sympathetically asked the girl, putting his hand on her shoulder. She twitched in response and the man reflexively retracted his hand. "Uh, I'm gonna get a towel and dry your hair okay? People get colds if they don't dry their hair in cold weather", he chuckled in an attempt to take the awkwardness out of the moment.
"Will you leave her alone? You're prob'ly freaking her out," said the passenger. "Shut up Devin, I'm just trying to help", replied Creg as he retrieved a towel and Devin, satisfied he had gotten all the water he could manage out of his clothes, walked onto the boat and stood over the poor girl. Studying her face in an attempt to guess what she was feeling so that he would know what to say.
But he quickly diverted his gaze, as she noticed him, and they met eyes. They were like two green jewel stones custom fitted for her eyes alone, like a jeweler would custom fit a diamond to the ring.
Their beauty captivated Devin, and he took another glance at her. She was still starring at him through half opened eyelids when Creg threw a towel at his friend, "dry her hair off will ya? I'm going to get this tub moving again. Naked girl or not I want to get as far and as fast away from the crap back there as possible." And the boat lurched forward as he pushed the throttle.
"Amen to that", added Devin as he sat next to the young girl and prepared to start drying her hair. "If you haven't already guessed I'm Devin, and that guy over there is Creg", he told her. But before he put the towel to her hair she weakly shook her head from side to side, as if the rapid recovery from death had some how weakened her too much to put any more effort into the motion.
"Huh, you want to say something?" asked Devin as he smiled, pleased by the apparent improvement in her and bent over putting his ear closer to her mouth.
The young beauty slowly raised her head to his, and whispered in the sweetest voice the human ear had ever had the pleasure of capturing, "kill me… please".
