Transformation

by Michael Ocheskey

  “Let go of the beam!” Thomas shouted.

  As Jenna let go, Thomas pulled with all of his might, yet it wasn’t enough to pull Jenna inside the plane. The odd position he was in and the wind pressure made the feat an impossibility.

  Desperate to save this little girl’s life, Thomas did the most foolish and reckless thing he could think of. He released the grip his legs had on the seat. While they both soared toward the opening and outside of the plane Thomas kicked his feet off the seat back, upward and did a mid-air somersault. He and Jenna now both had their feet dangling outside the jagged edges of the opening. He wrapped one arm around Jenna’s waist and with the other, grabbed hold of the very same support beam Jenna was holding not a moment before.

  Where Thomas got his strength from, even he never knew, but at the peak of the moment his resolve was at its highest. Power pulsed through him as his mind screamed his unspoken resolve. “I won’t let this girl die. I WON’T LET ANY OF THESE PEOPLE DIE!”

  With a battle cry of desperation, Thomas pulled hard on the bar until he was halfway inside the plane and shoved Jenna forward into Rachael’s waiting arms, who had been inching her way toward the front of the plane to help rescue her daughter.

  “Don’t worry about me!” Thomas yelled to Rachael as she reached out her other hand to help him. “Listen to me everyone! There is only one way for you to get out of this alive, but you have to do it quickly.” Thomas thought his voice would shatter from the force of the wind. He prayed that the passengers would hear him through the gushing wind pressure.

  Fighting the pressure on his lungs and throat, he focused every ounce of air in his lungs to make his voice heard. “Remove your seat cushions and make sure you don’t let go because they are floatation devices. Once the plane hits the water it will start to flood. The seat cushions will carry you to the surface. Make sure you hold your breath when the water starts to flood the plane and brace for impact.”

  “What about you?” Rachael had become hysterical. Her eyes filled with tears of fear and relief for her daughter as she held tight to Jenna.

  “Leave me. I need to tilt the front of the plane toward the sky or the seat cushions won’t do any good.” Thomas paused for a second, thoughts of his childhood flooding his memory, then stared intently into Rachael’s eyes. “If I don’t make it, tell my family I love them.”

  Upon his final words, Thomas hooked his foot on the support beam, and in a stunning feat of acrobatics, flipped himself toward the roof of the plane. As the force of gravity and air pressure tried to pull him away from the plane, he grabbed the edge of the opening, slicing his hand open on the razor-like edge of the twisted metal.

  Thomas straddled the airplane like a horseback rider. He gripped the edge of the opening hard with both hands, stood up as straight as he could, and kicked off. Would the force of his kick alone be enough? Thomas had been worried that he wouldn’t be able to turn the plane by himself, but gravity proved to be his ally in this instance. As his body flew away from the plane, he maintained a firm grip on the jagged edges of the opening. His body flew to the breaking point and jolted hard as his arms reached their maximum stretch.

  Thomas howled in agony as the jagged edges dug holes in both of his hands, puncturing completely through the backs of both palms. He had grown up a non-practicing Catholic, but for the first time in his life he found himself able to empathize with just how much suffering Jesus had gone through when he had been nailed to the cross.

  The force of his body weight was just enough to pull the plane toward him. The plane moved into a vertical position, perpendicular to the Atlantic Ocean. Thomas had done it. Now everyone would be safe. Thomas gave himself a mental pat on the back.

  With his blood-soaked hands, he pulled himself back toward the opening in the plane. The pain in his hands and arms was nearly unbearable and was beginning to affect his vision. He felt faint and was beginning to blackout, but he fought with every bit of willpower he could muster to remain conscious until the passengers were safe. The plane was now only seconds away from the ocean’s surface.

  “Brace for impact!” Thomas yelled into the plane as he reached out for the support beam to pull himself back into the plane.

  “You’re alright!” Jenna and Rachael’s unison exclamation of joy was premature. A bloodcurdling scream reverberated across the airplane. It was an involuntary response from Thomas’ body. He was in trouble.

  The support beam Thomas gripped had weakened beyond being able to support a human’s weight and snapped off as he tried to pull himself into the plane. It slammed into his forehead with the force of a jackhammer. His neck whipped to one side and his body went limp in the same instant the scream escaped his lips. A slight cracking sound, unheard by all, emanated from the base of his neck. The force of the impact shattered his lenses and snapped his frames in two while throwing his unconscious body about fifty yards from the plane.

  As his limp body plummeted toward the ocean surface, a thud like the pulsing of a heart resonated from inside Thomas’ body. It started from deep within him and exited his body like the detonation of a nuclear warhead. The cloud of air pressure that escaped his body hit the ocean and created a temporary circular indentation on the surface.

  The waves of wind reached out until they cradled Thomas and both halves of the airplane, slowing down their momentum and preventing the impact alone from killing everyone on the plane. Both pieces of the plane and Thomas splashed simultaneously into the surface of the water, hitting the surface as if they had fallen fifty feet instead of thirty-thousand.

  The Sapphire City

  “Oh no! What was that noise? I can hear someone moaning. It sounds like he’s in a lot of pain. What? You smell blood, Tiger? I have to hurry! Let’s go.”

  Having sensed the pain and the moaning within the nearby ocean, a beautiful young woman who had been playing with her friend rushed toward the noise to help.

  Thomas continued to sink deeper into the ocean as he started to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes but could see nothing except the darkening shades of blue that surrounded him, shifting from blue to black as he descended and the sunlight was swallowed by the ocean depths. His lungs were already burning from lack of oxygen and he was beginning to drown, water leaking into his relaxed lips. Thomas tightened his mouth to keep any more seawater from seeping in and ordered himself not to panic.

  He tried desperately to swim to the surface, but to no avail. His body wouldn't move. Unable to breath, unable to swim, he could think of nothing to do. He was going to die. He prayed to God for a miracle...something to keep him from dying like this, under the sea where no one would be able to find his body. He begged his body to move, but his body remained motionless.

  In the distance, Thomas could barely make out a shape approaching him. A shark!

  As Thomas sank once more into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw were two sets of fins heading toward him. The first being was indeed a shark, but it was a species Thomas had never seen before. It had the sleek body of a tiger shark, but was nearly twice as large at roughly twenty-two feet. Its color also differed from that of any shark Thomas could recall. Instead of the tropical blue-tinted gray of a tiger shark it was a deep shade of midnight blue bordering on black.

  The second being didn’t even look like a fish...well, not entirely. There was a dorsal fin on the small of her back and her lower body was nothing but a long, smooth tail with the tail fin of a dolphin. Her fin and lower body were a radiant, almost florescent blue which glowed slightly in the dark water like a beacon, illuminating the rest of her body. The rest of her body looked human. She was very petite and her skin was as close to ivory as it could be, as if she had never stepped into the sun’s rays.

  She had long, flowing hair that streamed down her back, stopping at her waist. Her hair trailed behind her, ebbing and flowing like the tide as she moved. It was the same radiant blue as her fin and lower body. Her delicately proportioned facial features, emerald green eyes,
and ruby red lips gave her a beauty that was beyond human. Her ears protruded out of her hair, looking as if they too were trailing behind her as she glided through the water; ears that were narrow, straight, about eight inches long, and came to a point at a forty-five degree upward angle to her head.

  She was wearing a strapless bikini top made from a material that looked amazingly like a combination of silk and seaweed. The edges of the fabric were embroidered with small stones which looked like sapphires.

  Thomas had just enough time to register the woman's appearance and wonder if she was a figment of his imagination. Then he lost the remainder of his strength and unthinking blackness overcame him.

  “Oh no!” The woman screamed as she saw Thomas sinking further into the depths of the sea.

  She swam swiftly up to him at an unprecedented speed, around a hundred miles per hour, and wrapped her arms around him. She then opened up Thomas’ mouth and cupped her lips over his. Small gills, barely visible, were opening and closing rapidly on the sides of her neck as she desperately tried to fill Thomas’ lungs with air and remove the water at the same time.

  She then spoke telepathically to Tiger, “Tiger, I need you to take both of us home immediately. I won’t be able to swim while I’m keeping him alive. Please lend me your assistance.”

  “Okay Mistress,” Tiger replied and swam right up to his mistress’s side. “Get on. I’ll be swift about it. Hold on to him and me very tightly so you don’t fall off.”

  And with that, the mermaid grabbed Tiger’s dorsal fin and they shot off like a bullet. Tiger’s speed was incredible; fast enough to make the mermaid's uncanny speed seem like a snail's pace. It didn’t seem possible. It was well beyond the limits of any known shark. As the mermaid held on with all her might to Tiger’s fin, he carried the two passengers for miles; first heading further out to sea, then gradually beginning a dive.

  The mermaid was still holding tightly to Tiger as they descended deeper, while at the same time gripping Thomas firmly and breathing for him, when the sudden taste of blood alerted her to a danger she had overlooked.

  “Oh no! His lungs are starting to collapse under the pressure. I have to do something!”

  In her distracted state, she never noticed the red light that enveloped the two of them. The light was like a mother’s embrace. It kept Thomas warm and expanded his lungs again. His lips still needed contact with the mermaid’s in order to breath, but other than that, it was as if Thomas wasn’t below water at all. The heat he felt on his body was like the sun’s rays on a mid-summer’s day. His body immediately relaxed as if he were floating in a dream.

  Even after the light dissipated, Thomas was no longer vulnerable to the increasing intensity of the water pressure on his body.

  “We’re nearly there, Mistress,” Tiger, who hadn’t noticed the red glow either in his preoccupation, huffed in an exhausted yet satisfied voice. “We should be able to see the Sapphire City soon.”

  Tiger reached the ocean floor and pulled out of his dive. He swam for about another mile, a large rock cliff on his left side. As the rock cliff ended Tiger turned left and came face-to-face with a blindingly blue light that would have clouded the eyes of anybody who hadn’t been expecting it.

  The sight in front of them was beyond gorgeous. There, in the deepest depths of the sea, lay a vast city made of marble. Surrounding the city was a gigantic orb of blue light. It looked as though there wasn’t any water in the city. The orb was keeping the water out and the air in. Tiger pulled up to the edge of the barrier and stopped.

  “Thank you, Tiger, for all of your help. I’ll see you again later. Goodbye.” The girl continued to speak to Tiger through telepathy; her lips never leaving Thomas’.

  “Any time Mistress. It is a pleasure to serve you. I look forward to the next time you call on me. Goodbye.”

  After making their goodbyes, Tiger turned and swam away. The mermaid then swam through the barrier and removed her lips from Thomas’. In a heat wave of air, the water evaporated from both of their bodies in an instant. Where there once had been a soaked human and mermaid, now stood two perfectly dry humans, though one of them still had eight-inch long ears and blue hair.

  The mermaid’s dorsal fin had disappeared and where there had been a fish body before now stood two slender and sturdy legs wrapped in the same silky seaweed that covered her upper body. It was a very elegant design that looked like a bikini bottom with a long bikini wrap. Just like her top, the blue fabric on her bikini wrap was embroidered with sapphires.

  Perhaps the woman expected Thomas would regain consciousness when he was on solid ground and could breathe for himself. She released him as soon as he was inside the barrier and he came crashing to the ground with a loud thump.

  “Oh no! Are you alright? Someone please help me! Anybody!” She cried as loud as she could, forgetting in her desperation that Thomas was a human and an outsider. Should her shout arouse the guards he would likely be killed on the spot.

  In answer to her call, an elderly man ran out of his shop only a few yards away. He had the same brilliantly blue hair as the young girl, although his was a lot shorter and slightly disheveled. It was also faded in spots, looking milky; a sign of his old age. His teeth were yellow and ground around the edges. His face was pale, slightly wrinkled, and he looked thin and frail, as if he were sickly.

  “What’s wrong, m’ lady? I heard a scream....” He spotted Thomas’ body lying on the ground. “What’s he done to ya, m’ lady? I’ll ring his neck, I will.” He advanced on Thomas with his arms outstretched. His bony, wrinkled fingers flexed mutinously.

  “Stop, Eri!” The young lady demanded as she stepped between them. “He hasn’t done anything to me. I rescued him as he was drowning. I was just surprised when he collapsed is all.”

  “Is that all, m’ lady?” Eri sighed in relief, “Ya scared the dickens outta me. I was really worried about ya, m’ lady.”

  “Eri!” An aura of annoyance seemed to pulsate from her as she spoke firmly and a little sharply to the old man. He took a small step back as she continued, “How many times do I have to ask you to call me by my name? I know you are trying to be kind by calling me ‘m’ lady’, but I would prefer it if you called me Alana.”

  Her expression softened as she continued, “Could you please help me bring him to my room? I am not strong enough to do it by myself and he needs to be put to bed as soon as possible.”

  “O-o’ course, m’ la...I mean Miss Alana,” Eri replied hesitantly. He knew he could end up in a lot of trouble for helping her, but was afraid to disobey. The intense fire burning in her eyes almost threatened murder if he didn’t.

  Eri grabbed Thomas around the chest while Alana grabbed him around the knees. Thomas wasn’t very heavy, but Alana’s body lacked muscle. She looked as though she had never done physical labor before, but then again, neither did any of the other residents that the trio passed as they marched through the Sapphire City. Everyone was just as slender and fragile looking as Alana. The only people with any manner of physical strength were the men dressed in golden armor.

  These men were carrying large tridents. Their armor had a strange design that covered their chests, but not their backs. The bottom half of the armor was made of golden panels that formed skirts which stopped just above the knee. The helmet of the armor was shaped like a wide fish with fins sticking out the top and sides. The front of the helmet was embedded with a monstrous, round sapphire.

  Alana and Eri carried Thomas to the middle of the city. They stopped at the gates of a wide ivory building three stories high. The building took up a large portion of the surrounding area. It appeared to be a large and wide mansion at first glance, but the décor identified it as a palace.

  Four guards in golden armor halted Alana and Eri’s approach. The guards all greeted Alana heartily with a bow and cautiously took Thomas from her, their eyes flashing with disgust and fear. Eri, having fulfilled his word, bowed jerkily toward Alana. His back cracked as he rose.
He kissed the back of her hand and turned to make his escape, praying he wouldn’t receive punishment.

  “Take this man up to my room and put him in my bed. After that, send for Dr. Algie to come examine him. I need to speak with my father. Make sure that no one, not even Dr. Algie is allowed into my room until I return. Oh, and one more thing. This man is not to be harmed.”

  “As you wish, Princess.” The guard standing closest to Thomas bowed, picked up Thomas in a half-hazard manner, flung him over his shoulder, and walked through the palace doors. One other guard rushed away from the mansion to fetch Dr. Algie. The two remaining guards returned to their posts.

  Alana raced inside the palace and through the corridors to find her father. She had so much to tell him, but she was terrified about what he would say when he found out she'd brought a human to Atlantis. She received her answer before she even entered the throne room.

  “What?” A voice boomed with rage from behind the large marble door leading to the throne room as she reached for the handle.

  “My daughter brought a surface dweller to our precious city? What an outrage! And he still lives? It’s our law that no outsiders are allowed here. Why wasn’t he killed when he first arrived?”

  “Because I ordered him not to be harmed!” Alana forced open the door and stepped through it, into the vast throne room. The man she spoke to was furious. His chest was puffed up like a blowfish as he continued to breathe hard in an attempt to calm down. His face would have been gentle if it weren’t for the look of utter hatred currently residing on it. Standing next to him and shaking in fear of what his king may do was the lookout guard usually stationed at the top of the palace.

  “Alana, what is the meaning of this?” King Aquarius demanded as he glared into his daughter’s eyes, eyes with the same emerald glow as his own.