Choice

by Jean Booth

  “If you’re not back by then I’ll assume you’ve lied on all your paperwork, or have decided on a nice ocean grave, and we’ll leave you there. Your loved ones will be charged for the loss of my equipment, and will be given a letter explaining your stupidity. I notice a few of you have the Neptunic shark suit. Let me assure you that these will not be necessary. We’re farther out than the sharks generally like to hunt, and as long as you remain in your group, you should be safe. However, I do appreciate the extra safety measures; it tells me you’re paying attention. Let’s be safe and have fun, people.

  “On a side note, while we have snacks for you on the boat, they are not for the fish. I realize this is rather tempting, but please do not feed the animals that you encounter. The dolphins and sea turtles are curious creatures and will enjoy being pet and fed. Please do not do either of these things as you could disrupt the natural order of life in this area. It does not help to try and domesticate them. Synchronize your watches now. It is currently oh-eight-thirty. You are to be on my deck no later than thirteen hundred or you will be left. Have fun people.”

  With that, the small boat roared off, taking us miles ahead of the cruise ship. We could barely see Bermuda off in the distance, or Bimini with our docked ship behind us. It was rather eerie to be bobbing about with just glimpses of land and our cruise ship. I knew that wouldn’t last though, and by the time we were finished with our dive, the ship would probably be closer to Bermuda than we were.

  As we put on our gear, I was happy to note that both Keith and I were wearing the Neptunic shark gear. It was top of the line, and really helped calm my fear of being mauled by sharks. After securing the camera strap to my wrist and my bowie knife on my thigh, I checked Keith’s gear and oxygen supply, then turned so he could check mine. I’d forgotten how heavy all the equipment was and couldn’t wait to get in the water. We tethered together and at Jorge’s signal, went overboard.

  My pulse was racing; I focused all my energy on keeping my breathing steady. All I could envision was leaping into the opening maw of a great white. My eyes reflexively closed shut—if I were to get eaten, I certainly didn’t want to witness it. Something swam in front of me, I felt a hand caress my face and I opened my eyes to see Keith facing me so that he could make sure I was okay. Seeing that neither of us was shark bait calmed me a bit. He gestured in front of us, encouraging me to take in the beauty I was missing. I was in awe. The Investigating Nature channel couldn’t encompass the beauty of what I was witness to.

  We were hovering just above reefs filled with coral, seaweed, and wreckages the ocean was slowly working on claiming. Fish of all sizes and colors swam around our little group, investigating the strange visitors to their habitat. Keith and I meandered down toward the reef. Sea turtles swam up to us, head butting us and allowing us to feel the slick algae-covered shells protecting them. It was spectacular. I almost forgot to take pictures for Ashlyn. She’d be in heaven right now.

  Next to Janice Kansas, Ash loved dolphins and sea turtles more than anything. As I was filling my memory card up with dozens of photos of the turtles, a pod of dolphins arrived to join the fun. They swam around us, darting close enough to touch, then swimming quickly out of reach.

  The reef was awash in colors. Plants and creatures were swaying in the current; fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors swam around us as if we didn’t exist. Sea horses darted out from their hiding place of seaweed to play in the bubbles created by our regulators. This was definitely more amazing than the shallow dive we’d had yesterday in Bimini.

  We continued to dive to the first of the shipwrecks we could reach safely, and started to explore. The reef had caves with eels slithering in and out. I shivered as we swam by. Sea snakes and eels were on the list of things I never particularly wanted to experience. The shipwrecks started to the side of the reef with coral growing all over. My heart pounded with fear and excitement as we approached the first ship. It was spectacular and looked to be about fifteenth century, completely cleaned out of anything but the iron and wooden fixtures.

  I gently brushed my hand across the side, expecting the wood to crumble but it didn’t. It was surprisingly sturdy under my palm, slick with algae, covered in bits of reef, but strong. I felt like a mermaid searching for the lost treasure of humans. The ships had holes in their sides; some were completely broken in half. The sun shone through the waves, glittering and sending shadows everywhere amongst the wreckage.

  Keith let me explore on my own, but he was always close by to lend a reassuring hand in case I became scared or nervous. His friends were in my peripheral, and Stuart and Maurice were holding hands while they swam. It was one of the most romantic things I had ever seen. I snapped a picture of the two of them.

  Keith went ahead of me into the belly of the halved ship, while Stuart and Maurice followed through the first wreck. There was really only space for us to swim in single file, and the water was slightly cooler in the ship, where the sun never entered. I forced myself to stay calm with these three experienced divers. I knew Keith wouldn’t lead me into a place that would be trouble. He held a flashlight that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I’d been too preoccupied with myself when we were loading up to see what he’d packed. He illuminated seaweed, shelving, stairs, and some very old frames devoid of the pictures they once held. It was oddly eerie, and the sound of my breaths coming in and out of the regulator weren’t helping the macabre environment at all.

  Each ship we explored looked similar, the desolation and isolated solitude of them caused a sadness that I didn’t expect to fill me. It was akin to walking through a cemetery. I was both disappointed and relieved to note that there weren’t any skeletons floating around. Pirates or treasure hunters must have cleaned out the ships years ago. The beauty, destruction, and sense of past adventure was breathtaking.

  All too soon we needed to head back to the rendezvous point. Stuart and Maurice were already halfway up, after relating to us that they needed to rise or risk running out of oxygen. At their reminder, we checked our tanks, surprised that they too were almost at the level necessary for us to rise. Keith and I were just getting ready to head to the surface when Keith indicated that he wanted to look at something. He flashed five fingers telling me he needed five minutes and I followed him around the bow of the wreck.

  I rounded the wreck we’d just visited and saw a green fin disappear a few more feet below, into the ship’s break, just past the mast. It was strange looking, almost like kelp, but shimmery. I pushed past Keith, knowing the distance wasn’t going to hinder our return trip to the surface. Curiosity overwhelmed me; I had to know what kind of creature had that strange, thin fin. Just as I was passing the break, I hit a tide. If we weren’t tethered and very close to the ship, I’d have been lost. Gripping onto the mast of the ship, I looked up to Keith to indicate that I was done when I saw them. Five hammerhead sharks were circling us, thirty feet above our heads.

  All reason escaped me. I panicked and bolted away from them, forgetting about the current I’d just hit. Keith tried to pull me back with the cord and I freaked out even more. I thought the sharks had noticed my panic and were eating him, zeroing in after me for their second course. In my blind fear I grabbed my knife and cut the cord, unwittingly allowing myself to be sucked into the current. I tumbled around the wreckage, hitting the wood and reef with my body and equipment. I saw a glimpse of Keith with what I thought were sharks still swimming above him. I felt my head collide with something, then nothing.

  I awoke with a start to a pair of teal eyes. I knew I had to be dead because that color didn’t exist in nature. The eyes were lined by thick black lashes. He was tan, but his skin was luminous, as though there were a rainbow of colors dancing underneath. His straight, inky black hair fell out of a clip holding it back from his face. The bits I could feel against my skin were like the finest strands of silk. I was afraid to move and see the rest of him, for no man should ever be as beautiful as what I’d seen so far.

  “Yo
u have woken. Are you in need of anything?” He spoke and my stomach danced with somersaults and acrobatics. His voice was a deep timbre that brushed against me like velvet. My heart skipped a beat and the rest of me was instantly heated. Never in my life had I ever experienced a reaction like that. With two sentences I was utterly lost in him.

  “Am I dead?” My voice came out in a throaty whisper. It felt like sandpaper had rubbed my insides raw.

  “Do you wish to be so?” he rumbled.

  “Not particularly. Who are you? Where am I? What happened?” I tried to sit up so I wouldn’t feel so intimate with this stranger, but he placed his hand on my shoulder, preventing any movement. It was as if an electric current went through my body at his touch. His strong arm held me down gently and a soft sigh escaped his lips. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said he was experiencing the same overwhelming feelings that I was.

  “Forgive me, my lady. I did not think. You are not dead in the physical sense; however to those outside this place, you are gone. I am called Raifuku. You are located in my bed as I was unable to move you to the Council without harming you. You drowned and were transported here thanks to Poseidon. Are you well?” he asked.

  “I drowned?” I again made a move to get up. “Please—let me up.”

  He bowed his head and I took that as assent. Sure enough, when I sat up and was able to see the entire view of my rescuer, I was not disappointed. He was the most breathtaking creature that had ever walked this earth; an Adonis brought to life. He wore only a pair of dark teal drawstring pants. They were unlike any material I’d ever seen before. It was like staring into the depths of the ocean. My fingers grasped at the fabric of their own volition, and it was as soft as the down feathers of a baby bird. It was by far the most incredible pair of pants I had ever noticed covering a body that should never see a need to be covered. He wore them low on his hips, and I could tell that they were all he was wearing. He had broad shoulders and muscles on top of muscles.

  If he wasn’t so breathtaking I’d have been terrified of his strength. His entire body shimmered with an ethereal teal blue hue that would normally make me think of rainbow parties back home, but on him it was very masculine. I had never felt petite, vulnerable, or as amazing as I did just sitting on his bed with him sitting beside me. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to realize I was naked. I pulled the sheet over myself and blushed.

  “Thank you, Raif, for…everything.” The corners of his mouth curved upwards at the nickname I gave him. “How did I end up in your bedroom? How am I not dead?” I could feel my cheeks darken further as my thoughts wandered into dangerous territory.

  I knew I should be concerned about my situation, but all I could think about was him. His presence was intoxicating. I was aware of our proximity and the intimacy of our position in an almost obsessive way. Looking at him, I almost forgot the fact that I’d drowned. If he touched me again, I thought I might die for good. My body was molten liquid, only sheer willpower holding me together and keeping me from making a complete fool of myself.

  “The current brought you to my doorstep. When the portal opened, you quite literally fell into my lap. I was unsure of what you were exactly, until I was able to remove your extras. I certainly hope that they were unnecessary and not a physical part of you,” he said, his brow furrowing. “I would hate to have caused you any unnecessary pain. Thank Poseidon you share our females’ anatomy, for reviving you was a simple matter. You have been asleep for some time now. I worried I had removed some vital portion of you so I was leaning over to verify that you still had breath. Are you whole and well, or do you have need of anything?”

  He was very animated as he talked. His body and expressions portrayed every ounce of struggle and frustration that he felt. When he was explaining how he was afraid he may have hurt me all I wanted to do was hold him to take away some of the pain and fear in his expression. He was hypnotic and I could have listened to him all day. I struggled to make sense of what he was saying and failed. All that existed was him. I’d never before had such a reaction to anything or anyone. My mind kept envisioning us together with such vivid detail that I could practically feel the imprint of his hands in the most intimate of places.

  Raif took away any sense of what should have been important. It was much more important to find out what the hell happened after the sharks scared me than it was to think only of a soft satin sheet and a pair of silky pants blocking what could very well be every fantasy come true.

  It was such an odd time to realize that my clothing, as well as all my equipment, was in a pile in the corner of his room. That’s when I noticed his room. It was like being inside a seashell. Everything shimmered except the carpet. The carpet looked like rabbit fur. He had a wardrobe made from seashells and a large four-poster bed made from a dark wood I’d never seen before. His sheets were satin smooth and extremely comfortable. They were also the only color in the room, black with teal embroidery. It was a very plain décor, yet it seemed to suit the owner.

  “My lady, are you ill? Have I done something incorrectly? Did I—” I placed my fingers on his soft lips, suppressing a shudder as another wave of awareness washed over me. This had to be a side effect of whatever had happened to me. I’d never been so aware of my body in such a sensual way before.

  “Raif, I’m fine. I’m just a little overwhelmed at the moment, but doing rather well, all things considered. Can you hand me my clothes? Where are we?”

  “My apologies, my lady, I did not see fit for you to continue to wear such archaic clothing and sent to have some made for you. They should be here shortly. We are currently in my bedchamber,” he said, bowing his head slightly in respect.

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious. Can I at least borrow a pair of pants and a shirt until my clothes get here? I’m uncomfortable being naked in your bedroom. I realize that we’re still in your bedchamber as you put it, but what island is it located on exactly, what continent?” I was getting nervous at his refusal to tell me where I was. When I was nervous, I was bitchy.

  He moved to his wardrobe with a grace I could only dream of having. His muscles bunched and rippled as he walked away. That man had the best ass I had ever seen.

  The sense of loss I felt without him by my side was staggering with its intensity, but I fought against it. I didn’t understand my strong reaction to him, but was uncomfortable with the things he was conjuring inside me. In thirty years I’d never instantly craved someone. Even that wasn’t a strong enough description, though. It was worse than a craving. The expression, ‘love at first sight’ popped into my head. I frowned, trying to release such a juvenile notion. People don’t really fall in love at the first sight of a pair of teal eyes.

  Forget that he was more powerfully built than any other man I had ever seen. Calling him a man even seemed like an insult to him, for no man was nearly so perfect. It was just lust and the after effects of drowning. That thought brought me back to the more important issue at hand. If I’d drowned, how was I still alive?

  “I am unsure of the fit of my clothing on your body, but I do have an older tunic that may be small enough for you.” He brought the item to me and I noticed that it was also teal. Everything he had was in the greener side of ocean colors. His hand brushed mine as he gave me his shirt and I had to relearn to breathe.

  “We are located on the third isle, called Sumner. Not many travel here as the mainland is much more populated and exciting. Sumner is my family’s land. We are what you would call farmers. We provide the food for our people and care for the variety of plant and animal life to maintain harmony here. I like the wilderness and the solitude of my life. The quiet is soothing to me and so I chose to stay here instead of residing on the mainland. Never in all my years did I imagine someone like you would fall into my lap. Do you need assistance in your dressing, my lady?” He asked.

  “Um, that’s probably not a good idea, but thanks. You’ve avoided my question very well, telling me something while still saying nothin
g. Where am I, and how soon can I call my family to let them know I’m okay?”

  “My lady,” he started with a pained expression on his face.

  “My name is Natasha. Please call me that or some variety that suits you. ‘My lady’ just makes me feel old,” I said with exasperation.

  “As you wish, Natasha.” My name was like heaven on his lips. “As I mentioned, you are in my bed, in my bedchamber, in my home on Sumner, which is located in Atlantis, which is approximately eight miles beneath the ocean’s surface. We are not detectable by any of your people’s modern equipment. We are able to view the surface life, but unable to communicate with any of its inhabitants. Regrettably, you are not able to contact your family, and you cannot go home.” The cadence of his words melted me; making me feel safe. It took a moment for the meaning behind his words to fully strike me.

  “What do you mean I can’t go home? I don’t belong here! What have you done to me?” I felt as though he were bewitching me. I clutched the shirt he’d given me close, as if it were a lifeline. The shirt held his smell: a crisp ocean spray during a hurricane, fresh, wild, and untamed. It was very heady and comforting. I realized what I was doing and quickly pulled the shirt over my head.

  “Natasha, my lady, forgive me for I do not know how to answer you without offense. I have had minimal dealings with the Surface Dwellers. Certainly none as beautiful as you. Even the ones I’ve met, I only did so after they’d been to see the Council. The Council will know how to guide you, and they will help you with your answers. We will be going there just as soon as Michael returns with your clothing. I did not wish to take you there in your previous state. Please forgive me.” He was kneeling so close to me on the side of the bed that I felt every pore on my body react to his nearness. He leaned in close and reached out, but let his arm drop before he touched me.