From the Depths

Riptides disturbed the water's surface. The danger in their depths taunting. He had always been a strong swimmer, the urge to test his strength battled with his conscious. His mother and every other authority figure in his life had warned him of the dangers.

Watching the water dance, he couldn't help but think he could overcome these currents. Zayne edged closer.

Salt water sprayed into the air, burning his nostrils. Sliding his foot forward he let the water lick his toes. Chills slid through his body, raising every hair as he went. Shaking the shivers from his bones, he took one more step forward, cold water stabbed at his ankles.

Sense told him to turn back. The yearning within him to test his capabilities propelled him forward.

The viscous water bit his skin with each step. The disturbed water tugged at him so as to teach him a lesson. The oceans next pull took him too. Gasping as he was pulled out to sea. Water enveloped him.

Holding his breath, he channeled his energy to finding the surface. Slicing his strong arms through the water he tried to propel himself forward.

The early morning was dim. All around the water looked the same. The ocean floor and surface were indistinguishable.

Lungs were aching for a fresh breath. Head was spinning, muscles that could tread most ocean currents felt weak. Everything burned from exhaustion, being pushed to the brink of disaster.

Vision blurred; he felt another tug. This one was different. The pull jolted his arm back, the pain shot through his shoulder.

He tried to look behind him. The combination of pain and exhaustion consumed him. He was soon engulfed in the darkness.

With eyes fluttering open, stretching out he felt the sand shift under his weight. He was sitting on an islet in the middle of the ocean. Rolling still to look around he choked on the next breath he took. His body shook with the effort to take on more air. Leaning closer he rubbed his eyes, with sandy palms.

Scales that reminded him of oil swirling in water. The rainbow of colors was spectacular. Colors shifted as he moved closer, running his finger down to the bottom of the fin it was sleek, moving up was dangerous. Pulling his hand back quickly he noted the small slice in his finger. The mixture of freshly cut skin with salt water stung. He sucked the blood from his fingertip.

Dragging his eyes up, the scales fizzled away to creamy pale skin. An arm was resting above her head, hand buried in the array of brilliant white hair.

She appeared to be sleeping. Her chest rose and fell in an easy rhythm. Had she saved him?

"A Mermaid," Zayne murmured to himself.

She began to stir. The scintillating colors of her tail shone brightly in the afternoon sun. The shifts were mesmerizing.

Her brilliant hair cascaded down her back as she sat up. Opal eyes locked on Zayne's. He had never seen eyes as these. The iridescent sparkle pulled him in. Willed him to lean in closer.

"Can you speak?" His voice a shaking whisper. Afraid he would spook her if he spoke too loudly.

He continued to stare into her eyes. They held something powerful. Concern. Intrigue. Questions.

In that moment he knew he would tell her anything she asked.

But nothing came.

They sat stagnant for what seemed like ages. He wished she would do something. Anything.

Never in those moments did they break eye contact. Each time the wind shifted so did the color of her eyes. Clouds moved and created a dullness to their sparkle.

Causing an ache in his chest.

Extending a hand to hers, she slipped away into darkness.

****

Zayne shook his head as if to bring her image back to clarity. But he saw nothing but darkness. A low rhythmic beeping could be heard. He tried to roll over to see where it was coming from. Something was holding him in place.

He could feel the panic rising in his body.

Was he restrained.

The muscles throughout his body ached.

Lights blinded him, the rhythmic beeping had turned chaotic. Serving to heighten his agitation.

A woman in pale blue scrubs entered the room. Cooing to him as a mother to a child waking up from a nightmare. Realization dawned. He was in a hospital.

But why?

The last thing he remembered was sitting on the small islet with the mermaid. He wanted to sit up. The nurse was forcing him back. Mind racing, he could not understand what she was saying. Watching her lips, he knew she was speaking but had no idea what it was she was trying to tell him. Low mumbling was all he could hear as if she was speaking to him underwater. The beeping was louder than ever.

Another nurse rushed into the room, put something into the IV on his arm. Warmth spread through his body where the IV was imbedded. Seeping its way through his veins.

Within moments he was drifting back off to sleep.

Squeezing on his arm startled Zayne awake, eyelids fluttering open, he looked around. A blood-pressure cuff had been the culprit, releasing its grip now in his left arm. Sweeping he gaze across the room he noted the sparsely filled space. The chair against the far wall was the only item in the room other than medical equipment.

A window was centered at the end of the room, overlooking the ocean. The need for information surged through him. Searching the bed, he located what he was looking for and depressed the large call button.

After what felt to be ten minutes a nurse entered the room. It had likely only been two, but the anxiousness within made the wait feel all that much longer.

"Good morning Mr. Cottier," The nurse greeted with a pleasant smile.

"Hi," Zayne couldn’t help the shortness he was using with the woman. "Need to know how I got from that small island to here. What happened?"

Smile faltering, she patted the top of Zayne's hand with her soft one. "I will get some breakfast on the way for you." Without another word she hurriedly turned and excited the room.

Fine Zayne thought to himself, if she wasn’t going to tell him he'd just find out himself. Flipping the covers back he sat up to swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

They didn't move.

Staring down at his legs he tried again. He willed them to move with everything he had in him.

Nothing.

Leaning forward he ripped the blanket from his toes. He watched as he wiggled his toes. There was nothing to see. No movement.

Feeling white hot panic course through his body he rang the nurse again.

And again, when she didn’t materialize quick enough.

A man entered; confidence eliminated from each of his movements. Opening the door, twisting the chair so he would be seated alongside Zayne.

"Good morning, Zayne," The calmness of his tone obliterated Zayne's remaining patience.

"I can’t move my legs," he nearly shouted.

Nodding his head, the doctor leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Zayne, you've been a paraplegic for several years now."

Confusion flooded his mind. Anger bubbled to the surface.

"That’s not possible. I was swimming just before I got here. I was walking on the beach," his voice got progressively louder as he spoke.

The doctor’s slim mouth curved into a sad smirk. Nodding "Let me start at the beginning. You were seven, you and your mother were heading to the ocean to go for a swim. A child ran out in front of your mother, presumably on instinct, she swerved to avoid hitting her.

"This swerve caused your mother to run head-on into another vehicle. You were ejected from your seat. You sustained severe injuries. Among these injuries were a spinal injury causing your paralysis and a brain injury effecting your memory."

"That cannot be," Zayne stated shaking his head. "Where is my mother, I want to hear her explanation."

The doctor hung his head slightly.

"She died in that accident Zayne."

Emotions spilled from his soul. The sounds he emitted caused the nurse in the hall on stand-by to weep. It happened each time Zayne had to reexperience his mother's death. Most lost a loved one once. At this point she had seen him experience that loss no less than ten times. Each day broke her heart more.

She entered the room to lend her support. Bringing with her some orange juice from his breakfast tray.

"Need a drink," she asked extending the dull plastic cup to him.

He took it silently. Not looking at her. He stared out at the ocean. They all remained silent while Zayne processed all he had been told.

"I, I remember going swimming just before waking up here," he said in an oddly distant voice. This was a new revelation.

He had never volunteered a memory before.

"Two days ago, I was helping you down at the physical therapy pool," the nurse began as she settled into a quat by his side. "You began to seize in the water, we had to rush to get you back out."

Zayne's memories of being in the water flashed through his mind. Could he have been in a pool?

Looking up from his lumpy orange juice he was met by such pale blue eyes they reminded him of opals.

Her throat constricted as she tried to speak, “I was the child your mom died saving.”

She felt the tear slide down her cheek, when his forest green eyes met hers.