Mater Maris

The Labor Day commotion at Wildwood is what Deborah lived for. She heard the far off screams of vacationers riding the machines on the pier, she heard the laughter of kids and parents frolicking in the waters of the Atlantic. The aromas of funnel cake and popcorn mingled with the tang of sea salt, and the sun shone bright despite its encroachment on the horizon. Forty years of memories flooded her mind, as did the faces of family and friends that had accompanied her on those many trips. The feel of the sand between her toes was like the carpet of home. And beneath it all was the rhythmic pulse of the sea, almost at one with the beating of her heart.

She had always been drawn by the sea, and every time she was on Route 47 in South Jersey and heading to the shore, she knew that she was going home. But this was to be her last visit to her home, for she had a hole larger than life inside of her, one that even the ocean couldn’t fill. Tony, her husband, had been taken from her by a drunk driver back in late July. He was the one she had always longed for, and her continued worsening health had her sure that she would meet death long before he ever would. She snickered derisively at the thought. How cruel life could be…

And so, Deb drank in the ambiance of the sea, and the people. She closed her eyes and let her soul soak up the experience, and the din of the Labor Day crowd seemed to become hushed. It effervesced into the rush of the tide, and she had a feeling of disconnectedness with the world. There was only the sea.

At the back of her mind there was a tickle of something familiar, yet completely alien. Deb strained with all of her might to open her eyes, though nothing was holding them shut. Trepidation, she thought, was heavier than any boulder. The world came into view, and the shock that ran through her was as a bolt of lightning. The piers remained, but the people were gone, the beach toys were gone, the rides were gone. Everything was just… gone. When she looked to the sea, it was a churning crashing cacophony of waves and seafoam. And beyond the shores the ocean seemed to swell to tremendous heights. And through the fear she felt closer to home than ever before.

The setting sun glinted off of something a few feet away. Deb covered the distance in two steps and noticed the object was a bottle. It was an old bottle, perhaps from the sixties or seventies. Nearly illegible, she could make out the faded 7Up symbol, and she could see the paper rolled up inside of it. Glancing around as though looking to make sure nobody was looking at her, it hit her again that she was alone.

How is this even possible? she thought.

The rolled up piece of paper easily fell out of the bottle as she tipped over into her hand. But holding it made this whole situation that much wierder. For the paper was old! Searching her mind for the right description, in only a few moments she had it. It was parchment, like you would see from the pirate days. Her heart skipped a beat, and not because of her persistent palpitations.

“A message in a bottle?!” she said aloud. The smile covered her face from ear to ear. Deb even let a little giggle sneak out as the feeling of being in a fairy tale became real.

She unrolled the parchment and saw something she did not expect. It was nothing but strange symbols. Deep down she knew this message was for her, but shouldn’t she at least be able to read it? Then the sea rushed in, and as the water touched her feet it was like a key unlocking a door in her mind. The symbols began to make sense! Why they were able to make sense was still unknown to her, but she didn’t really care at that moment. The rush of the intrigue clouded the more logical side of her brain. Deb realized that the symbols were represented Latin, and she could understand it.

Again, she didn’t question it in the moment. She just began to read.

Mater Maris, it began. Mother of the Sea.

I was not taken from you forever. I was not meant for that world, just as you are not. I can understand, though, why you fell in love with that world, for I, too miss it. But I miss you more, and you have nearly forgotten your true home. It is destroying your body. That is why I joined you, to make you remember the love of your home, and of your king. The experiences we had together in that world are memories that I will cherish until we welcome the end of Time. Come home, my dearest. Your toiling and pain need not continue. Speak the words below and the path will be revealed.

aquae vitae tuae regina fecit rediit (Waters of Life, your Queen has returned)

Antoninus

Deb’s jaw hung slack, and she understood the truth of the message. This world was killing her, despite her love of it. She was not meant to be here, and her true home, the sea, awaited her return. She dropped the bottle she had been clutching tightly and turned towards the waves.

“Aquae vitae tuae regina fecit rediit,” she spoke to the waves. With a speed she had never seen before, the great swell of water offshore raced in towards her, and her heart thudded in her chest. But it was not fear, it was expectation. And a great, bearded figure made of water arose from the sea, and it set the tips of its golden trident upon the sand before her. And it was there that she saw him. Tony stood before her on the other side of the trident, the world she had forgotten lay behind him. Regal he was, as she always knew him to be, yet she felt as though she were seeing him for the first time. His smile was subdued, but the joy of light in his eyes gave away the unfathomable love he had for his queen.

Deb removed her glasses, and the world behind him came into sharp focus. She felt the pain of the years wash away. She felt the emptiness inside refilling itself. And she knew her name… Cassia.

As the youth and vigor returned to her, she reached out to him… “Antoninus…”