Testing For Hope

Chapter 13 - Deep Depths

The sun was shining down on the rest of the kingdom, leaving this little patch of castle that was always covered in shadows. Walking through this part of the kingdom always calmed down Queen Sofia. It was always peaceful, but oh, so alone.

The leaves from all the bushes covering the sidewalks from lack of trimming, the stairs making the whole place look lost to time. You could see it from her room, but it was even more beautiful in person. The whole place was captured like a photo, everlasting.

Going down the staircase, careful not to trip on any loose roots, Sofia went down to the bottom of the area. She kneeled down and put her hand at the lake that was at the heart of her kingdom. The water played around her hand, rippling the surface in waves.

She often wondered if her old friend would like this area. If she would be able to sit by the edges for a picnic.

She then took her dark flowing gown by the bottom and jumped in. The skirt flew behind her as she splashed in the water. The skin on her legs slowly started turning rough and coarse, taking what looked like a whole new shape. In fact, that's exactly what happened.

What once was her legs, turned into an aquatic fish tail. She raised it to the surface of the pond, the brisk air hitting it as she waved it around. It's been a while, huh? Sofia thought as she went down to the bottom of the water and through a crack on the ground, plunging into the darkness. 

Sofia went back to her thoughts. What if the witch in her past could find a special spell of the water's depths. If she would swim with her to Sofia's keepsake in this cold castle.

After a long time swimming, to the point that her tail started aching, the walls around her started to glow in the most beautiful neon colours, surrounding her and engulfing her whole. The bottom of the area reached near, and it started to open up the space more.

The whole area seemed to expand greatly. So much so, that by the time her fins hit the sandy flour, she was right outside a great city. The lights reflected off the bubble surrounding the area, covering the whole water filled space in beautiful rippled lights that seemed ethereal.

Getting to the bottom, she reached the bubble. She took a deep breath and swayed her fin against the bubble's exterior. The tail pushed into the surprisingly tough surface with ease and soon Sofia was standing on the other side, back in the same flowing dress from before.

She automatically went to a nearby alleyway that she seemed all too comfortable walking into. When she reached the end of the walkway, she looked around and grabbed the handles on the side of the trashcan in front of her. She pushed it to the side as gently as possible and grabbed the bag hidden behind it.

After putting the trash bin back in place, she dug into the bag and pulled out a cape. She put the bag on her back and pulled the cape over it all. All of her features were hidden except the few that made her stand out as a siren. Her ears poking out the sides and her tinted complexion being shown through the top of it all.

She quickly left the alleyway and started walking through the crowd, slowly advancing towards an old building that seemed to be a staple of the whole town. Finally stepping on the front porch she raised her hand and knocked three times. Then a pause followed by two more.

The door opened to reveal a cold darkness that drew in all suspecting and unsuspecting guests into its eternal mystery. All Sofia had to do was take one step.

Taking a deep breath, Sofia looked around unsure, but the world looked frozen, only moving in slow motion. She decided that she wouldn't be too long with her visit. She looked back inside and stepped through the door. When she finally passed the threshold, the door closed behind her and time went back to normal.