The wind whipped at Darren's face, as he stood at the bow of the, Sea Fairer. He was looking out at the vast, open sea, on his homeward journey, pondering life and its unsuspecting turns.
Earlier that day he had run into an old woman, sitting at the edge of the dock, begging for a kind word. She was wearing a long tattered skirt and a white blouse that was deeply stained from years of being on the street.
Darren had spotted her from down the street, and was set on not grabbing her attention, but as he passed, he could not help but feel torn by the wretched state she was in. He decided to stop and do anything he could to aid her. He gave her a few coins, and to repay him for his kindness, the old woman gave him a word of warning for his journey home. She told him that there would be a certain point on his journey home that his courage would be tested, that he might even go into a state of delirium, but that everything would be fine once he got to the other side.
Darren did not know what she meant by these words, and up to the point where he was now, on the bow of the boat, he could not stop thinking about them. He was frightened. He had never felt this terrified before. He thought of himself as a strong person, but for some reason the old woman's words pierced him. What was going to happen to him? When was this trial going to come to pass? He had all these thoughts floating about his mind, but he decided to let them go and try to enjoy the voyage home.
The sea was placid as Darren stared across, trying to see any form of life. There was a slight wind propelling the boat, which was warming to his skin. He could smell the sea salt as the ship splashed forward into the vast abyss. The slight sway of the ship was comforting to him, as he tried to dispel his anxiety about the old woman's words.
Nightfall was fast approaching, and you could just make out the stars in the dusk. Yet there still was enough light to see ahead. In the distance Darren spotted an eerie shadow. Its color was a dark shade of purple, almost invisible with the sun setting in the west. It looked like the shadow seemed to go on for miles and miles, as the Sea Fairer approached, and Darren could not see through, as it was so thick.
Darren's thoughts immediately returned to the words of the old woman. A shot of fear passed through his body. Her words kept echoing in his head. He knew this was the moment that she warned him about.
The ship was sailing closer and closer, and Darren's heart was pounding harder and harder. He did not know what to do. Then the moment came. They passed through the dense wall of fog. As soon as they passed, a cool, forceful wind started blowing the boat in all directions. Darren did not know where he was at. Suddenly a whirling vortex in the water started forming. The ship then started descending into the water. As he looked down, he could see all sorts of creatures coming up from the darkness. There were creatures donned with spines, glowing gills, and razor sharp tails. Creatures as large as houses, with vibrant colors of fuchsia and orange, glowing like they were radioactive, were swimming around staring at Darren, with eyes hung on long stems protruding from their heads. All the while the ship was plummeting down the vortex to a place Darren had never even dreamed of. It was a whole other realm, which he was sure no one else had been to. He was frightened yet intrigued with these new sights.
The vortex itself was amazing. The water had turned to lavender, painting the ship with a beautiful purple glow. Darren was wondering if this was really happening because he was the only one on the deck of the ship. Would people not be as interested in this vortex as he was? It was like he was the only one on the ship. Was he going insane? Was he dreaming? He had no idea.
As the ship went deeper Darren could see what he thought were outlines of buildings. He thought might be an underwater kingdom. They were beautifully constructed, with ornate stone carvings, and amazing architecture. There were no doors on the buildings, and he swore that he saw someone or something exiting one of the buildings, but he pushed it out of his mind. He looked down to see where he was going.
