The Water Goddess

Chapter 1, Part 6: The storm

His feet dangled from the hammock as he rocked himself back and forth. The seafront was his view that time and the wind was his lullaby.

Over and over again, Beth's words echoed in his thoughts. The sea is beautiful and he could see it all right but, its wrath and mystery is what terrifies him. Every time he would look at the seafront from any place, the memory of that day would only come back to haunt him. The way his body hit the water, and the dense feeling of the sea as it tried to strangle him, those are the dreadful memories that always come back to him.

He doesn't want that to happen again. Never again. But he let his mind wander, till he fell into a deep sleep. He dreamt of soft bright lights fluttering, as if he was looking at an impressionist's painting. It was all beautiful and serene, until he saw two blue sapphires floating.

Then suddenly, they were not sapphires anymore, but they turned to eyes, with the color of the most brilliant shade of blue.

A loud thunder woke him up, and made him jump from the hammock. He immediately stood up and something caught his eye.

Felipe got out of the terrace and saw the skies, just a few kilometers east, thunders rumble and the clouds there were black.

"What? Is there a storm coming!?" he blurted out.

Then he suddenly remembered that the fish sanctuary, the scuba diving spot that belongs to the resort is situated there.

"Oh my god... Beth!" then he ran outside of his room, headed for the lobby.

His heart raced inside his chest, feeling the stirring fear in him. He might not be important to Beth, but she might be.

When he reached the reception, he saw Concita calling somebody, she sounded frantic. The staff were also calling different people and they looked desperate at that time.

As Felipe slowly approached the desk, he can feel the calm terror with his every step. Then Concita saw him. He could see that his Mom was teary-eyed.

"Feli?" Her voice trembled.

"Mom? What's happening? Is a storm coming?"

"Yes, azuquito. We didn't know how it was possible, the weather report was for a clear day today, then suddenly... We have to contact the boat from the fish sanctuary to get them back here... We have radioed to them, there was no response." and this time, Concita fell to her knees crying. Felipe immediately caught her.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Your father... He was with the Bellegardés when they went scuba-diving... They are now caught in the storm, azuquito."

Chills ran down his spine, and he felt his heart heave, and his throat felt like choking.

"No, no! Dad came with them?! Why did he had to?" he breathed out, and he sounded like he was about to cry. Concita didn't answer him, but she cried out as she buried her face on his chest.

Felipe then looked out and clenched his fists.

"I'm coming for them. For Dad." he bravely muttered.

"What?! Felipe, no! If you get caught--!"

"I need to, Mom... I need to save my Dad."

It was that one moment, a very elusive moment, that all of Felipe's fear, he had set it all aside, just for his father.

He stood up and settled Concita upright but she grabbed his ankle,

"You are not going! I'm not going to lose my husband and son!" she shouted at him.