Chereads / The Reef / Chapter 1 - part 1

The Reef

🇺🇸YoungByrd
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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - part 1

Two pods swim to a large sea grave in a rocky gorge.

Coral-

This way, Conch. I know it's one of these ships.

Conch-

One out the hundreds gathered in this triangle? Really, Coral?

Coral-

Triangle?

Conch-

You've obviously never been above the Bermuda gorge.

Coral-

Urgh… you and your books.

Conch-

No. We've been through this ruin twice already and you've never seen it from above.

Coral-

Fine. Fine. Whatever.

Conch-

I know you don't even know what the item is, but at least remember the wreck.

Coral-

Oh! Right! It this really large sail ship. Very dark, but it's like… alive? There's just this feel I got from looking at it. I just knew you had to come with.

Conch-

Again. Been here twice.

Coral-

Not in the cloud pool.

Conch-

The cloud pool!? Are you nuts!?

Coral-

Oh, c'mon! There has to be something interesting rather than the creepy tales.

Conch-

Enlighten me.

Coral-

Tartar.

They continue through the ruins and head down deeper until they reach a large green cloud below.

Conch-

Good god. It's more menacing up close.

Coral-

Yeesh. Haven't even found the ship and i already got chills.

Conch-

Well, let go. Unless you inked already.

Coral-

I did not!!

They dive deeper towards the cloud to find more wrecks and rocks. Some with treasure scattered about them.

Coral-

Oooh! Look at all these jewels! I wonder what they'd sell for at the trench?

Conch-

Focus, greedy. If we were collecting now I'd have brought a bigger bag.

Coral-

Right. Lets look there.

Conch-

Are you even sure the wreck was that specific?

Coral-

When I last saw it, the cloud was lower I think.

Conch-

So it was either dark out or cooler?

Coral-

Definitely cooler. But just near the shipwreck. . . Maybe over here?

Conch-

That doesn't sit well.

As Coral continues on, Conch catches a glimpse of a small figure with a long fin swim gracefully through the wrecks. Coral returns in panic.

Coral-

Hey! I've been trying to call you for…! . . . what are you looking at?

Conch-

I thought I saw a merfolk.

Coral-

Crap!! The fishes!? Let hurry and find the item then get out of here. We got enough problems being pods.

Conch-

Right. . . . Wait a minute!

Coral-

Guuh!? What!?

Conch-

Is that it?

Conch points to an enormous dark ship that sat up right in an open hole in the cloud as if the cloud itself was afraid of it. It seemed ancient but barely touched by time. In the midst of the ship lit a dim green and blue eerie light from the inside through the cracks and crevasses.

Coral-

Yeah, that it is. But that glow wasn't there before.

Conch-

. . . . c'mon, stupid. You were the one that wanted what was in there. We're already here.

Coral-

Wait! Wait for me! Conch!

They enter the opening around the ship to get a better look at the glow. It didn't seem that deep within. But the light soon began to pulse lightly.

Coral-

Think you can smash it open? Get it and go?

Conch-

You told me I wouldn't need my shell this time.

Coral-

Damn.

They swing to the top deck. It had a few loose, rickety boards, and the mast was at a slight tilt with the sails torn, but the rest of the ship didn't seem to be decaying as much as it should be.

Conch-

It's almost like someone still lives here.

Coral-

Please don't say things like that.

Conch-

Hey. It'd be nice to have ourselves, don't you think?

Coral-

I think we should hurry up and get out of here already. This place give me the creeps.

Conch-

I like it.

Coral-

Let's just find the damn glowing thing and go, please.

They swim through a broken hatch to the inside. It's dark except for the strange light.

Conch-

I think it's two floors lower.

Coral-

How big is this thing?

Conch-

Probably five or six levels from the top.

Coral-

Okay, smart guy. What kind of ship is this then?

Conch-

A cruise for royalty maybe? If I could see better, I could tell you more.

Coral-

Don't care. Royalty means treasure!

Conch-

Now, hold on. It could be a pirate or slave ship.

Coral-

What's worse?

Conch-

Basically slave ships has more bodies.

Coral-

Please be pirates at least.

Conch-

Pirates it is, then.

Conch points to an open room overflowing with gold and jewels from all over the world. Coral makes a dash for it and dives in head first.

Coral-

Whoo- hooo!! Look at all this! Its a mother load!!

Conch-

Haha!

The glow takes Conchs attention as it pulses again. He goes to check it out since Coral was too occupied. He heads to the back of the hall and looks through the floor cracks to find what was making the glow.

Coral-

Conch! Look! King Chi How ain't got nothing on this, baby.

Conch looks to find Coral dressed in Chinese crown jewels and well kept silk fabric. It actually fits him nicely.

Conch-

Hah! Nice. I'm going to the next floor. I think there's a secret room.

Coral-

Oh! Secrets! Wait for me.

Coral dashes out of his dressings after Conch.

They continue to the next floor and see a wall glowing. There's no door. Just a rope on the corner.

Coral-

Eek! Secret door! So fun.

Conch-

Oh, now you're having fun?

Coral-

Shut up and open it.

Conch swims to the wall and tries to yank on the rope as hard as he can. The wall starts to pull out slowly from its wedge. After a while, the wall finally opens halfway until the rope snaps. Conch drops to the floor. The wall is stationary.

Coral-

Are you alright, conch?!

Conch sits back up and looks to the wall, then swims up to look inside.

Conch-

Come help me pull. It's too big.

Coral swims to help they take each side of the wall and pull it down until it falls on its own and hits the floor. In the room, what they revealed was a large round ball still pulsing and glowing brighter than before.

Coral-

What is it?

Conch-

A leviathan's pearl.

Coral-

How much do you think it'll sell for? Hundreds? Thousands?

Conch-

We're not going to sell it.

Conch grabs the large pearl. It was lighter than it looked. The pulsing glow stops and stays steady still growing brighter.

Conch-

We're keeping it.

Coral-

Why? Other than the fact that it seem to like you.

Conch-

This, dunderhead,can help us get closer to the shores! You can have your legs, see what color you human skin is, feel the sand between your toes…

Coral-

I can be human. I can finally be human and we can get out of this water grave! We can be people!

Conch-

We can start again with nothing to hold us under the dark. Not even these damn tentacles.

Coral-

Aaaah!!!! I love you, my friend!! I don't believe this! Our ridiculous fantasy will come true!

Conch-

Shhh!! Keep your voice down.

Coral-

Oops. Fishes.

Conch puts the pearl in the bag he had and ties it tight.

Conch-

Let's get out of here before we overstay or welcome.

Coral-

We're still coming back for the treasure room, right?

Conch-

Yes, we can come back for it later.

Coral-

Yay!

They quickly leave the ship. And swim as fast as they can. Before they reached the top of the gorge, a scream was heard from within the clouds, then demonic cries.

Conch-

Sounds like someone got caught by sirens. Hold this.

Conch shoves the bright pearl onto Coral who drops to the ground with it. Coral was stuck.

Coral-

Ah! Hey! Wait where are you going?! Don't leave me like this!

He couldn't budge. The pearl stopped glow once Conch was out of sight.