by Pamela Storey

When your world is turned on it's head, can a myth possibly save your life and send you out into the world reinvigorated?

This will be the last time I take the trip from the mainland back to the small island where I live. Everything I thought I knew is changing. Everything is still the same on the island, shops, buildings, pub, trees; but I see them differently now. I miss them. I miss them even though I haven’t left yet.

I strain my eyes in the drizzle to get a glimpse of my island. The waves are getting higher. The small flat bottomed boat crashes further and further under and over the horizon. Next to me, a tourist’s face drains from tan to pale green. He rushes outside and duly throws up overboard. I’m never seasick anymore. I’ve taken this ferry so many times in every kind of weather.

Ever since I was old enough to be trusted, under my sister’s supervision, we went to the mainland every weekend to shop and see what normal life was like. We watched people rushing through their hectic lives. My sister was jealous. She wanted to have a normal life. I never understood why she wanted that. I still don’t. We had everything we needed, still would have, except that now she’s gone.

Looking at the cliffs of the mainland I see the smuggler’s caves of days gone by. I’ve often wondered how far they go into the earth; one could hide there for weeks. I’ve always meant to investigate, in my little boat, but now that’s gone too. It’s all gone and so soon will I, Sophie, the last of the Swains; despite my efforts to stay, I have to leave. All the money is gone, the house, the farm, Mum and Dad. A sharp pain still drives into my heart when I dare to even think their names, even though it’s been almost a year now.

I’ll be gone in a week to live with Aunt Mavis in London. Everything’s gone: my life, my past, my future. The island still looks the same, has the same shops, pub, buildings, trees, but my life there has gone forever. My family are gone forever, the only things I have left are memories that I daren’t open.

Then the world turned upside down. The daylight had gone and there was water pushing in through the windows, doors, cracks. Huge creaking groans came from underneath. All the crockery, glasses, napkins, had disappeared from the tables, smashed all over. People floated, silently. Everything had changed, except for the pictures on the wall. They stayed screwed in place, but were wrong in their new world.

Sophie turned slowly as she hit a support. Her hair suspended around her, so that her face couldn’t be seen. Her shopping was gone. The tins had rolled to the far corners of the ceiling, the lettuce wilted in the sea water and her polythene bag moved slowly like a jellyfish.

An eternity seemed to pass by. Things calmed. Slowly the world began to sink, falling with such grace, darkening, until all was black.

My eyes blink rapidly as I try to adjust them to the far off light. They sting. I try to focus but all I see is shimmering shapes. I feel weightless. I try to remember where I am but nothing holds. It’s so silent it’s deafening. The light gets closer, something brushes past my arm. I flinch away, straining to see, but it’s dark by my feet and whatever it was has gone. For a moment I ponder how I have come to be suspended, but as my logic tries to come to a conclusion the bright light shines directly on my face.

The light feels warm, makes me realise how cold I was, I can hardly feel my fingers and toes, but it blinds me. I don’t understand what’s happening.

And then I see a silhouette. A figure and it reaches out to me, touches my cheek. The skin is pale grey and flawless, gliding through the space. I try to make out the face but it's cast in shadow. It continues to stroke my skin, takes hold of my hand and squeezes it.

A large dolphin-like tail passes behind it. I’m scared, but then I sense there is another one behind me. It wraps its arms around me; makes me feel stable. The first then takes hold of my face and moves in close to me, as it does I feel breasts against me. It puts its lips on mine and I feel an amazing energy rush into me. I am free.

Screwing her eyes Sophie adjusted to the bright light of the hospital. As she focused, the shapes of beds, curtains, people, became clear. A recurring beep sounded in her ears.
‘Thank God you’re alright!’ A warm voice sounded. ‘Sophie dear, it’s me, Mavis; I came as soon as I heard. You gave me a big fright. Your boat capsized, you were missing for hours, I was so scared. The doctors say it’s a miracle you’re alive.’