A new story, inspired by the words Water, Send, and Timely. The sun was almost blinding as it reflected on the water – the water that stretched as far as the eye could see. Alys had sailed for days away from New London now – the floating city was a long way behind her now, but she would need to turn back soon. She had become accustomed to reading the weather patterns, and she could sense that a storm was coming – the wind was strong, the clouds were broiling ahead of her and there was a static to the air. However, she didn’t want to return empty-handed.
Her eyes alternated between the skyline and the depths, looking just as earnestly at both. The clear skyline was a relief because it showed she was alone. The empty depths were less so, as it meant she hadn’t found anywhere worth diving yet. Despite the potential of the storm, she would need to keep going. She turned her sail a little to catch the wind and alter her heading. Just because she needed to keep searching, didn’t mean she had to get further away from New London. Still, she kept her eyes moving. She knew that she wouldn’t be the only hunter under the sky, and many wouldn’t be looking for places to dive – they would be looking for diver’s boats, already laden with treasures. Much easier to steal from others than it was find the old places that still held valuables. The diving was dangerous – all sorts of damage had been caused by the floods, and swimming through ancient buildings wasn’t safe. Far easier to let others take those risks, and to then relieve them of their haul. That approach wasn’t for Alys though – she saw her role out on the water as life-giving, not taking. She, amongst others, hunted so that New London could survive. She knew that some of her fellows had taken to the easier way and she hoped that they would keep their eyes outwards, rather than looking to steal from people like herself. She understood why they had changed. She didn’t agree with it, but she understood it. Was that a glistening from below? The light seemed to strike the water slightly differently and she steered her boat over and looked down. Yes – old solar panels! She looked at the sky – she could now see the storm, but it was distant. She looked at the horizon – she saw other sails, though who could know if they would be friendly, rivals, or outright murderous. Alys thought that the storm would move to intercept them before they reached her – timely indeed. However, she still couldn’t dawdle. She dropped her anchor and quickly pulled off her shoes. Once the boat was steady, she strapped on her rebreather and, sitting on the edge, dropped backwards over the side. She swam down to see what she could find. She always loved this part of her job – the eeriness, and the quiet of the world that was. The now flooded and empty streets, the old signs of a life long ago ended. The light tied to her shirt was the only illumination once you descended far enough, but it was enough to make out some detail. Much had been lost, and it fascinated her to visit, and to imagine what it must have been like. There, an old pub, or perhaps a bar – she’d never really understood the distinction. What was once a travel agent – the pictures of far away places were lost to the water now, but the metallic cut-outs of airplanes still told a story. Supermarkets, electronics stores, restaurants. There was so much that had been lost. Today, however, she had struck gold. She spent valuable minutes looking at the options. The supermarket still had masses of tinned food in storage – the labels long since lost, but everybody likes surprises. Old televisions and computers – no longer functioning, but the components, once dried out, could be useful. Masses and masses of plastic which could be put to new use. She could never bring it all home in one trip. In fact, for this she would need to return with several boats, and several divers. She pulled a bag from a pocket and started to fill it. For now, she grabbed a variety – a dozen tins, a few boxes of electronics and she thought had once been smartphones, some old toys that would make a few children very happy. Just a few examples of what could be found here. She would be paid for what she could bring back, but if she could convince the Ministry that it was worth it to send a full expedition, she would be entitled to a percentage of everything hauled up. She tied the bag to her belt and began to swim back towards her boat. As she surfaced and pulled herself back aboard, she saw that she had been right. The storm had moved to cover the space between her and the other boats – she wouldn’t find out who they were this day, and that was probably for the best. She pulled up the anchor and set her sail to head back to New London. She was cold and wet now that she was out of the water, but she couldn’t take the time to change now – better to set sail first. The storm that might have saved her would still kill her if it got the chance.
2 Comments
Chris Cunliffe
29/4/2021 16:06:04
Thanks! I really like this one too.
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Flash FictionSome shorter fiction, usually based on some kind of challenge. Archives
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