He kept Mary's face in his mind as he struggled. Thinking of her was all that kept him going as the water stretched endlessly above him. If he survived, he'd do whatever he could to make her happy. Nearly dying had made him realize that she meant more to him than anything, including his own happiness.
As he was thinking this, he saw something appear above him. At first he was unsure what it was, but as he slowly made his way upwards, he saw that it was a hand. Someone was trying to reach him.
He intensified his efforts toward the new goal. It grew larger and larger in his vision, short and stubby like a child's, but hairy like a man's. His arms stretched upwards and with one final strong push, he manage to grab a hold.
The hand was strong for its size. Quickly he found himself free of the water, lying on a rocky pebble strewn beach. In the darkness he could barely make out the face of a small man with a trim red beard looking down at him.
Then unbearable pain filled him. He gasped, trying to breath, but the air felt like acid. Eyes wide, he tried to beg for help, but couldn't get any air to speak.
Casually, the little man reached into a large brown bag he had placed on the ground and pulled out what seemed like an oxygen tank. Except, where an oxygen mask would be, instead it had a sort of collar. With a quick tug, the little man pulled over his head and secured it tightly around his neck. He felt a cool liquid fill the collar. As soon as it was completely filled, he was suddenly able to breath again.
"H-How?" He managed, once the shock had worn off.
The little man smiled. "I just got some water circulating over your gills. You should be able to breathe with your lungs, but I thought you might have some trouble at first switching between them, so I brought the tank. Lucky I got here before you beached yourself, eh?" Then he laughed.
"G-Gills?" He stammered.
He must still be hallucinating, he thought. Somewhere his body was drowning, and this was the last twitches of his dying brain cells. Or better yet he was dreaming. How had he managed to walk from their suburban apartment into what he now saw was a forest with a large lake. It didn't make any sense.
Pinching himself yielded a substantial amount of pain and the little man laughed again.
"You're not dreaming boy. This is all real. I'm a real elf, and you my boy, are a real mermaid"
As he was thinking this, he saw something appear above him. At first he was unsure what it was, but as he slowly made his way upwards, he saw that it was a hand. Someone was trying to reach him.
He intensified his efforts toward the new goal. It grew larger and larger in his vision, short and stubby like a child's, but hairy like a man's. His arms stretched upwards and with one final strong push, he manage to grab a hold.
The hand was strong for its size. Quickly he found himself free of the water, lying on a rocky pebble strewn beach. In the darkness he could barely make out the face of a small man with a trim red beard looking down at him.
Then unbearable pain filled him. He gasped, trying to breath, but the air felt like acid. Eyes wide, he tried to beg for help, but couldn't get any air to speak.
Casually, the little man reached into a large brown bag he had placed on the ground and pulled out what seemed like an oxygen tank. Except, where an oxygen mask would be, instead it had a sort of collar. With a quick tug, the little man pulled over his head and secured it tightly around his neck. He felt a cool liquid fill the collar. As soon as it was completely filled, he was suddenly able to breath again.
"H-How?" He managed, once the shock had worn off.
The little man smiled. "I just got some water circulating over your gills. You should be able to breathe with your lungs, but I thought you might have some trouble at first switching between them, so I brought the tank. Lucky I got here before you beached yourself, eh?" Then he laughed.
"G-Gills?" He stammered.
He must still be hallucinating, he thought. Somewhere his body was drowning, and this was the last twitches of his dying brain cells. Or better yet he was dreaming. How had he managed to walk from their suburban apartment into what he now saw was a forest with a large lake. It didn't make any sense.
Pinching himself yielded a substantial amount of pain and the little man laughed again.
"You're not dreaming boy. This is all real. I'm a real elf, and you my boy, are a real mermaid"
