The Floating Island

Genre: Fantasy, horror

Word count: 6,450

“Storm is brewing off the starboard bow!” The shout from the crows nest was accompanied by the mad clanging of a bell.

Like most of the crew, I was stretched out on the main deck, all of us watching the unusually large meteor shower going on directly above in the clear night sky. Several of us exchanged confused glances as we sat up, but those closer to the right side of the ship were stumbling to get to their feet to run to the railing. I followed a few of the others slowly up the port steps to get to the forecastle deck, but those who reached the top first halted as they let out gasps. Shoving past, I then stopped, not believing my eyes at the sight of a spiraling mist forming not more than a few leagues off.

“Where did THAT come from?” someone beside me said.

Even as we watched, the mist thickened into darker swirling clouds; the first sign of waves were also already starting to roll toward us.

“Stations everyone!” a new shout, this one from the stern. “Batten the hatches and secure the rigging!”

Even as we started running around to follow the captain’s orders, I caught others still casting fearful glances at the storm. Looking back up to give the meteor shower one last glance, I paused, realizing the meteor shower was falling in the direction of the storm - and not just that, but along the hundreds of smaller meteors and whirling clouds, I thought I could make out the silhouette of a gigantic one, slowly entering the atmosphere.

I debated informing the captain, but being in the middle of assisting with tearing down unnecessary sails to secure them, I didn’t want him thinking I was trying to shirk my duty over something he would likely dismiss anyway - especially with ship already becoming a victim of the waves.

The sky continued darkening as the clouds spread even faster. The first gust hit while we were still securing the sails, rocking the ship dangerously. As soon as we had the sails tied up, everyone began lashing themselves to parts of the ship to keep from getting washed or blown overboard. Being closer to the back of the ship now, I hurried to the back of the main deck to secure myself to the stair railing that went up to the quarterdeck. Even standing just below the captain though, I could barely make out him shouting at the helmsman over the howling wind.

“Damn you, turn perpendicular to the wind and waves!”

“Brace yourselves!” someone else cried from father up the side railing.

Peeking between the railing of the stairs, I barely had time to take a deep breath and duck down again before a series of waves began hammering the right side as the ship was slowly turning into the waves, making everyone lurch with each hit.

After cresting the final wave, the sea became momentarily calm, but it still took a moment for us to get our footing on the water logged deck. As the wind died down though, the clouds began to settle low around us, creating a dense fog. Before long, I could barely make out the forecastle or crows nest.

The captain began to shout orders again, but was cut off by a distant, yet very distinct, ‘boom’ from somewhere ahead of us. As we tried to listen, a sudden shockwave blasted across the ship, sweeping everyone off their feet again. There were a few shrieks followed by splashes as I was slammed against the wall behind me.

The fog had dissipated slightly from the gust, but the water was turning choppy again; the bell above began clanging again as the watchman shouted about another rogue wave, only his cries were far more terrifying. Up near the bow, several more sailors began wailing as they started charging away from it, some of them leaping over the railing to get to the main deck.

My arms were already starting to hurt from being jolted around, but I double checked the knots before crouching to squeeze under the staircase. I didn’t want to see the wave this time, but even well before it hit us, staring out between the stair treads, I could already make out its white crest high above as it rolled toward us.

The impact was bone rattling as the waves easily began tipping the ship backward; Water them began rushing in from the sides, literally drowning out the screams as the deafening waves rushed over the deck, snapping the fore and main masts like toothpicks. I took a last second deep breath and clenched my eyes shut as the water rushed over the stairs. The last thing I was feeling the ship do a complete backflip before blacking out.

*****

I couldn’t say how long I was out, but when I came to, it was still night and the weather was clear again, even the meteor shower had ended.

Underneath me though, I was lying in shallow, but very warm water. My body felt so numb it took me a moment to realize the ground itself felt like hot, hard stone instead of wood. Groaning as I tried moving my limbs, I found I couldn’t bend my arms, and craning my neck to look above my head, I discovered my wrists still attached to the railings, which were still attached to the staircase, but the staircase... wasn’t attached to any other part of the ship...

Where was the rest of the ship?! And my crew?!

I groaned again as I rolled onto my elbows and knees to begin working on untying the rope.

Staring around as I unsteadily got to my feet, the shore wasn’t so much a beach, but more of a thin stretch of rock that inclined sharply to become a steep cliff several hundred feet tall.

What island is this?

I ed we had been sailing east, but while I hadn’t been privy to our exact route, I knew we weren’t expecting to see land for several more days, if not a week. I also vaguely recalled there had been no sight of land, which was the only reason the captain had even allowed us to be stargazing at all.

Had the storm been caused by a volcanic eruption, creating this island?

While I found it the coincidence we happened to be in the area at the time of an eruption plausible, it was the size of the island that didn’t seem logical, as that process usually took millions of years.

My stomach rumbled, queasy from swallowing too much sea water, and just thinking about it, I feel back to my knees again to retch up I could, almost choking from how salty the water was.

Finally regaining myself, I got to my feet again, my first thought wanting to get a better view from a higher vantage point. Stepping out of the water though, the hot ground brought to my attention that my shoes hadn’t remained on my feet, and taking a closer look at the water, I made out faint traces of steam.

In fact, the island itself was composed of dark stone, as if recently burnt by something. The heat would contribute to the fact the island might indeed be new, but at the same time, there were no signs of any other recent volcanic activity like lava flows, nor did the air even have the faintest scent of sulfur, which, if it had, I imagined I would be coughing - or suffocating - from its toxicity.

Where the island was new or not, it was still strange to me, so as a precaution, I broke a couple of the balusters from the staircase to use as clubs should I come across anything dangerous.

For the sake of my feet, I refrained from walking outside the water, but as I went along the shoreline, it not only became came narrower, but the edge of the dark rock ended with a sudden drop. Going to the edge and looking down, I could just make out among all the bubbling that the edge didn’t only end, but seemed to curve back under itself, as if I were standing on a submerged shelf.

I glanced up I was continued walking to check the stars, which indicated I was circling the island in a clockwise direction. After only a couple minutes, the slope of the cliff began to gradually flatten, as if it had worn away over time. When it became suitable enough to climb, I resorted to tearing my tattered short sleeves from my ragged shirt to create crude shoes.

The climb was only a couple hundred feet, but ascending it, I was surprised by a new discovery at the top: The cliff wasn’t the side of a mountain, but a gigantic ring encircling the entire island. Inside it was a steep craggy mountain jutting up in the center of the island, with steppes all around its base.

That peak must be a thousand feet high! How had they not seen this from the crows nest?

Gazing around the ring, I judged the island to be three or four miles in circumference, with several other worn down places in the outer ring too, a couple spots even low enough water had flooded in a good portion of its lower elevations. The inner side of the ring also had the steppe formations instead of being vertical sheer rock like the outside.

Studying the inner cliffs, I made out small holes dotting it at various places on the level parts of the steppes. Where the ground wasn’t flat, trails seemed to have been carved into the rock to create paths between them. The trails also crossed the floor of the valley, and barely able to make them out under the water’s surface, I realized the inner side of the ring must also have caves and trails running along it.

What lived here? Some kind of burrowing tribe or creatures?

The island was bare of vegetation, but littered with thousands of black stones of varying sizes.

Whatever made the caves had to survive off something. Whether their food is something I can eat myself or not, I should still be able to hunt the creatures themselves for food.

All creatures needed water, so started down the cliff to check around the flooded areas for tracks. Jumping down some of the lower plateaus, I found a few that did have openings, but upon closer inspection, I determined they were far too expertly mined to be made by animals as the caves were tunnels about five foot square.

It must be some race of pygmy tribe.

I thought, tightening my grips on my makeshift weapons, hoping they wouldn’t be openly hostile.

There may not be vegetation, but that means they must survive on fishing.

Listening for any noise from within, I couldn’t hear anything, but with the ceiling being so low, I didn’t want to go in having to be crouched or bent forward and be at a disadvantage if I was ambushed by something, so I retreated and continued descending.

The ground around the water was as hard as the rest of the island, making it impossible to find any tracks, but I quickly noticed the water here was also steaming, and tasting it, it was both salty, and almost too hot to drink. There were fish swimming around awkwardly, as if having trouble with the heat of the water themselves. I made a mental note to come back to catch some for food later. Circling the small inlet to head for the lower caves on the mountain, I also noted a slight current against my feet as I walked in the shallow water to cool my feet.

The far side of the pool didn’t have any tracks either, but there was another tunnel on the nearby cliff side, only a few yards up from the water’s edge. With so many holes, it was likely they were all somehow connected, but the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed I would come across whoever lived in them if I just waited outside a single cave - assuming the caves were still inhabited.

I guess I may have to go inside after all...

“HELLO?!” I shouted into it, but only heard my echoes go on for several seconds.

With no response, my problem now was exploring inside with no light source.

I cursed myself for not bringing extra wood as I reluctantly tore more of my shirt off to wrap around one end of a baluster to create a makeshift torch, then began rubbing the second against it until the cloth finally caught fire.

Crouching and entering, I found that not only was the tunnel smooth on all surfaces, but seemed to keep a uniform downward angle. As I proceeded, the only sounds now were the crackling of the torch and squishing from my wet feet. After a minute or so, I noticed a change in the stone, becoming both noticeably cooler, and lightening from charred black to a more natural stone colors; designs etched into the wall also became more distinguishable.

Continuing on, I then began noticing a change in the echoes coming from ahead, becoming softer, a sign the cave opened up. Peering back, the light of entrance was now a small dot. Another fifty feet, the tunnel finally opened into a large cavern.

Standing and raising the torch high, I found myself in a tall square room, expertly carved out, and had I not been on a strange island in the middle of the sea, I would’ve mistaken it for a miniature grand hall...that had barely survived an earthquake.

Well, this place has certainly been inhabited by someone at some point in time! But what happened to them?

High above, the ceiling was about twenty feet up. Walkways for three upper floors had been carved out of the stone itself, although the railings for them were broken in many places. In the corners, spiraling ramps had also been dug out of the rock to get between each floor. Several tunnels headed off in different directions; on this lowest floor, all three descended deeper into the island.

I called out again, covering my ears from the echo, but again got no responses. Without any way to draw out a map of the cave system, I didn’t want to delve too deeply and risk getting lost, so to keep it simple, I started down the tunnel straight across from the one I’d entered from.

This tunnel also seemed to be angled at the same degree as the first tunnel, but while I couldn’t keep an exact distance, it felt to be about the same length before I stepped out onto a walkway of another, far more massive, cylindrical cavern.

Peeking out over the railing, I couldn’t make out the ceiling or ground, but listening carefully, I could make out a continuous flowing of water from somewhere below.

How deep am I? It seems unusual for an island to have an underground river, but would it be drinkable?

I pulled off the last of my tattered shirt and laid it at the tunnel entrance as a marker, then circled around the chamber.

The path made a complete circle with spiral ramps and three other tunnels placed at equal distances around it.

Right from the ramp, then right again into the first tunnel, and straight up through the first room.

I thought, making a mental note on how to backtrack out as I went back to the first ramp counter-clockwise from the tunnel with my shirt, then began counting floors as I descended.

Head back up one...two...three...four -

From above, the water has sounded faint, but in the narrow ramp, it became almost deafening as I continued down.

Splash.

Reaching the next floor, I had suddenly walked into a strong steam rushing into the ramp, and caught off balance, I fell onto my rear to begin sliding down several more floors.

It’s not an underground river! The chamber is flooding!

I could barely focus on counting floors as I tried keeping the torch above the water, unable to get out because more water was flooding in from the other levels as well.

SPLASH! My ride finally ended in over two feet of water.

“Damn!” I cried, getting to my feet and sloshing out into the open.

Glaring around, I could make out more water flowing in from the two nearest side tunnels, while above, water was dripping over the edges of the floors above.

Going to check the spiral ramp to the right, bits of wood and torn cloth were floating around.

Are these bits of the ship?!

I grabbed one of the larger chunks, immediately recognizing the color.

Did anyone else survive?

Other junk was also getting washed down into the chamber that looked like rusty metal, but examining a few pieces, it didn’t look like anything from the ship. Some seemed to be bits of armor, but far too small to be worn by any adult human. They also smelled horrible, like dried or rotten meat.

Probably dead animals that got caught in the flooding too.

Ignoring it, I continued around, finding the next tunnel level, but water was flowing into it, and I certainly didn’t want to delve any deeper into the cave system now.

The next ramp only had a small stream running along its inside, making it still manageable enough to head up.

But how many floors did I come down? Six, seven?

After ing four floors, I was finally back above the flooding, but continuing to ascend, I couldn’t if I had also only gone down three or four levels before running into the water. I seemed to recall four, so crawled back up to what should’ve been the eighth floor.

Now, I needed to turn right twice from the ramp to find the tunnel I need to head straight back out, and if I’m directly across from the ramp I used, I only need to go left from here and take the second tunnel, then I’ll be free of this place!

I began jogging clockwise.

this first tunnel, then the next ramp and -

Splash, splash, splash, splash.

“No!”

Just ahead, water was flowing into the next ramp from the opposite direction, and raising my torch i could see it flowing from the hallway beyond.

What’s going on?! How could the room I just came from be -

I ed how the tunnel I had entered hadn’t been very high above the water level.

Is the whole ISLAND sinking?! HOW? Was the storm somehow caused by an earthquake instead of a volcanic eruption?

Even just standing there, the current was already growing stronger.

Don’t panic! There are tons of other caves! I just need to get higher and find a different exit!

I returned to the previous tunnel, but this one was level, so ed it and returned to the spiral ramp, and ascending it two more floors, I then circled around to the opening above the original tunnel I had used.

The sound of rushing water became louder as I went, and emerging from the tunnel, I found myself on the top floor of the first room I had entered, but below, the first floor was completely flooded, with the water already seeping onto the second floor.

This is ridiculous! How much can an island sink?

On the far side of the floor, I discovered there was no tunnel out on this wall, so had to backtrack to the side opening had ed, relieved that it angled upward.

This hallway wasn’t as long, but while it opened onto the middle of three floors, none of the left-hand walls had tunnels heading in the direction I wanted to go either. Looking across to the far side of the room, the tunnel opposite me was level, but on the floor above, I could see that tunnel angled upward, so quickly rushed up a ramp to enter that one.

I came out on the top floor of the next room too, which was only two floors, but now the only direction I could go up here was a tunnel on the right-hand wall. It went upward as well, so continued along it.

This tunnel was far longer than the last few, but the area I finally entered was also far larger. The chamber was a giant round area, with a ceiling about twenty feet high, but there were no upper floors, only narrow openings along the ground floor while small squares dotted the walls.

Doors and...windows? Was this where they lived?

Rubble was strewn all around, and inspecting it closer, it wasn’t just broken stone, but also petrified wood and more warped metal. In the center of the chamber were raised areas, like planters, but whatever might have been growing in them was damaged beyond recognition.

Despite the rush to escape, I headed over to one of the doorways and knelt to peek in. Had I not been on a strange island in the middle of the ocean, I might have thought I was staring into a child’s playhouse the way everything was only half its normal size for an adult. Everything was carved out of stone or stout dark wood. There were two doorways on the back wall, but only one of them had a door, closed, while the other had broken off its hinges, laying wedged under the table where it had gotten stuck after breaking the legs on that end.

I squeezed in and glanced into the open room, finding a slab carved out of the stone that must’ve been a small bed. There was also a battered wood dresser, but both of its drawers were smashed apart, whatever clothes had been in it were now faded cloth.

Going to the door, it’s handle was a simple ring, but tugging on it, the door was surprisingly heavy. As I slowly managed to pull it open, a slow hiss began, smelling strongly of stale air and something rotten.

Airtight? Did something - or someone - die inside?

I debated how much I still wanted to see inside, knowing I couldn’t waste much more time with the flooding going on. Taking a deep breath, I decided to give a few more pulls; the stench becoming stronger the farther than opened.

It has to be one of the true. There’s no way an animal got in and closed the door.

Finally getting it about half a foot open, I stuck the torch through and took a peek. It was another bedroom, mirroring the other. At first, I thought the room was empty, but then noticed two forms on the ground against a back wall. It was hard to tell their sizes as they were huddled together, but one appeared to be about three and a half feet tall while the other about three foot. Their skin was so gray and dried out it was hard to make out their features, but if I had to guess, it must’ve been a parent and child.

Did they die peacefully? I suppose they would have if they’d died slowly from a lack of oxygen, but...what had made them hide in there in the first place?

Before I could wonder much longer, there was a rumble strong enough to disturb the dust in the room.

Well, whoever you were, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.

With a few grunts, I shoved the door shut again, then made my way back out.

The hall on the far side of the plaza was wider, taller, and grander with its etchings, indicating it must’ve been a major traffic area; starting down it, I was relieved just to be able to finally walk upright in it. However, the ground was also more cluttered with debris. The walls were also more worn away, making me hope there hasn’t been a cave in somewhere along the way.

About a hundred feet in, two tunnels headed off from its sides: The one on the left was at a perfect forty-five degree, the right was perpendicular to the main tunnel.

The outside was covered in caves! Surely there must be an exit somewhere!

If I wasn’t getting turned around like I hoped, this main tunnel only seemed to be heading deeper into the island, while the right one would be heading back in the direction I had come, and if it reed the cylindrical room, I definitely didn’t want to return there. I headed into the left-hand tunnel. This one only went another hundred feet before opening onto another plaza type chamber, similar to the first, only in far worse condition.

The walls here were blackened again, with chunks of rock all around the floor. Many of the residence’s walls were also crumbling, as if someone had been using them for cannon practice from point blank range. The center of the area had a few larger chunks of rock that had fallen from the ceiling, allowing the first glimpses of pale morning light in through a gaping hole. Unfortunately, there was still the issue of the ceiling being at least three times my height, plus the rock ceiling appeared to be another five feet thick, and I had no way to climb out anyway. Whoever had built this place had surely used ladders or scaffolding, but it was unlikely I’d find anything like that in usable condition.

I hurried across to the only other hallway, this one again angled at forty-five degrees to the right, and again, this hallway was also another hundred feet to a third plaza.

There was also a hole in the ceiling of this area, but the layout of the room was different. Instead of planters in its center, there was a giant round rock, appearing to be there on purpose because it was carved into a perfect dome, with dots and lines etched all over. Much of it was eroded or cracked, but having spent several years sailing, there was a vague familiarity about it...

I studied the hole above, barely able to make out the last few stars before the sun fully rose. The edges of the ring were crumbing, but its overall roundness was still far too accurate to be a natural formation. All around the walls, instead of dwellings, there were more etchings of dot and line patterns.

Was this some kind of observatory?

I inspected some of the designs closer, but couldn’t recognize any of the constellations.

If this room was used to study stars, either this island is so old the stars weren’t in the same positions as they are now, or this island...

I suddenly had a flashback of just before the storm had began hitting us, ing the meteor of unusual size.

Had this island been one of those meteors - or rather, an asteroid considering the size of this place? No wonder it’s sinking! It’s not an actual island, but must have been part of some other planet that’s been floating through outer space!

Glancing around the chamber, I then noticed how little rubble there was compared to the previous rooms, then looked up again.

If this place has been floating through space, then the holes in the ceilings would explain why some of the chambers are in worse condition than others: The broken stuff had been tumbling around damaging them, while in these open chambers, the loose stuff would have been sucked out into space, becoming the rest of the meteor shower we had been watching...and now their civilization was about to be lost at the bottom of the ocean.

There was another tremor from somewhere deep inside the island.

The cool breeze was a nice reprieve, but I forced myself to move on into the next hallway.

As I continued on though, the flame of the torch continued to flicker in the breeze. I hoped it wouldn’t go out, but at the same time, I took it as a good sign that the way was open ahead, which was the only explanation for the wind.

This hall ended in another hundred feet, ing into another hall at an angle. I watched the torch to see which way the wind was going then followed it...and began smiling at making out more dim light ahead.

I entered a grand hallway - or rather, it might have been grand before it crashed here. Now it was a tall, wide blackened tunnel, lined on either side by dozens of massive pillars, many of which had been toppled; several cracks ran all along the ceiling, some of them wide enough to see out through.

A few hundred feet to the right, the nearer end of the hall opened onto another cylindrical chamber. To the left, I couldn’t see the far end, but there was a noticeable downward curve to it.

Climbing over a pillar and other debris to walk along the center of the hall, I followed it to check the circular area. A wide carpet ran the length of the hall, but despite how burnt and ragged it looked, it appeared as if there were even darker splotches of something all over it.

Had a battle happened in here? That would explain why the two corpses had been hiding in the bedroom... But what happened to the ones -

I glanced up.

They were probably sucked out too...

I had a horrible image of bodies floating through space and quickly shoved it groom my mind.

Approaching the circular room, the wind steadily grew stronger and louder, almost putting out the torch. The walkways and ramps around this one were also wider and taller. Starting up, there were several more floors above, and not much higher was a circle of open sky. Looking down though, several levels below, the water was churning as it flooded in.

I need to get out of here. The island is going to sink faster the more it takes in. There must be some kind of grand entrance at the end of a hall like this. I just have to hope it hasn’t caved in or flooded!

I began jogging back the other direction, but had only ed the hall I’d entered from and gone a couple dozen feet when I noticed the torch and halted: It’s flame had gotten stable again.

No! There’s no wind coming from this direction!

Above me, the cracks in the ceiling revealed the rock was at least ten feet thick, deepening farther down the hall until the crevasses ended. Looking back behind me, I could see the burnt side of the mountain, covered in its crags, more cracks, and...

Holes? Would any of them is large enough I might be able to squeeze out?

I charged back to the circular chamber, then to one of the spiral ramps, going up several levels.

There were no hallways leading off from the floor I stepped out on, but instead had nine doorways equally positioned around it.

This area must have been the upperclass living quarters...

I thought, stepping through a door into a front hall that stop had a high enough ceiling I could stand upright.

The room looked as if it had been ransacked, but that could have just been from the furniture getting knocked around too. Entering deeper into the residence though, one of the bedroom door showed signs of being bashed in; more dark splotches were all around.

On the outer wall, there were indeed small holes, seeming to serve as windows, but none were nearly large enough to escape through. Even if I had a pickaxe, the wall was about five feet thick.

I raced into the next dwelling to find its layout an exact replica of the first, and based on what I had seen of the architecture style so far, guessed all of the residences on this floor might be the same.

I stared across at the higher levels. There were only two more floors, but while the doorways on the floor above me looked the same, the top floor only had three giant entrances, spaced a third apart. I climbed to the top floor.

Approaching one of the entrances, one of its double stone doors was propped open, but the other had broke off at some time, taking chunks of several levels below it as it fell to some unknown depth. Edging along the wall to get around the gap, I stepped inside.

The main room was long and wide, with several arches lining the sides, serving as alcoves with stone benches. At the far end was a raised dais with three intricately carved stone thrones, the center being the largest, a slightly smaller one on the left, then the smallest on the right. Three bodies still sat in them, large spears protruding from them, holding them in place for the duration of the island’s space trip.

Noticing another sturdy door behind the dais, I started toward it, staring at the bodies as I ed. The figures were certainly dressed royally, even in their current decrepit state. The center and left figures looked old, but the right one looked significantly younger even with its dried wrinkly skin. The center and right figures had signs of beards, the king’s was long and, the younger one’s only a stubble.

Some kind of revolt? If there’s three doors, does that mean three royal families? If there was a battle, was it with a foreign rival, or some kind of disagreement between the families?

With the threat of flooding, I didn’t have time to check the other chambers.

Reaching the door beyond the throne, I again had to tug several times to get it open, but getting it open, I was greeted by early morning light again. The room seemed to be some kind of royal preparation chamber, but whatever furniture had been in it was broken or gone, having fallen out through the far side of the room, which want a wall, but archways to an outdoor balcony, or rather, what was left of the balcony, now mostly missing. I could barely contain a smile as I stepped out onto what little was still there, but looking down, my excitement died.

Only the very highest tips of the outer ring of cliffs was barely visible below the surface of the sea. Below me, waves were battering the inner cliffs so hard they were spilling over them.

I don’t need to just get off this island, I’ll need to get far enough away that I’m not sucked down with it!

Just while I stood there, the island visibly sank, and the longer I watched, the faster it seemed to submerge.

What can I do? Just dive in?

Gauging the distance, I figured the jump wouldn’t be too dangerous, but the waves were far too rough.

No, I’ll get crushed against the rocks even if I did survive the jump.

I stared around the room, then considered what I might’ve ed that could float, but didn’t come up with anything.

Well, I can’t wait for the island to just sink with me! Or can I...?

I went back to the edge to look up to check the peak, not more than a couple hundred feet higher.

If I jumped outside, I might get bashed against the mountain, but what if I ride up with the water through the inside and out the top?

Returning to the circular chamber, I found the water level had already risen to the level of the once grand hallway, its rate of rising temporarily halted as it was now flowing down into the hallway I probably would’ve gotten trapped in.

As the water slowly got deeper, there were several loud splashes and rumblings, perhaps from more pillars being taken out, and in only another minute or two, that entire floor had been filled.

As the next few floors began flooding, the tremors began again becoming a constant run, along with loud cracking and crumbling of rock. I was so focused on watching the water rising below me, I didn’t notice water had started washing across the floor behind me until a wave rushed past my feet. I twisted to look back with a gasp, seeing through the far door that the ocean was already several feet deep. The door frame serving as a choke point was what had saved me from being washed over the railing, but then wall itself was already buckling against the pressure of the waves.

Have to stay above the water a little longer!

I used the railing as a step to jump on top of the door to straddle it. Only a moment later, there was a crash from inside and parts of the wall were washed out the doorway, taking the railing out with it as it splashed into the water below.

There was a sudden surge of water from all directions and I barely had time to take in a deep breath before I was swept upward off the door.

I knew attempting to swim would be useless, so I only covered my head with my arms and tried to keep my legs tucked in as best as I could while being whirled around in circles. I caught glimpses of both light and darkness, but want sure if I was rising or sinking. All I knew was I had to hold my breath until I stopped getting churned about.

By the time the water did finally calm down, my lungs were beginning to burn and I started swimming toward the light, exhaling as I did so and hoping I’d reach the surface first before running out of air.

Finally emerging, I was almost blinded by the sudden bright light as I gasped for fresh air. As the surface continued bubbling, I peered down to see the island only a large black mass fading into the dark blue abyss.

Soon, the only sign of anything had been here were chunks of floating boards and a few barrels.

The last of my ship... Who’s going to believe this story when I get rescued?

I thought, gathering up some of the wood to climb onto.

If I get rescued...

#FWCDwarvesIsland