Anda VII

When Anda woke again it was still twilight. Either she’d been asleep for two hours, or 24, and she didn’t care which. Her lungs, mouth and throat burned worse but she ignored it. She knew she could procrastinate her duties for another couple days at least before being in the perpetual agony of a sailors death would really bother her. And even then, she could steal some drugs and beer from a coasty cutter or fishing vessel and hide beneath one of the glaciers. She didn’t mind. Some of those strange little pills were pretty fun. She liked the blue ones that made Lyn turn into all sorts of strange creatures before her eyes, and talk like a whale. Also, there was some pretty cool shit beneath the glaciers, she thought. All sorts of caves and strange fish. Sure it was dark, but it was everywhere most of the time, and she had plenty of flashlights anyway. Anda smiled sleepily, thinking of her past escapes. She pushed it for a whole month once and the doomed ship made it back to port. Man did she hurt like hell that time! But she hadn’t realized that if the ship makes it back each sailor still needs to die in a wreck, turning one sinking into 30. And because it was her job she had to herold every single one of them. That was a bad year. Though, she did still wait a few days to complete each wreck. Procrastination was her signature, she claimed, and she was very good at it.
Some time passed and again the world grew dark. Dark and blue and beautiful. A school of fish swirled in the small cave with curiosity and Anda waved them away grumpily. After awhile she heard Lyn swim in the cave and settle on the shelf beside her. He nudged her with his nose.

“Hey buddy.” she said and rolled over to snuggle against him. He moved away and nudged her again instead. “Come on Lyn.” She said. “I got time.” He growled then pushed her clear off the ice shelf that was her bed. A flashlight tumbled with her and hit her on the head before disappearing into the depths. “Lyn what the fuck!” she yelled angrily. “Your gonna break my things again.” Lyn grabbed her by the waist with his mouth and swam for the surface. “OW!” She screamed and twisted against his teeth unable to break free. Just below the waves he finally stopped and let her go. “What the fuck?” She demanded again. He swam a yard away from her and glared.

The same music faintly played above them. Then she noticed it. The song was different. It wasn’t the same song she always heard when her name was called. It was a different one, but one she recognized from long ago. The one she used to hear with her parents in that strange crowded place full of objects floating in the waters. “What the fuck…” She whispered. Lyn continued to glare. She swam to the surface and broke through a wave with urgent force. Around her the swell had increased in size but the wind had died completely and an incredibly dense fog blanketed everything. She held up her hand before her face and could barely make out its outline in the heavy white mist. The music of a place she’d long forgotten was deafening. She dove back under the waves.

“Lyn,” she said after swimming back. “I think there is something seriously weird going on right now.” Lyn grumbled and swam away.