Under a Starless Sky

“Relax, relax, relax.” Shen heard Loxy in his ears. “I got you, breathe…”

There is a breaking point, a place where Co2 has increased so much that one must breathe in, even against an urge not to breathe when submerged in liquid. Shen and Tama were past that, due to the field taking their breath and ravaging their body with pain, accelerating the depletion of their body’s oxygen. The next inhibitor is when something wrong hits the larynx- an urge even greater than the compulsion to inhale shuts down the throat, and people can suffocate without any liquid hitting lungs. The pain and desperateness caused a delay in that reaction and so golden light hit their lungs, forcing coughing, vomiting, and rebreathing golden light. A person can be conscious during this process. Shen felt Loxy taking over muscle control- a thing tulpas can do, but something she had never done before, not without permission. She relaxed him to the point that he inhaled more golden light into his lung. If he didn’t know any better, the golden specks were codeine. He felt warmth rushing his body.

“Breathe,” Loxy said. “That’s it.”

He opened his eyes. He blinked but adapted quickly to the liquid. He flattened his nose, wanting it out. Tama appeared to be unconscious, but her lungs moved. The Lily unfolded, revealing they were in an underwater world. Unbeknownst to him, once they were caught in the rose, it severed from the vine and plummeted, and was dropped into the sea below. Because he had not experienced a fall, he wondered if this underwater place was illusion, something mother was providing for his benefit- something to make him relax into his death even further. The sea floor held many rose bud like pods. Some were opened, transformed into lilies. A variety of octopi were there to greet them. Angel Octopi swept in and took Tama. A rainbow blanket octopus accompanied them.

A Dumbo octopus hovered by Shen’s head. “Do not be afraid.” The voice was in his head. A giant Megaleledonidae took Shen’s arm and dragged him up and along the sea floor, bringing him back into eye sight of Tama. A blue whale moaned, and the water churned light. All manner of bioluminescent fish and plant were excited and shiny. There were more colors present than he thought was possible. A singled light as bright as sunlight bathed Tama. A bioluminescent Octopus, or Stauroteuthis syrtensis, was tentatively touching her. It was gentle. It was intimate. It remind him of a Vulcan preparing to do a mind-meld.

“Oa?” Shen asked.

“Yes,” the Dumbo octopus said.

Another creature came at Tama. It removed her hair, allowing it to drift away. Fish swarmed in and took pieces and went away.

“Am I dreaming?” Shen asked.

“Are you?” the Dumbo octopus asked.

Oa enveloped Tama, merging with her, covering her head. It wavered in appearance, becoming a mask. The face was less Tama, but held features of the same. Oa disappeared. Hair was camouflaged, clinging to the body as if were pasted on, or shellacked. She appeared to be awake. She righted herself. She spun, marveling at her hands and feet, the way her dress moved in the water. She came to Shen and took his hand. She started for the surface.

“Go, child. You cannot stay here longer without a joining,” the Dumbo octopus said.

air-vaccine gun popping, and felt the sting on his arm. He hadn’t recovered enough to even protest. As much as he hated the liquid in him, he discovered he didn’t want to give up the opiate feel that came with it. He felt as if he were vomiting light. A large towel, large enough to be a blanket, was brought and wrapped around him. He went with them

in a different way than the golden light. Tama/Oa drank as well. He saw her in two lights, one as a human drinking normally. The

all in common- they had shellacked hair. Some hair was straight, tight against flesh- as having just stepped from the shower. Some had curls. It was obvious to him, these were conjoined creatures. The people were dressed in earth tone colors. It was homemade, wool-

again, and for the first time,” Tama/Oa spoke. He blinked: he recognized her as the lead that had come to him during his suicide

“I don’t know how

here, Oa is here, but I

me here?”

Tamoa said. “Oa was involved, but not I. Tama was involved, but not

“That’s confusing,” Shen said.

your caliber,

drink. “It will help.”

seemed happy that he was here, as if this

now?”

“We wait and see.”

and see what?” Shen

the world evolves,”

happens to

would you like to happen?” Tamoa

return home now,” Shen

send you home,” Tamoa