The Absent Minded Professor

Down the Dark Corridor

// July 12th, 2010 // Random Writings

I can’t breathe, I thought to myself.   You don’t need to. I wasn’t sure where the response had come from, maybe inside my own head. But, with my biggest concern resolved my mind was freed to take in my surroundings. It was dark, murky beneath the depths of the water. I could hear, distantly, waves crashing on the shore. Or maybe it was my heartbeat thudding in my ears. A shadow moved past my right hand, raising goosebumps on my arms. I squinted, trying to see what it was, but all I could see were shadows and vague out-lines. Turning my head the other direction, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a building. A building under the ocean? Somehow, it didn’t seem as odd as it should. Peering around one more time, I slowly moved my arms and kicked my feet, making my way toward the vague shape in the distance. My eyes must have been adjusting to the darkness, because I could see things suddenly, all black and white monochrome: plants, undulating eels, and far, far in the distance (thank god), what I thought looked like I shark.

Just as I tasted the bitterness on my tongue that presaged fear-induced nausea I was startled to discover I had arrived in front of the silvery, shadowy building without realizing it. In fact, I was certain I hadn’t been swimming long enough to get all the way to what had been a distant shape not so long ago. Odd. Then things got much, much stranger: the sea of kelp to my left slowly parted down the middle, revealing a tunnel in the sandy ocean bottom. Terror should have taken me, I should have bolted in the other direction… I should need to breathe, my mind screamed. But none of that happened (not even the need to breathe). Instead, I began the slow swim into the pitch black corridor. I didn’t know how long it was, but I was going to find out what was on the other side…

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