The mist had fallen suddenly, hiding the tops of the cliffs so that the gulls seemed to disappear when they reached a certain height. The low flying clouds above were highlighted pink by the shy evening sun, which had already hidden behind the gray.

The silhouettes were all that could be seen of the fishing boats, and the tide was too high for foaming waves to form. The ripples of the current though, were moving continuously in at the port, as if in dance.

The shades of the clear water seemed endless; merging in with one another and the horizon sometimes tinted with the fading light.  Often the sea would reflect the shadows of the dark and looming cliffs, on which the dull light and heavy fog caused the rocks and trees to form strange images and imaginations to run wild.

Now though, it was hard to picture all this, although it had only occurred the previous evening and every other before it. The morning had brought with it realism and Serin saw with it the harbour for the first time.

A flock of weeping sea gulls brushed across the scene in a single body, as they flew up into the air, and then sharply down to the earth before coming to rest upon the dunes.

The ships were leaving the harbour to go fishing again on the waters, which seemed so peaceful now.

And finally the clouds parted, just a little, letting the reborn sun greet the new day, shining just a little hope down on the girl who stood at the front window of 'White Rose ' cottage, in awe at the sights below, of the sea which until the previous week had seemed like just a myth that people had teased her with. It was all real though, and she was really there. The dream was over, and it was time to wake up.

A single tear rolled down her left cheek in remembrance, to be wiped away by her forefinger gently. It had been a long time in darkness, five years of suffocating claustrophobia and being terrified of every following minute, second, and hour. The emptiness of not knowing how much time had passed, having no watch to see if it were day or night, and no real light to see with even if she did. At least things now stood a chance of returning to normal. But she knew, and regretted that things would never again be as they once had been, and she knew that she must find her sister, and her friends before they too were lost for good.  

by Nicola Plumb (c)2000

 [imagine] - [part two]

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