The Old One And The Sea by The Storyteller (100 books to read in a lifetime txt) 📕

don't know how I arrived in your world, but I must return to the ocean. I am hurt, and I think I'm going to die. I can't make my Final Travel in this puddle. And you talk way too much for such a small creature."
Surprised, the Sasha dog and his tail stop moving, and I see he is thinking of my words. Then he lays down next to my pool, quietly, and we both listen in silence to the soothing sounds of the night.


DAY TWO

I am so tired; just dozing on and off all the time, while the afternoon sun is warming my tortured body. I prefer not to move, because all the pain is concentrated now inside me. I'm almost sure I'm gonna die.
Last night was a long night. Sasha the dog sat by my pool, and we talked. I learned about his world; a small, dirty and weird place, where animals like him where ruled by the creatures called "people", which Sasha seemed to dearly love. I told him about the blue, infinite world of oceans, where everyone is free, and nobody rules over other creatures. He was amazed to find out that we, the Old Ones, move and live in unrestricted ways, just as I was terrified to learn that he was completely dependable of his masters. The hardest thing for him to understand is freedom; as for me, I'm still contemplating the feeling of devotion.

People come and go to look at me all the time, and with Sasha's help I learned to recognize them; they are belonging to the same family. I know now that they don't desire my flesh. Still, every time one of them approach me I'm filled with panic; if what he said is true, their decision about my life will be as absurd and irrational as everything they do.
I doze off again. I'm in the ocean, swimming for the Great Stream; I flow effortlessly beneath the waves, while the sun rays are taking fantastic shapes in their dance under the surface. I feel at ease, and perfectly happy; my body remembers no pain, my eyes are clear and focused. And I keep going, free and content, I keep diving for that wonderful blue heaven.

The people's voices are waking me again; the rough sounds they make when they communicate bring me back to the reality of pain and captivity.
"There is nothing you can do for it, Dylan. The poor thing never had a chance to start with."
"What about the Marine Institute? Can they treat it somehow?"
"I don't think so. They don't have the right conditions to take care of it. My guess is that they will just wait for it to die, then will dissect it to fill out their reports. Is not their job to save injured sea turtles, just to report the damages."
"There must be something I can do."
I don't really care what people are talking about, I don't understand them anyway. I look for Sasha. He is always present when they come around my pool; but not this time. I close my eyes again; not that it will make any difference now.
"Dylan, it's too big to transport it in your car; look at the size of it. You will only worsen it's situation. A five hours trip? No way. And even if you get it there, somehow, it's too late."
I hear another human approaching, but I'm too tired to look at it.
"Mom, what are you doing here? You shouldn't get out of bed."
A weak voice I didn't hear before she joins the conversation.
"Hello, Doc. Nice to see you around."
"Nice to see you again, Ma'am. Hope you feel well today."
"Like always, Doc, like always. Getting through another day, waiting for all this to be over."
"Mom, please, don't start with that!"
I'm curious about the sadness in this new human voice, so I peek at it through my eyelids. It's an old female, even I can recognize the signs of time on her. It must be the Grandmother, as Sasha called her last night.
"So, Doc, what do you think? Is Dylan going to save the world this time?"
"Well, Ma'am, I'm sorry to say it, but not this one here. It's too old and too damaged to do something for her."
"You mean, it's a female?'
"Yes, Ma'am, a very old one. It wouldn't lived much longer anyway; maybe a year or two."
"So what do you say to do with it?" asks Dylan.
An odd silence. The old woman stare is fixed on me, which is unsettling.
"It's a matter of days, Dylan. Depends on how heavily intoxicated it is."
"Damn! I can't believe this! I just have to wait for it to die?"
"Believe me, there's nothing you can do now."
The old woman speaks again, and her voice is vibrating with a concealed emotion.
"Dylan, I think you should return the poor thing to the sea. You've heard what Doc said."
"What's the point, mom? It won't help her, don't you understand?"
The mother and son look at each other now.
"At least you will let her die with some dignity, in her own environment. At least she will die in peace."
The old woman turns around to leave, her glare pointed straight ahead, while her son steps forward to hold her trembling arm.
"Beside that, I don't want the kids to see it dying here; it's not a pleasant sight to watch."
The Doc follows them, changing the tone in an effort to lighten up the spirits.
"And where is Sasha? I didn't see HIM around."
"You know he's afraid of you and your syringe, Doc. Must be hiding somewhere until you leave, the little crook."
I doze off again as they slowly depart, and this time I don't dream at all.


*
"Hey, sleepy! Wake up! I have good news!"
Sasha is jumping with excitement, and his fluffy tail seems more restless than ever. It's almost night; a pleasant breeze fills my hurtful lungs with salty air. The memory of ocean makes my heart sink.
"Wake up! You hear me? I have great news!"
I move a little to let him know I'm awake, and that his screams are bothering me.
"Tomorrow morning we go for a trip! You, me and Dylan! Do you get that? A trip in the car!"
I don't understand what he's telling me, I only know is about me too.
"What, you don't get it? They take you back to the ocean! Boy, I get to see the ocean! You realize how great that is?"
I do. I'm going back home. A deep peace is filling my heart: I'm going back.
I look at that little dog, at his white fur blown by the wind, and I begin to understand a little about gratefulness.
"Hey, fluffy thing!" I call him.
He stops his dance of joy.
"What?"
"Be careful not to fly away in the wind. I won't be able to bring you back."


LAST DAY

The beach is empty and desolated under the cruel light of cloudy morning. It's still smelling of death, of despair and pain, but there are no dead bodies anymore.
Dylan puts me down really close to the water. I feel the spray of cold waves on my face, on my limbs, bringing my petrified body back to life.
Sasha is waiting in silence next to Dylan, overwhelmed by the furious sight of the ocean. We've said good bye before.

I gather all my strength and walk slowly into the waves, letting them embracing me, comforting me.
Then I dive under, where the life is, and swim freely with it. I go for the infinite blue heaven, deep down into the heart of Great Ocean, to become one with it.
I'm happy as I swim for my Final Travel.

Imprint

Publication Date: 04-09-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
"For thousands of years we've been conquering Nature. Now we're beating it to death."