Beauty Of The Deep

Fish Tail : 4

Just like every other night, Arlo sat himself upon the window bay gazing at the dancing ocean under the moon's fullest light. Being sucked deep into his thoughts, he failed to pick up his best friend's call, until the blonde called the second time. This time, annoyed yet worried about his friend's distracted behavior.

He watched as the brown-haired boy finally respond to his calls with a hum without bothering to spare a glance at their way. It was already obvious of whom was calling him at this hour. The other kids were tired, fast asleep from being overworked with their assigned task from Mother.

"You seem distracted.." Kim Seven - Arlo’s only best friend and brother started,"..with the ocean again.” 

Seven turned to lay on his belly, looking at his friend with two sets of sleepy eyes. Unlike Arlo, he didn't find the ocean fascinating or captivating, leaving all that for the younger one to do. Seven's way of defining delightfulness is the plots he grew in the yard years ago after being brought to this cursed home. Before being abandoned at this place, his grandfather owned a large lot and they both enjoyed the fields of sowing and harvesting, but that was before he passed away ten years ago. Custody of the land went to his uncle and aunt who were the ones who brought him here in Mother’s care. Growing with a distraction to live at the orphanage every single day made it bearable for him to survive. Delighted he was visiting his botanical garden and plots he took care of.

Same was with Arlo, the Ocean was his sort of escape.

A soft chuckle emitted from the guy, unpredicted by the farmer boy who was resting with bursting thoughts.

"Isn't this a routine?" Arlo whispered, considering they weren't the only people in the room. Almost to Seven, his words seemed like it was uttered in disbelief rather than it being a question itself. That or he was just overthinking things.

"Right, it is." Seven trailed off, running his fingers through his hair in an exhausted manner. "You do it every night." Turning to his side to sleep, Seven never missed a night where he would find Arlo fast asleep without having his moment with the ocean-but he himself can't go a day without paying a visit at his garden. But this night certainly wasn't the same.

"It's funny though.." Arlo murmurs, his voice still low as a whisper but enough for Seven to hear.

After a moment followed with silence, Seven sits up and stares at the boy with half-hearted expectancy. 

"What? What's funny." He asks, his eyes directing at him with brows furrowed.

"It's funny that you're still awake when it’s only two hours before daybreak." Arlo grins at the blonde. 

Seven had important errands to attend to first hour at dawn with Mother. The second of time of his absence will result him being left behind. They will be selling the fishes Arlo caught at the wet market before he buys his personal needs; seeds and soils.

Arlo smiles as his brother throws himself to sleep very desperately. It was just an alibi for some alone time. He still had around six hours before sunrise. Arlo very much appreciated his brother's company but sometimes he didn't want to worry him too much regarding his own action, since he's the type of person to act impulsively.

Just like jumping out the window and running towards the shore at this bewitching hour.

Running barefoot towards the shore, the soft sand welcomed his feet. It must only be his imagination but the waves were furiously crashing together the moment he got there. The seaweed smelt of the sea mixed with the air that blew upon his face. It was frightening standing in-front of something that can wipe thousands of people alive, but it was peaceful for him.

A boy who acts on impulse can consider himself a threat to his own life if not handled properly. Arlo was that boy. He found himself walking towards the ocean, unbothered by the enraged waves clashing the silence of the gloomy ambiance. The tide was high. Ten steps in; the water reached his waist. Another ten steps in and the water would swallow his being whole.

The wind's direction abruptly changed. From seaweed breeze blowing his face, now to it blowing the back of his head.

Waves don't exist without the command of the wind.

Weird enough, the waves were pulling Arlo away from the shore.

Realizing the situation, Arlo turns around in a second and desperately kicks his legs underwater but up to no use, he couldn't fight the waves. The water reached his waist and any minute now it could climb up to his shoulders, but his legs were sunken-in too deep for him to make a run for safety but the shore was too far for him to reach, every moment he would watch the ocean in adoration-it being the reason he's lose countless hours of sleep every night. Now becoming something he feared off.

The ocean is a monster you can't defeat, not even fire can win against it.

He adored the disaster that killed his parents and lead him to this town.

"AGH!" Arlo gasped for air the second his feet got swiftly thrown off the ground, dunking his body underwater.

It was too deep for his feet to find solid ground. He was pushed too far from the shore.

Arlo started feeling the same emotions with the untold incident that happened days ago.

Unstable to keep his body afloat, he flapped his arms upwards one last time before his body drowns.

Drifting slowly from the shore, he could no longer hold his breath nor could he exhale air in his lungs.

"Are you okay there?"

Weakened by limited air, his eyes searches for the voice.

He mouths a help towards no one in particular, he was in no state to question where it came from. All he wanted was to be saved.

Arlo managed to catch a glimpse of a fish tail before heaving out his last breath.