Sundays were pool days. My wife and I would head over to the community pool to hang out with friends and have a few drinks basking near the cooler parrots of the world. Today was no different. I grabbed our beach stuff and headed out for another day of relaxing pool vibes. The sun was shining and cool breeze was wisping over the water as I stared at my wobbly reflection.
“let’s dive in” I said hopping over the cool blue water.
My head starting pounding as I cast my self into the water. The itch became scratch then clawed at my brain.
Memories flashed through my mind. A past movie that I had seen to have forgotten. Or made to forget. I was back at the side of the pool with my childhood friend Sam who was shaking furiously. He looked at me his eyes stretching his whole face into a maniac shape.
“Endless, it was endless” he mumbled.
“What was? What happened?” His parents were scrambling over to us.
“The water, the monster. Yellow eyes, bigger then our houses. Teeth…” Sam shrieked again and his parents arrived and pushed me away to scoop him up. “Don’t go in all the way” He screamed as they pushed him past the fence to the their car “Don’t go in all the way”
That was the last time I had seen Sam in my life. After that his family moved out of town. I had seen when Sam dove into the pool that day. A cannonball. His legs tucked underneath him and barreling into the the water. A splash hit me in the face and when I cleared my vision Sam was not visible below the chlorine water. I swam over to where he had impacted and dove down. He was gone. I came back up for air and whipped around looking across the pool for any signs. Suddenly he burst from the reflection of the sun screaming wildly on the other side of the pool where he had entered.
For weeks I wondered where he had gone and what he meant. I had not been back to the pool since then. One night I thought about what Sam was screaming in the last moments that I saw him. My mom had drawn me a bath and I sat soaking in the warm water.
“Don’t go all the way in” rang in my head as I looked down at my legs through the fun house mirror.
Then I dropped. First it was my neck then up to my mouth. I took in a large breath through my nose and slid all the way in.
Pressure came from all sides. My head spun and I flung my arms and legs in all directions looking for a way out. I burst out of the water sucking in all the oxygen that I could.
I panted and stared up. Purple, and violet dust clouds covered the celestial. Planets of burnt orange and cinnamon cascaded and filled the void above. I looked towards the horizon. Water. I waded around. Water in all directions. Then I heard Sam’s cries in my head. Endless. Yellow eyes. I paddled a bit in one direction. I could see nothing but the endless ocean reflecting the grand sights from above. Then I heard something. Faint, but enough to catch my attention. I swam around and saw something in the distance. It was like a black pole sticking out of the water. I was so far away, but I could see it cutting a black line in the celestial painting. Then it looked as if it dipped into the water.
That’s because it did. I couldn’t see the shape any longer, but I could see the waves being projected by it’s whipping back and forth on the top of the water. The ocean rose and fell slightly at first, but then became a rough roller coaster. The waves were getting bigger and wilder. They started to pick me up and carry me with them. The thing got closer and closer and as it did my mind started to rip and tear. The sheer size was reaching my peak comprehension and it was still far way. I started to panic and swim in the opposite direction as the waves started picking me up and crash. I sucked in water and coughed and screamed for help as I stroked as fast as I could. The waves grew bigger and I rode into the sky. A roar filled my ears and whole body. The wave crashed and I was cast underwater. My vision spun and tried to catch what was under. I turned towards it. Yellow eyes like two darkened suns glowing in the deep dark water engulfed me. The Light from space cast into the ocean and the beast was a serpent. It’s body seemed to go into infinity. It’s dragon like mouth opened where rows and rows of sharp teeth the size of mountains cascaded into a landscape of carnage and death. I screamed evacuating all the air from my lungs into the sweet water. It roared, a deep howling roar that comprised of symphonies of tragedy and misery. I flailed about and my hand smacked against the side of my bath tub shattering it and I scrambled out of the tub on to the tiled floor screaming, howling, crying, clawing for escape.
A few days later there was a knock on the door. A few men entered the house and fired off questions to my parents and then gagged me and strolled me out somewhere. Somewhere to make me forget.
But now. I remembered. As my body dove under the water. The pressure came back and as I breached the crest, the celestial painting appeared before my eyes and the endless horizon of ocean surrounded me.
I could not see it, but I could feel the torrent from below. The monster was coming.
-
Inspired by SCP-1128 I changed a few things from the original concept. I have always been fascinated with endless water planets. I guess this comes from playing Ecco the Dolphin as a kid and being fascinated by the oceans. What struck me about SCP-1128 is that it acts like a virus. Once you know, you are always at risk of being transported into it’s clutches. I think that is very terrifying. You cannot escape, even if you do, it’s only temporary.