dive

It is morning on the surface of the ocean where I find myself swimming. I spot a girl bobbing in the surf. Following me, she comes closer. She thinks she knows me, but I don't recognize her. She says she remembers me when I was smaller. She says there's a nearby island, a place where we can rest, but her suggestion irritates me. I want to go farther, deeper. She says she saw two sharks fighting. She hands me goggles, and I peer under the surface at remnants of blood billowing out like a ruby nebula. She points down at sea centipedes rising from the depths, waving like trees in an underwater breeze. She warns me not to descend. It is afternoon when curiosity overwhelms, and I dive, and the girl reluctantly follows. We circle the centipede stalks, carefully avoiding their tenuous legs for fear of paralyzing toxins. At first, we make frequent trips to the surface as our endurance builds. Further down, the centipedes harden and form the supports of a concrete structure, layers upon layers, like a great empty parking garage. We are careful not to get stuck under the expansive roof, deprived of oxygen forever. Nervous, we flee to the surface again. It is night, and deeper below the structure, we find an underwater city, its schools of street lamps the only refuge from the black abyss. An expectant feeling flows through me as we glide over rooftops of glittering skyscrapers and watch shadows of unseen lives moving in the bright windows. But I turn to notice my diving companion holding a bomb, black and spherical, and a lighter. What is that for? I ask. To kill, she says. Kill what? Them. Why? I say. Don't do that. They are dangerous to you. They must be destroyed. Dangerous how? I push back. But instead of responding, she lights the fuse. I protest and struggle to wrestle the bomb from her hands. She flees, and I pursue her down to the street and gain control. Grabbing her in a tight bear hug, I force her up, past city, past concrete structure and centipedes. Too fast! My joints ache, legs grow numb. I panic thinking I'm swimming deeper, then I hit concrete. The structure! Not as high as I thought. Trapped! I race to the horizon edge. Faster, up and out, scraping past the centipedes. Forget toxin; forget the bends. My ears ring, sounding like a saxophone blaring the melody: E E♭ E E♭ E F# F# Looping over and over, rising to crescendo. I swim out of my body, out of my mind. The bomb explodes.