"Water Torture" Part 3
By Ruby
His thoughts ran through everything that he knew to make sure he was himself. He was Cye of Torrent, the Warrior of Trust, and water was his nature. It was a favorite pastime to dive into the sea as waves crashed all around and then drift along with the current like an otter. The fact that Cye liked sea creatures was a given, and they knew it. The oceans, tides, fishes, and whales were all part of him. As a Ronin Warrior he was destined to help every living being, on land or otherwise.
Cye remembered himself, which was good. So all he needed to know now was…
Where was he?
Drip… drip… drip…
It had been months since Talpa, a master of evil and ruler of the Dynasty, was defeated for the second and, hopefully, last time. All Cye could recall before arriving to this place was sitting on the couch and turning on the TV. No fights, no warning, just a simple evening with his friends then *poof,* he was alone.
How long had it been? Minutes? Days? Weeks? The pitch-black stone walls that were his prison had no window or clock to tell time from. Unable to move or speak he felt as if he were floating. Though, not the calming and gentle rocking by floating on water, but a dull stillness of no sound or wind. And no doubt the biggest problem was that he could not call on his armor.
Drip… drip… drip…
Cye inwardly frowned in frustration as he tried to shout out or even blink. He was pretty sure he was awake--although a dream or nightmare would have been preferable to the monotonous way he was forced to stare at the vague ceiling.
Drip…
A bubble of anger suddenly boiled in him. Would somebody *please* fix that silly dripping?! Every five seconds or so a dot of liquid fell onto the middle of his forehead above the eyes. The constant, slight tickling of his face of the water hitting him was tedious. The only good thing about it was the soft rap of sound it made when the drop came into contact--it told him he hadn't gone deaf.
Without anything to touch, any sights, or tangible sounds the emptiness was so wearing that it could drive someone--
--Mad. The emotion surged across his heart like a raging river when Cye peered over the sand dunes at the beach. The feelings of anger towards his target were so harsh and new to the five-year-old that he nearly tumbled off the tiny hill. --
Whoa, what was that! He had just seen an image about a beach…a dream? Could someone dream with their eyes open? Cye mentally shook himself to awareness. No, he decided, it wasn't a dream. Flashback? Maybe. Yes! It was a memory--he distinctly recognized the long stretch of sand as the area he grew up by.
Clean, salty water reflecting off the rays of the sun, making him wince… warm golden dust under his feet… the tempting hush of the wind… He could almost believe he was there.
…What did Rowen say about sensory deprivation? If someone didn't see, do, or hear anything for a long time they would begin to imagine things to make up for it. How long has it been since he arrived? Had he begun to hallucinate? And the dripping didn't really help.
With nothing else to do, Cye decided to measure time by counting the water drops. He hoped he wouldn't be there for long.
One water droplet… two water droplets…
--He was watching two boys a little older than he was, Cye recognized them as other children he had seen around his neighborhood. They were teasing a fish they had captured, leaving it on the ground, waiting for it to suffocate under the hot midday sun. The kids cruelly dipped the fish into the water for a moment, then tossed it back onto the sand, trying to prolong its death. It flopped around energetically, but as he watched he could see each leap becoming shorter and less frequent.
"Hey!" he called to them, not bothering to hide the rage from his voice. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, go back home!" one boy answered, his copper hair whipping in the wind. He and the other resumed harassing the fish.
Even with his young state of mind, Cye knew that what they were doing was wrong. Ever so slowly the fish, a living being, was dying. It definitely didn't seem right. --
It happened again.
178 drops… 179 drops… 180 drops…
Was it a bad sign? It was unfortunate he didn't know a lot about psychology--he was certain someone had deliberately placed him under a dribble. The technique was a torture design of some sort. Well that was unfair, what kind of room service was that? He could complain to the manager. 'Hah, ha, joke, real funny… okay, yeah,' Cye thought ludicrously. Then a bit more seriously, he added, 'Don't lose it, Torrent.' It was only water. He liked water; maybe it wouldn't effect him as much.
There was a long moment as he tried to convince himself of that.
504 drops… 505 drops… 506…
A very long moment.
He could take it. Just a bit of wet every five seconds. How bad could it be?
532 drops…
***
Water, what an interesting element. Able to revitalized a thirsty soul, or crash and cause terrible destruction. The smooth, calm surface of the sea hid the battle of survival under its waves.
***
The midday sun baked Sage and Ryo as they wearily treaded through the back entrance and to the dining room, armor reverting to sub-armor. Their footsteps echoed throughout the halls like the lonely beat of a drum.
"Did you find him outside?" Kento demanded, appearing from an open doorway. His dark eyes were filled with hope and apprehension. Sage shook his head slowly, disappointed. "Where can he be?!"
"Mia, Rowen!" Ryo called to the pair standing at the second floor railing. "Did you find anything?" Twin expressions of defeat told him what he had suspected.
"Sorry, Ryo, I didn't see anything from the air." Rowen walked down the steps tiredly.
"Nothing. I can't believe it; Cye's gone!" Mia said quietly. She didn't know what happened. Cye had disappeared into thin air right in front of them.
That was two days ago.
Kento sighed in frustration. His best friend was gone, and there wasn't any clue to where he might be. "He can't disappear into nowhere! Someone must have taken him!" He pounded his fists heavily onto the dining room table, nearly shattering it in half.
"Hey! Calm down! We're just as worried about him as you are," Rowen reassured. His friend glared at him. "It won't help if you break everything in here."
"And besides, I don't think Mia would appreciate that," Sage added, trying to lighten the mood and stop a possible argument. They had been searching without rest ever since their teammate's absence, and it would only make sense that some tempers were short.
The blue-black hair Warrior sighed again and turned his eyes down to the tabletop in slight chagrin. "Sorry," he apologized with fists unclenching. "I just wish there was some--any--clue we could use to find him!"
The lights suddenly dimmed and a cold breeze whisked in. There was a fluttering sound, and small piece of parchment swirled about. The lights grew bright again as the letter slowly drifted to Kento's open palm. He read the words out loud.
*Ask and you shall receive,
As the old proverb goes.
Where is Cye?
Nobody knows.
But I do!*
Rowen gave a jolt. "Who does? Where?"
"There's more," Kento stated.
*What's that noise?
Tickle, dribble, dewdrop drips!
Not north, south, or east,
It's gonna be a wet trip!
But not for me!*
Sage rubbed his chin in concentration, puzzling over the words. "Hmm…"
*My Lord has taken him
Not long away--*
"His Lord? Could it be Talpa?" Ryo asked, vexed.
"Stop interrupting," Mia said, voice equally colored with worry. Hardrock continued reading.
*Talpa? Not so! But someone else
You won't meet today.
…But you will.*
It was signed at the bottom with a crudely drawn hockey-stick-wielding happy face that would forever be grinning in mock joy. They all stared at the cheery picture in loathing. Just as the last words were spoken the parchment turned brittle then crumbled into dust.
***
--Cye really wanted to help the fish, he really, really wanted to. But the bullies were bigger 'n stronger than he was--he wasn't sure it would work if he just walked right up to them and told them to bugger off. The copper-hair boy looked like he could easily beat five would-be rescuers up if he wanted to.
Fear of that realization made his eyes grow wider. Cye ducked down behind a rock, abruptly afraid of the boys seeing him. Maybe if he turned around and marched home right that instance everything would be okay… He heard laughter, and crept slowly up to find out why.
He winced sharply as the animal gave a sudden jolt when the kids jabbed its tail painfully. It was bleeding slightly from various wounds, and its gills gasped softly. There was no way the fish would survive if he let them continue. --
8,602 dinky little drips… 8,603 dumb dribble drops…
Would the water ever stop?! He'd been counting forever, and what started out as an annoyance now felt like the pounding of mallets to his head. Cye couldn't sleep even for a moment, the liquid didn't allow it. Every time he felt himself start to drift off, the tiny gavels would force him aware with each knock. Exhausted as he was, there was nothing he could do to fall asleep.
He tried every thing to ignore the dripping. Meditating only made him strangely energetic, thinking about what the other Ronins were doing just made him anxious to get out, and trying to pass the time by counting didn't work. He was starting to welcome those occasional flashes of memory as they were the only means of escape from the drone of nothingness.
'Hmm… If one drop equals five seconds, and 8,640 drops have passed… How much time has gone by?'
He hated math, but made some calculations since it was the only thing else to do.
'Bloody 'ell… lets see, carry the two then buckle my shoe… if I had some. 43,200 seconds in all! Go me, I multiplied! Now divide by sixty to find out the minutes… Woo, that's a lot…
'Then the hours… Math sucks.
'Can't concentrate with all the stupid noise! And the grand total is…'
Twelve hours. Twelve whole hours of darkness. If he could groan in despair, he would. That was insane, he had been trapped in here for an entire waking day while the others were searching for him or fighting a foe… Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman…
8,735 drops of water from the wall, 8,735 drops! One comes down, hoping I'll drown… 8,736 drops from the wall… la-la.
Or maybe they were all de--
Cye forcefully slammed himself back into sanity, not wanting to consider it. No, he refused to think that! He had to trust that the rest of the Ronins would get to him in time. They were absolutely, totally, completely *not*--
--Dead. Almost. The fish looked like it was about to give its last jump for freedom in any second. The boys laughed, enjoying its agony. Again, the wave of anger washed over him. It didn't matter if the kids were larger than he was, Cye had to at least try and help.
He glanced around to see if there was anything he could use. A wet patch of seaweed seemed to beckon from a small puddle with its long furls creeping out on to land. The five-year-old grabbed it, an idea quickly coming to mind. He wrapped it around his arms and legs and face.
The disguise was clumsy, but to children Cye would look like the creature from the black lagoon. Well, at the very lowest, a seaweed monster of short stature in blue trunks.
Teeth bared and shouting, he ran towards the boys like a hellion, calling them both all the nasty things his innocent mind could come up with.
"You ninnies! May the King of the Sea curse you ferev'er and wash sand down your knickers! Aaahh!" --
***
The news of a new opponent depressed them. The Ronin Warriors had hoped they wouldn't have to face one after dealing with Talpa. It seemed that they must endure fighting for the rest of their lives.
"Well, there's our clue," Rowen coughed, trying to fill the silence that had hung over them after Kento read the letter.
"Some clue," the Warrior of Justice fumed. He picked up what was left of the parchment and let it seep through his fingers. "We still don't know where to find Cye."
Sage shook his head, "Wasn't anybody listening? It *did* say how to find him!" They all looked towards him in hope. "Remember the line 'It's gonna be a wet trip'? Cye must be close to water."
"Of course!" Mia said excitedly. "And 'Not north, south, or east'… it's so obvious. Head to our west."
"West?" Nearly jumping with enthusiasm, Kento prompted, "What's over there?"
Ryo grasped what they were hinting at. "The lake!"
Before everyone went rushing off out the door Rowen stopped them. "Hold on!" He held his hand up for attention.
"What? We need to go right now," Kento urged impatiently. Who knew what was happening to Cye at that moment?
"Oh, and how do you know if it isn't a trick?"
"Well, I, uh…"
"Don't."
He shrugged. "If you put that way."
"Think about it, guys." His eyes glinted with suspicion. "Someone took Cye for a reason, why would they want to help us?"
***
--"'Lo there, little fish," Cye called gently as he approached. "Lucky those pillocks were a buncha chickens." He grinned in seaweed-covered pride; the boys had taken one look at him and ran off in terror.
When he got to the fish he saw that little it wasn't. The creature was as long as his arm and probably as heavy as his grandpa's sword. He gazed in awe; it was of such a deep blue-green hue that he bet it would be invisible in water. "How'd you get captured, then?"
The fish answered with a weak flick of its tail.
Cye knew it had to get back into the ocean soon. With an uncertain look he wrapped his puny arms underneath the great fish and stained to lift it. In two heaves he finally managed to find a way to cradle it against his chest so it wouldn't slip out of reach. "Boy, yer heavy!" he complained. Tilting back and forth, trying not to tip over because of the new weight, the child dropped it with a splash.
It sank to the bottom of the pool he had waded into. "Come on, swim away. You're free!" It stared up blankly at him, mouth puckering then un-puckering in its fish-like way. "Go on, move!"
It didn't.
"Hurry up!" Cye gave it a small nudge, hoping it would do something. It glided on the helpful thrust, but sank back down. "Silly fish! Move it!"
Frustrated and desperate, he pinched it on the gill. With a burst of sudden energy the fish streaked away, heading towards the murky depths of the sea.
He whooped in success, and waved joyfully at its receding shadow. "Bye! Don't come back!" The ocean glittered beautifully under the early evening light. Cye wished he could swim in it like the fish. He stood there for a while, smiling and staring at the many waters. When he at last left for home, he knew everything was going to be all right. --
Everything was not all right.
Stop the… drop… roll… drip…
He had lost track of counting. There was no point, anyway.
Drip…
..Drop…
…Stop…
'STOP IT!' Cye screamed silently. 'I can't take it anymore!' His whole world was focused on the dripping. There was nothing but the water. Drop after drop beating on his brain with their sinister sparkling simplicity. Like the ticking of a clock or a leaky faucet, the ever persistent rhythm grew louder and louder each cycle. Over and over and over--
Stop it.
Don't fall.
End that stupid--
Drip…
An indoor rain, full of thunder.
Drip…
Tearing his mind asunder.
Drip…
Made a rhyme, running out of time, tee-hee…
--Cye floated like a ghost above the land. The feeling was curiously similar to swimming. The aqua sky glowed, lighting the sea-green life on the ground. Something glinted through the leaves. People. Drifting closer, he recognized who they were.
He saw his friends searching everywhere for him. Through hills and mountains, streams and oceans, but to no avail. They spent years looking for the Torrent, always missing his prison by a few infuriating feet. As time scrolled past his eyes like a movie projector Cye saw the others start to lose hope and slowly discontinuing their quest.
"I'm here! Here!" he cried to them. They never heard.
Slowly, everyone grew old, tired. Gray and bearded, even then they hunted until they all were peacefully resting in their graves. Cye, on the other hand, was destined to remain trapped forever. Unknown for all of eternity; awake yet alone. --
No, no! What was that?! Wha--? J-jus-just *calm down!* Great, now he was delirious. Three, two, one… and we have hallucinations! Or were they? God, were they real? How long had he been there? They can't be… He felt like laughing hysterically, but if he could he would never stop.
He should have kept counting.
End of Part 3
By Ruby
His thoughts ran through everything that he knew to make sure he was himself. He was Cye of Torrent, the Warrior of Trust, and water was his nature. It was a favorite pastime to dive into the sea as waves crashed all around and then drift along with the current like an otter. The fact that Cye liked sea creatures was a given, and they knew it. The oceans, tides, fishes, and whales were all part of him. As a Ronin Warrior he was destined to help every living being, on land or otherwise.
Cye remembered himself, which was good. So all he needed to know now was…
Where was he?
Drip… drip… drip…
It had been months since Talpa, a master of evil and ruler of the Dynasty, was defeated for the second and, hopefully, last time. All Cye could recall before arriving to this place was sitting on the couch and turning on the TV. No fights, no warning, just a simple evening with his friends then *poof,* he was alone.
How long had it been? Minutes? Days? Weeks? The pitch-black stone walls that were his prison had no window or clock to tell time from. Unable to move or speak he felt as if he were floating. Though, not the calming and gentle rocking by floating on water, but a dull stillness of no sound or wind. And no doubt the biggest problem was that he could not call on his armor.
Drip… drip… drip…
Cye inwardly frowned in frustration as he tried to shout out or even blink. He was pretty sure he was awake--although a dream or nightmare would have been preferable to the monotonous way he was forced to stare at the vague ceiling.
Drip…
A bubble of anger suddenly boiled in him. Would somebody *please* fix that silly dripping?! Every five seconds or so a dot of liquid fell onto the middle of his forehead above the eyes. The constant, slight tickling of his face of the water hitting him was tedious. The only good thing about it was the soft rap of sound it made when the drop came into contact--it told him he hadn't gone deaf.
Without anything to touch, any sights, or tangible sounds the emptiness was so wearing that it could drive someone--
--Mad. The emotion surged across his heart like a raging river when Cye peered over the sand dunes at the beach. The feelings of anger towards his target were so harsh and new to the five-year-old that he nearly tumbled off the tiny hill. --
Whoa, what was that! He had just seen an image about a beach…a dream? Could someone dream with their eyes open? Cye mentally shook himself to awareness. No, he decided, it wasn't a dream. Flashback? Maybe. Yes! It was a memory--he distinctly recognized the long stretch of sand as the area he grew up by.
Clean, salty water reflecting off the rays of the sun, making him wince… warm golden dust under his feet… the tempting hush of the wind… He could almost believe he was there.
…What did Rowen say about sensory deprivation? If someone didn't see, do, or hear anything for a long time they would begin to imagine things to make up for it. How long has it been since he arrived? Had he begun to hallucinate? And the dripping didn't really help.
With nothing else to do, Cye decided to measure time by counting the water drops. He hoped he wouldn't be there for long.
One water droplet… two water droplets…
--He was watching two boys a little older than he was, Cye recognized them as other children he had seen around his neighborhood. They were teasing a fish they had captured, leaving it on the ground, waiting for it to suffocate under the hot midday sun. The kids cruelly dipped the fish into the water for a moment, then tossed it back onto the sand, trying to prolong its death. It flopped around energetically, but as he watched he could see each leap becoming shorter and less frequent.
"Hey!" he called to them, not bothering to hide the rage from his voice. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, go back home!" one boy answered, his copper hair whipping in the wind. He and the other resumed harassing the fish.
Even with his young state of mind, Cye knew that what they were doing was wrong. Ever so slowly the fish, a living being, was dying. It definitely didn't seem right. --
It happened again.
178 drops… 179 drops… 180 drops…
Was it a bad sign? It was unfortunate he didn't know a lot about psychology--he was certain someone had deliberately placed him under a dribble. The technique was a torture design of some sort. Well that was unfair, what kind of room service was that? He could complain to the manager. 'Hah, ha, joke, real funny… okay, yeah,' Cye thought ludicrously. Then a bit more seriously, he added, 'Don't lose it, Torrent.' It was only water. He liked water; maybe it wouldn't effect him as much.
There was a long moment as he tried to convince himself of that.
504 drops… 505 drops… 506…
A very long moment.
He could take it. Just a bit of wet every five seconds. How bad could it be?
532 drops…
***
Water, what an interesting element. Able to revitalized a thirsty soul, or crash and cause terrible destruction. The smooth, calm surface of the sea hid the battle of survival under its waves.
***
The midday sun baked Sage and Ryo as they wearily treaded through the back entrance and to the dining room, armor reverting to sub-armor. Their footsteps echoed throughout the halls like the lonely beat of a drum.
"Did you find him outside?" Kento demanded, appearing from an open doorway. His dark eyes were filled with hope and apprehension. Sage shook his head slowly, disappointed. "Where can he be?!"
"Mia, Rowen!" Ryo called to the pair standing at the second floor railing. "Did you find anything?" Twin expressions of defeat told him what he had suspected.
"Sorry, Ryo, I didn't see anything from the air." Rowen walked down the steps tiredly.
"Nothing. I can't believe it; Cye's gone!" Mia said quietly. She didn't know what happened. Cye had disappeared into thin air right in front of them.
That was two days ago.
Kento sighed in frustration. His best friend was gone, and there wasn't any clue to where he might be. "He can't disappear into nowhere! Someone must have taken him!" He pounded his fists heavily onto the dining room table, nearly shattering it in half.
"Hey! Calm down! We're just as worried about him as you are," Rowen reassured. His friend glared at him. "It won't help if you break everything in here."
"And besides, I don't think Mia would appreciate that," Sage added, trying to lighten the mood and stop a possible argument. They had been searching without rest ever since their teammate's absence, and it would only make sense that some tempers were short.
The blue-black hair Warrior sighed again and turned his eyes down to the tabletop in slight chagrin. "Sorry," he apologized with fists unclenching. "I just wish there was some--any--clue we could use to find him!"
The lights suddenly dimmed and a cold breeze whisked in. There was a fluttering sound, and small piece of parchment swirled about. The lights grew bright again as the letter slowly drifted to Kento's open palm. He read the words out loud.
*Ask and you shall receive,
As the old proverb goes.
Where is Cye?
Nobody knows.
But I do!*
Rowen gave a jolt. "Who does? Where?"
"There's more," Kento stated.
*What's that noise?
Tickle, dribble, dewdrop drips!
Not north, south, or east,
It's gonna be a wet trip!
But not for me!*
Sage rubbed his chin in concentration, puzzling over the words. "Hmm…"
*My Lord has taken him
Not long away--*
"His Lord? Could it be Talpa?" Ryo asked, vexed.
"Stop interrupting," Mia said, voice equally colored with worry. Hardrock continued reading.
*Talpa? Not so! But someone else
You won't meet today.
…But you will.*
It was signed at the bottom with a crudely drawn hockey-stick-wielding happy face that would forever be grinning in mock joy. They all stared at the cheery picture in loathing. Just as the last words were spoken the parchment turned brittle then crumbled into dust.
***
--Cye really wanted to help the fish, he really, really wanted to. But the bullies were bigger 'n stronger than he was--he wasn't sure it would work if he just walked right up to them and told them to bugger off. The copper-hair boy looked like he could easily beat five would-be rescuers up if he wanted to.
Fear of that realization made his eyes grow wider. Cye ducked down behind a rock, abruptly afraid of the boys seeing him. Maybe if he turned around and marched home right that instance everything would be okay… He heard laughter, and crept slowly up to find out why.
He winced sharply as the animal gave a sudden jolt when the kids jabbed its tail painfully. It was bleeding slightly from various wounds, and its gills gasped softly. There was no way the fish would survive if he let them continue. --
8,602 dinky little drips… 8,603 dumb dribble drops…
Would the water ever stop?! He'd been counting forever, and what started out as an annoyance now felt like the pounding of mallets to his head. Cye couldn't sleep even for a moment, the liquid didn't allow it. Every time he felt himself start to drift off, the tiny gavels would force him aware with each knock. Exhausted as he was, there was nothing he could do to fall asleep.
He tried every thing to ignore the dripping. Meditating only made him strangely energetic, thinking about what the other Ronins were doing just made him anxious to get out, and trying to pass the time by counting didn't work. He was starting to welcome those occasional flashes of memory as they were the only means of escape from the drone of nothingness.
'Hmm… If one drop equals five seconds, and 8,640 drops have passed… How much time has gone by?'
He hated math, but made some calculations since it was the only thing else to do.
'Bloody 'ell… lets see, carry the two then buckle my shoe… if I had some. 43,200 seconds in all! Go me, I multiplied! Now divide by sixty to find out the minutes… Woo, that's a lot…
'Then the hours… Math sucks.
'Can't concentrate with all the stupid noise! And the grand total is…'
Twelve hours. Twelve whole hours of darkness. If he could groan in despair, he would. That was insane, he had been trapped in here for an entire waking day while the others were searching for him or fighting a foe… Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman…
8,735 drops of water from the wall, 8,735 drops! One comes down, hoping I'll drown… 8,736 drops from the wall… la-la.
Or maybe they were all de--
Cye forcefully slammed himself back into sanity, not wanting to consider it. No, he refused to think that! He had to trust that the rest of the Ronins would get to him in time. They were absolutely, totally, completely *not*--
--Dead. Almost. The fish looked like it was about to give its last jump for freedom in any second. The boys laughed, enjoying its agony. Again, the wave of anger washed over him. It didn't matter if the kids were larger than he was, Cye had to at least try and help.
He glanced around to see if there was anything he could use. A wet patch of seaweed seemed to beckon from a small puddle with its long furls creeping out on to land. The five-year-old grabbed it, an idea quickly coming to mind. He wrapped it around his arms and legs and face.
The disguise was clumsy, but to children Cye would look like the creature from the black lagoon. Well, at the very lowest, a seaweed monster of short stature in blue trunks.
Teeth bared and shouting, he ran towards the boys like a hellion, calling them both all the nasty things his innocent mind could come up with.
"You ninnies! May the King of the Sea curse you ferev'er and wash sand down your knickers! Aaahh!" --
***
The news of a new opponent depressed them. The Ronin Warriors had hoped they wouldn't have to face one after dealing with Talpa. It seemed that they must endure fighting for the rest of their lives.
"Well, there's our clue," Rowen coughed, trying to fill the silence that had hung over them after Kento read the letter.
"Some clue," the Warrior of Justice fumed. He picked up what was left of the parchment and let it seep through his fingers. "We still don't know where to find Cye."
Sage shook his head, "Wasn't anybody listening? It *did* say how to find him!" They all looked towards him in hope. "Remember the line 'It's gonna be a wet trip'? Cye must be close to water."
"Of course!" Mia said excitedly. "And 'Not north, south, or east'… it's so obvious. Head to our west."
"West?" Nearly jumping with enthusiasm, Kento prompted, "What's over there?"
Ryo grasped what they were hinting at. "The lake!"
Before everyone went rushing off out the door Rowen stopped them. "Hold on!" He held his hand up for attention.
"What? We need to go right now," Kento urged impatiently. Who knew what was happening to Cye at that moment?
"Oh, and how do you know if it isn't a trick?"
"Well, I, uh…"
"Don't."
He shrugged. "If you put that way."
"Think about it, guys." His eyes glinted with suspicion. "Someone took Cye for a reason, why would they want to help us?"
***
--"'Lo there, little fish," Cye called gently as he approached. "Lucky those pillocks were a buncha chickens." He grinned in seaweed-covered pride; the boys had taken one look at him and ran off in terror.
When he got to the fish he saw that little it wasn't. The creature was as long as his arm and probably as heavy as his grandpa's sword. He gazed in awe; it was of such a deep blue-green hue that he bet it would be invisible in water. "How'd you get captured, then?"
The fish answered with a weak flick of its tail.
Cye knew it had to get back into the ocean soon. With an uncertain look he wrapped his puny arms underneath the great fish and stained to lift it. In two heaves he finally managed to find a way to cradle it against his chest so it wouldn't slip out of reach. "Boy, yer heavy!" he complained. Tilting back and forth, trying not to tip over because of the new weight, the child dropped it with a splash.
It sank to the bottom of the pool he had waded into. "Come on, swim away. You're free!" It stared up blankly at him, mouth puckering then un-puckering in its fish-like way. "Go on, move!"
It didn't.
"Hurry up!" Cye gave it a small nudge, hoping it would do something. It glided on the helpful thrust, but sank back down. "Silly fish! Move it!"
Frustrated and desperate, he pinched it on the gill. With a burst of sudden energy the fish streaked away, heading towards the murky depths of the sea.
He whooped in success, and waved joyfully at its receding shadow. "Bye! Don't come back!" The ocean glittered beautifully under the early evening light. Cye wished he could swim in it like the fish. He stood there for a while, smiling and staring at the many waters. When he at last left for home, he knew everything was going to be all right. --
Everything was not all right.
Stop the… drop… roll… drip…
He had lost track of counting. There was no point, anyway.
Drip…
..Drop…
…Stop…
'STOP IT!' Cye screamed silently. 'I can't take it anymore!' His whole world was focused on the dripping. There was nothing but the water. Drop after drop beating on his brain with their sinister sparkling simplicity. Like the ticking of a clock or a leaky faucet, the ever persistent rhythm grew louder and louder each cycle. Over and over and over--
Stop it.
Don't fall.
End that stupid--
Drip…
An indoor rain, full of thunder.
Drip…
Tearing his mind asunder.
Drip…
Made a rhyme, running out of time, tee-hee…
--Cye floated like a ghost above the land. The feeling was curiously similar to swimming. The aqua sky glowed, lighting the sea-green life on the ground. Something glinted through the leaves. People. Drifting closer, he recognized who they were.
He saw his friends searching everywhere for him. Through hills and mountains, streams and oceans, but to no avail. They spent years looking for the Torrent, always missing his prison by a few infuriating feet. As time scrolled past his eyes like a movie projector Cye saw the others start to lose hope and slowly discontinuing their quest.
"I'm here! Here!" he cried to them. They never heard.
Slowly, everyone grew old, tired. Gray and bearded, even then they hunted until they all were peacefully resting in their graves. Cye, on the other hand, was destined to remain trapped forever. Unknown for all of eternity; awake yet alone. --
No, no! What was that?! Wha--? J-jus-just *calm down!* Great, now he was delirious. Three, two, one… and we have hallucinations! Or were they? God, were they real? How long had he been there? They can't be… He felt like laughing hysterically, but if he could he would never stop.
He should have kept counting.
End of Part 3