Water - Prologue. The Watcher

The Watcher

The watcher sat motionless for more than an hour thinking his future. It was time to mark the chosen and begin their training, but he had no idea who they were or where. In the past they had been grouped closely together, this time however they could be anywhere... Only the calling would tell. They would be five years old as demanded by the ritual. The sun began it's slow ascension above the mountain bathing one of the twin waterfalls in light, but keeping the other in darkness as was required also. He stood facing the east, one foot in the water, the other on dry land, in his left hand he held the conjured flame and in the right he conjured the dust devil. Suddenly the spirit shadow of a small boy stepped out of the water near the base of the waterfall -- the essence of water embodied in a young child. Then a second rose from the dirt at his feet... Earth. A face appeared in the flame and a body with it was Light appeared followed by Storms emerging form the dust devil. The four looked at each other and acknowledged their rebirth as it had been centuries ago. The watcher smiled at the four, his predecessor told him there would be another this time... And to wait for him to come because there was no way to call him, instead the gathering of the four would bring him.

Light looked at his brothers and raised his hands in the air... Water placed his palm on his brother's and offered the other to Storms who took it as earth completed the circle, linking Storms back to Light. As soon as the hands were clasped, a vortex grew between the waifs... It spiraled black then white, spun faster, and faster... Eventually splitting into two separate beings. Then there was silence as the six studied each to her without words, and then the lessons began. When it was said and done the four elementals he knew went back to their bodies the way they came... The other two, however, joined hands, merged, and disappeared together.

Geminy, age 5

Kymble grabbed his surfboard and plunged into the cold water, paying no heed to his tag-a-long little brother. The boy had been coming to the beach long enough to know to stay away from the water, especially when the life guard was off duty and his two big brothers were surfing, but he call of the ocean was just too much for him today and he edged closer and closer. Kymble promised to teach him how to surf after he turned six. The family rule was eight, but Kymble promised and Gem had been watching carefully. Tyrus had brought his new surfboard and his old one... He was using his new one now. Jondea was up the beach playing in the sand with some friends, but Gem wanted to watch the surfing and had stayed with the board. One little try wouldn't hurt and he would have the board back before Kym and Ty came to check on him. Throwing caution to the wind, Gem pulled the old board toward the ocean, remembering to strap it to his ankle. It was bigger than he was, but somehow he managed it.

All the Milburns learned how to swim at an early age, mainly because of their proximity to the ocean, but more importantly for their own safety. Gem could out swim his brothers although he was younger by half. He had watched his brothers surf for two years, copied what he could and soon he was picking out his wave. It was exhilarating for all of two minutes then he wiped out. Being unfamiliar with the procedure the board went out from under his feet and he was breathing water. The water passed over him, then it seemed to pass through him, but he couldn't breathe. The saltiness stung his eyes, nose, and throat as he tried to regain the surface but could not. Gem tried to relax and let the ocean bring him to the surface, but he still didn't make it to air. His lungs were burning and his vision blurring.

Kymble's watch alarm went off... Time to check on Gem and Jondea again. He hated baby-sitting his younger siblings, but it was necessary. Both his parents had to work and couldn't afford to pay a baby sitter, so Kym had been doing it this year. Usually he and Tyrus took turns surfing and sitting with them, but lately Gem didn't need someone sitting right on top of him and Jondea played with her friends so their folks could watch her as far as he was concerned. He signaled to Ty and they rode the next wave all the way in to the sand.

"Where is he?" Ty didn't see Gem or his board...

"Kym, my other board is gone. Gem wouldn't be so stupid... Would he?"

"Geez, I hope not!" They began to search frantically... The board was red and yellow and shouldn't be too hard to miss... And it wasn't when they saw it out in the ocean "Bloody Hell! Ty go get the life guard down the beach, I see your board!" Ty looked out over the water and saw it too... He took off at a run thanking the powers that be he was long of limb and used to running in sand. Kym took off on his board heading out toward where he hoped Gem was not. The paramedics were called and Ty and the guard hit the water together. Kym had reached the board and was pulling on the cord. Gem was still attached and was blue... Why hadn't he gained the surface? If he was dead, he should be floating, Kym thought... Gem marveled at the fact he was surrounded by water. His brain was telling him he should be dead by now, but his eyes were telling him he was still alive. Water... It was around him and in him and he was in it, around it, it was a feeling he couldn't explain. He could actually feel the waves hitting the beach and recoiling back to the open ocean. He could feel the wind whipping across it's surface pushing the waves he tried to ride on the board. He could feel sea creatures moving through the water, but he couldn't feel his body.

Kymble reached the board and pulled on the safety strap... Gem's little body could be seen through the water, although he was only a meter down, it could have been miles as far as Kymble was concerned... His brother was dead. Tyrus and the lifeguard got there just as Kym pulled Gem out of the water good.
"Geez, Geminy... Why couldn't you wait to learn to surf... You just had to go and try it on your own. Mum and Da are never going to forgive me this." Tears were pouring down his face. Gem felt his body being pulled from the water and as it was feeling returned to him -- his lungs ached terribly, his eyes burned, and he was cold. Slowly, because his arm felt detached, he reached up to wipe his eyes. Kym blanched.. His brother was alive... He knew for a fact he had been under for at least several minutes. No one knew what to say... The boy was blue as if he was drowned, but sitting up and talking, clearly alive. Kymble and Tyrus were in shock. The lifeguard didn't know what to do or say, he was expecting the boy to be dead too. The paramedics were on scene by the time they regained the shore. He was treated for shock and hypothermia, but no one could explain why his brown eyes had turned as blue as the water he died in.