The water was warm even though the storm was rough. The sky was trembling but from a far it looked like a beautiful light show. Lightning was illuminating the sky, like fireworks on the fourth of July. It was dark down under though. You could only see the fireworks when you looked up, but then you would see the big shadows; moving slowly looking for trouble. The currents were harsh and the only thing you could hear was the bass of the lightning every time it would hit the surface.
Everyone was hiding in their caves, waiting for the storm to pass. Waiting for the water to be calm and the monsters to be gone. I kept looking up to the surface. The light show was beautiful. I imagined that is how the stars should look from shore. Beautiful light patterns moving and dancing for humans to see. But instead, I was stuck. Stuck underwater imagining the stars above. Seeing the big shadows cover them up as they swam above. I actually enjoyed looking at the shadows. They looked so mysterious. Their shapes were beautiful. Sharp curves and delicate moves. Going from place to place like if they had an important mission to accomplish. Dedicated, harmless, empowering. Others would say they were lost creatures, I never believed that. They looked less lost than I was. They looked like they knew exactly what they were trying to do. The way they would move in the stormy nights was with purpose. With dedication and compassion. But that was me. The rest would say they were moving with rage and anger. Looking for lost souls to destroy. Looking for trouble wherever they would go.
The legends said that the shadows were monsters from above that used to fly free and dance in the skies for all to see. Creatures of love and creatures of trust that would protect the seas with their powerful wings. Blowing all trouble away so no one could come down here and destroy our seas. They glowed in multiple colors and sang to the moon and the sun for the currents to stay warm for us to breathe. But one day it all went to waste. The legend says they lost their hearts and since then they came down from the sky and hunted us down. Becoming the shadows of the stormy nights. They lost their glow and their ability to love. Now they hunt and are creatures of the dark.
I am staring up, holding tight from a rock so I don’t get drifted away by the strong currents. My friends keep telling me to come back into the cave, that the currents are getting stronger. But I don’t listen. I never listen. Then a big bang hits the ocean. The entire world trembles harder than ever. It all goes dark. A huge rock comes flying my way, and takes me out. I fly off the cave and start spinning out of control with the current. I can’t see anything! I am swirling in all directions going really fast to nowhere. Another big rock comes flying in and takes me out.
I start opening my eyes, the water is finally calm and I am laying in the ground near some coral. I get up, shake myself awake and look up. I see nothing. Turn around as fast as I can, and I see nothing. I call out to my friends but nothing. There was complete silence. I could barely hear myself. Where was I? What had happened? Then I start remembering the storm. The current that took me away, and the light show that took me away.
I was lost and couldn’t see anything. Great. Just what I needed. I start swimming near the coral next to me trying to find a place to hide or someone hiding that could help me. As I was moving down the coral, I felt a strong wave moving very near me. I look around and I see a big light shadow swimming around! I am not blind I think to myself! I can see light!
I keep holding myself to the coral but looking everywhere for that light. There it was again! It was swimming in circles around I don’t know what, couldn’t really see it. I started getting closer to it very slowly. As I do, it starts getting bigger and bigger. My eyes start to clear a bit and then I paralyze. Time froze. Everything spotted. I had seen this shape before. The curves, the moves, the glow…
I turned around and tried to swim as fast as I could to the coral, but when I turned I realized I couldn’t see anything! I started swimming anyway and then the big light was all over me. I closed my eyes and rolled into a ball, scared. A rush of energy went through my veins that I had never experienced before. The light creatures held me in its arms and I could feel something new. Something I hadn’t felt before. It wasn’t anger or rage like everyone used to say. It was different. It was calm. It was peaceful.
I opened my eyes and there she was. Staring at me with beautiful big brown eyes. Glowing like the light shows above. Stunning. I couldn’t get my eyes off her. She talked through them like songs in the sky. I could see. I could finally see. See the world around me with true colors and shadows. See the world around me with compassion and not anger. I fell in love just looking at this star. And as she moved, the whole world would stop and only her was visible to all.
In a blink of a second, I was laying in my cave. Safe from everything and surrounded by my friends. They all looked amazed and asked me if I was ok, but the only thing I could see was her eyes in the sky. So I decided to change the tale and tell my story all over again.
The story says this creatures are bad. Monsters out to get us so we should hide. But what they missed is that they just have love. And we are scared swimmers avoiding falling in love. So open your eyes and look into the sky, and you will see the shadows up there are colorful dragons taking care of the seas.