Dreaming in a Sea of Colour

Iggy knew something was different when the Big Lady opened the door.

She always carried a shiny pail filled to the brim with silver fish. Iggy and his colony would rush her whenever she entered. Marlin and Spike were usually there first. Being the biggest penguins in the group, they would muscle their way to the front and take their time choosing from the pail. Everyone else had to wait their turn before they could eat their fill. Iggy was the smallest member of the colony and often had to wait the longest. The Big Lady seemed to know that though. When Iggy would get his turn at the pail and see it almost empty, she would give him a nice, juicy piece just for him.

Iggy really liked the Big Lady. So when she came back he hopped right over to her. But she had no pail this time, and instead of closing the door, she clapped her thigh and beckoned.

Iggy stared past the threshold with apprehension. He rarely went past this way, and every time other penguins did they were shooed back into the enclosure. He looked up at the Big Lady and lifted his flippers in question.

“Move it.”

Marlin pushed past Iggy and Iggy tumbled forward.

“You’re in the way.” This from Spike who hopped over him to keep up. He and Marlin swaggered through the room, their heads swivelling about.

Iggy picked himself up and waddled forward, but as the rest of the colony began to follow the Big Lady shut the door.

That’s when Iggy noticed more Big People in the room. They picked up Marlin and Spike and started putting them into carriers on top of a steel table. There were three carriers in total and when Iggy saw the last one was empty he squawked and flapped harder.

The Big Lady took down the carrier and placed it in front of him. She spoke softly, her voice muffled by the mask covering her face, and gestured for him to go in. Iggy looked inside the carrier, then up at the Big Lady.

“Ice wetter,” Marlin said from somewhere on the table.

“Am not!” Iggy protested, but Marlin and Spike just snickered.

Puffing out his chest Iggy stepped inside the carrier. It was dark and lined with a rubber mat. There was just enough room for him to turn around and he was in the process of doing so when the Big Lady locked the carrier door.

Then Iggy was flying. It was the same weightlessness he felt when he cut through the waters of his enclosure, though punctuated by the Big Lady’s steps. His initial nervousness left him as he was carried into a wide, well lit hall. A painting of penguins playing dominated one wall and continued down the hall. Excitement built in Iggy’s breast when he saw that they were following it. He gazed in wonder as they passed and Iggy saw paintings of creatures he knew of but never actually saw. Creatures like the elephant seal, the albatross and different looking penguins too.

There was even a painting of an orca. Its rows of serrated teeth looked so sharp in its wide open mouth. Iggy instinctively shuddered when he saw it. The carrier in front of him shivered as well. He didn’t know who was in it, but Iggy thought it was probably Spike. Spike usually fidgeted whenever he didn’t like something. Perhaps he saw the orca and got scared too? The thought cheered Iggy more than it should’ve and he made a cooing noise. Spike’s answer was a vicious screech.

As the Big People kept walking Iggy noticed something odd. The place was empty. Usually there were more Big People around. Lots of them came to see the colony, but lately they haven’t been coming. Those that did had half their faces covered and avoided each other instead of crowding close. Even the Big Lady didn’t go near the other Big People and whenever someone would cough she’d avoid them too.

Iggy was so lost in thought he didn’t notice the change in his surroundings until Marlin gasped.

“Look!”

Iggy pressed his face against the bars and sucked in a breath. The Big Lady stopped walking and set down the carrier. She opened the door and Iggy stepped out.

Water surrounded him, held back by panes of towering glass. Strange, spongy rocks clustered on the sandy beds, shells strewn among them. Pools of light lit the bed from below, bathing the room in a cerulean hue. And flitting everywhere, heedless of Iggy’s presence, were hundreds and hundreds of fish.

Iggy gawped. He had never seen so much fish swimming in one place and they were all different. Many were as big as his flipper with cropped fins and triangle tails. Others had fins and tails that trailed behind them like lace. High above a fish so wide and round circled lazily around the tank, joined by another with fins so tall and spiky Iggy could almost feel it pricking him.

And the colours! Iggy had never seen fish in so many colours! They came in wide arrays of blues and greens made brilliant by the lighting. Some came in shades of violet so deep they were almost black. There were fish with white stripes and cobalt scales, and fish with purple fins and emerald bellies.

And then there were fish in colours he never saw on fish before. Colours like yellow, pink and orange. Some came in colours so bright he couldn’t see them clearly. They all swam up to greet him and Iggy watched them all in wonder. Then, they drifted off and he followed.

He wandered the length of the tank, tracking the path of one fish before fixating on another. He stumbled against Marlin once, or was it Spike? Whoever it was didn’t say anything. They were so enraptured with the sights around them they picked themselves up and staggered off.

Eventually, Iggy found himself watching the bed of one tank. Fish as small as krill darted through the spongy rocks. Iggy had the sense that they were playing.

I want to play too! Iggy decided and he hopped forward to join them. He plunked against the glass and fell back. Stubbornly, he tried again, this time raising his flippers to swim up and over the tank. But all he flapped was air. His body felt clumsy and though the water rose far above his head he was still stuck on the ground. A mournful cry escaped him and he sagged.

A gentle touch on his back surprised him and Iggy turned around. He looked up to see the Big Lady crouched on one knee. She crooned softly, like she knew how he felt, just like she knew how hungry Iggy felt every time he waited for his turn at the pail. Iggy crooned back. He pressed his head against the palm of the Big Lady’s hand and leaned.

Iggy didn’t know how long he stayed in that room but eventually the Big Lady and the other Big People brought their carriers and ushered them in. It was late when Iggy, Marlin and Spike returned to their enclosure. Most of the penguins were turning in for the night, but when they saw them come in they sprang awake. Marlin and Spike regaled the colony with the wonders of their adventure and the colony hung on every word. To Iggy’s surprise he was called on to corroborate certain details and he too was looked upon with admiration.

All too soon the lights dimmed and the colony subsided into their chosen spots. Iggy waddled towards an empty rock and settled there with a sigh.

That night he dreamt of gliding in a world of endless blue water among swirling clouds of rainbow-coloured fish.