Skye and The Drain

It is hard for Skye to imagine a different time, or place for that matter, than how her life is, bright by day and dark, extremely dark, by night. After the explosion of the moon, life on Earth came to an immediate stop. Oceans spilled into streets leaving life on Earth a completely water-based civilization.

Skye, like most, is a swimmer by trade, but unlike most, Skye would have been a champion! Her family lives off the coast of what was California in the trees of Point Arena; being able to dive into the waters from the trees has always been easy for Skye and her family, but what she’s going to deal with will be a different challenge altogether.

On her way to work, Skye hurriedly ate her breakfast. She didn’t speak to her parents or her brothers—she would rarely leave without saying goodbye because that’s who she is. Arriving at work, she saw her co-workers who loved her and hated her for her swimming ability; she was cordial, as always, but she kept it moving.

“Good morning Skye, running a little late, are we?”

“Yeah, sorry, I had an interesting night; it was hard to get to sleep.”

“Yeah, why, what happened?”

“Just tossing and turning, I heard my parents talking about the locket and how it would solve everything; they said it is the key to The Drain.”

“The Drain, they said The Drain?”

“Yes, why, what do you know?”

Hunter found himself absorbed by the tale of The Drain; he didn’t know if it was a good idea to talk to Skye about The Drain. He wasn’t sure how to explain it, but he thought that Magnus would be the best option. “After work, we’ll go see Magnus; I know he can explain it far better than I can,” Hunter said to a shocked Skye who thought she misheard Hunter. “The Drain isn’t what you think; it’s not like pulling a plug, and all the water will just recede on the land, but if the locket is the key, it could bring us out of the trees.”

Skye watched Hunter as she zipped up her wetsuit; she was still trying to grasp the ease with which Hunter spoke about Magnus. She thought Hunter was kidding about taking her to see Magnus. She had no clue that he even knew Magnus because not just anyone knows Magnus; a very select few knew the elder who saved thousands as the moon became small particles flying through space.

“I’ll go with, but how do you know Magnus? I never heard you talk about him in any way before.”

“Magnus saved my grandfather, and when I began to ask questions about how we came to live off the ground, thousands of feet off the ground, my father took me to Magnus to explain it. Magnus is 100 years old, but you wouldn’t know it,” Hunter said and grabbed their gear.

Skye marveled at the stories of Magnus; many people compare him to Aquaman, who wouldn’t be intrigued with a living legend? No one knew who he was before The Great Fall, and ever since then, he’s been a bit of a mystery. So, for Skye, it’ll be amazing to be in his presence.

Skye Daniels is the youngest of three children both her parents, Marc and Miriam, serve on Point Arena’s city council and are part of the board of cities. The board ensures that the supply chains between Pacifica, MidMerica, and Eastern Shores worked as best they could, and Skye and her team lead the way with the water gardens that grow vegetation.

Skye is the only one of the Daniels children to take to the water with ease; she read an article in the archives about swimming champion Simone Manuel and found that she’s who Skye would have been in today’s world.

“Welcome, Magnus is expecting you, Hunter; it’s been too long, sweetheart,” Hunter returned the smile and agreed about how long it’s been. “Oh, hello, welcome, and this is?”

“This is Skye, Skye Daniels, her parents.”

“Whom I know quite well, welcome Skye, you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman; the last time I saw you, you were probably twelve or so. I’m Shalese,” she said to a beaming Skye. It seems that people have been holding out on her as far as what or who they knew. Shalese is Magnus’s wife, though they’d never been officially married; if Magnus died, Shalese would inherit everything without question. “So, dinner is almost ready; Magnus is upstairs in the courtyard, you know the way, right, Hunter?” Hunter nodded and took Skye by the hand, leading her through the massive house built into the hills.

“Are you nervous?”

“To meet a legend? Who me?” Skye said and laughed. Nervous is an understatement of the facts; Skye’s entire body was shaking.

“You’ll be fine. Uncle Magnus doesn’t bite,” Hunter exclaimed and entered the courtyard.

When Magnus turned around, Skye thought she was looking at someone her age; he couldn’t be 100 years old—he looked like a teenager. Her face only had the questions that her mind was trying to formulate.

“Hunter, my boy, where have you been hiding?” Magnus said and embraced Hunter in his arms. “It’s been too long, and who’s this?”

“This is Skye,” Magnus nodded and looked at Skye. “She wants to learn about The Drain and the lockets.”

“Welcome Skye, do your parents know you’re here?” He heard Hunter tell Shalese who Skye was, he knew her parents, and they’d not be too pleased with Skye learning about The Drain.

“My parents know I’m with Hunter.”

“So that’s a no then…alright, well, have a seat—what would you like to know?”

“Well, sir…”

“Magnus, please, all my friends call me Magnus.”

“Ok, Magnus,” Skye said hesitantly. “I overheard my parents talking about the locket, and that there are five, and somehow the lockets would release The Drain—none of it made any sense to me; so, when I told Hunter about it, he thought you’d help me understand.”

Magnus turned towards the open expanse that used to be called the Pacific Ocean and said, “the five lockets brought balance to the Earth: air, earth, fire, and water, but the fifth locket that’s the one that would release The Drain,” Magnus said and walked to where his home-based bar is, but he paused—he seemed to want a drink, but he didn’t make one. “The Drain,” he continued, “is a mystical force that is holding the Earth in this watery world because the people had lost hope and love and lived off of greed. The heart-shaped locket would show The Drain that we can live in hope and love,” he sighed and took a seat between Skye and Hunter. After a moment, he said, “The Drain cannot see beyond the lure of the lockets; each member of The Drain holds one of the lockets that give them their power, but if they were to lose the lockets and the heart-shaped locket was to be found, they’d lose their hold on the Earth giving us both the land and the sea once again.”

“Damn, this can’t be—this is beyond surreal, but where did The Drain come from?” Skye asked quizzically.

“They’re angel-like beings the gods left behind to give us the ability to enjoy the elements. But when man decided that living on Earth wasn’t enough, the gods imploded the moon and left us in darkness and drowning the planet.”

“How did you survive,” Skye asked Magnus.

“As a swimmer, I was able to help others out of the water; seeking shelter in the mountains, and because of that heroic act, the gods gave me the longevity of life which will end once the Earth has balance,” he said and watched Skye’s and Hunter’s faces go blank. “You see, it’s both a blessing and curse—the locket has to be found. Although I love being alive and being here to share the stories of the Earth and its former vastness, at some point, even I need to die.”

“Do you know where to find the locket?”

“I have a few friends who have an idea where it is in MidMerica, but none of us is strong enough to get to it.”

“Strong enough, Unc?” Hunter asked.

“Swimmers, the gods have a cruel way of reminding humans that they are both the givers and takers of life. My life, and a few others, is a gift, but I’ve lost my ability to swim, and holding my breath in the depths of MidMerica isn’t in the cards anymore.”

“Skye can do it; she’s an exceptional swimmer—she thinks she’s Simone Manuel.”

“I never said that, Hunter,” Skye said with a bit too much attitude.

“But you can swim like her.”

“I knew Simone,” Magnus said and turned to face Skye, “she was an incredible swimmer, but a better human being; if she or someone like her were still alive, I wouldn’t be here,” Magnus looked at Skye again and thought her frame is too small for this kind of adventure. But he knew Hunter, and if Hunter believed Skye was the answer, then he too would have to believe she was as well. “Skye, are you up for the challenge? Are you willing to risk it all to save the Earth?”

That night after dinner with Magnus and Shalese, Skye thought about what Magnus asked her, and after she packed her bag, she left her parents a note:

Mom and Dad,

I love you! You’re the best parents in the world, but I have a chance to help save the Earth from The Drain. Please don’t send Jayson after me; he should take over my work until I return. It’s not every day a girl gets to save her family and her planet at the same time.

Skye

Skye looked around the room, implanting every image in her mind; her room was specially designed for her with shelves full of archives and books, though worn, she found in her work. She wiped her tears because she’s going to miss home and her family. Skye found Hunter on the way to the docks, and together along with a crew that Magnus hand-picked and they set out to MidMerica. Above anything else, Skye’s greatest fear is encountering the Vandals. The stories about these people who dominated MidMerica were terrifying.

Could she be strong enough to do what is needed?

Could she save the Earth from The Drain?

Regardless of all the questions that Skye had about this venture, she knew she had to try…