There’s Something About the Fountain

Tuesday, 27 April 2021

I know it's ridiculous for two young men to make a pack about not seeing two hot women who are so willing to give themselves, but our cheers to self-control and preservation were for inner peace. It didn't feel right to always succumb to our physical needs just because the option was there. It didn't feel right to use someone's unequivocal sex invite to satisfy ourselves and achieve that momentary happiness, knowing that there was no intention to take responsibility for it in the future. Justin and I are young, but not dumb. And certainly not ready to be controlled by women.

My bonding with Justin didn't end shortly after dinner as it normally ends. We shared more thoughts, mostly about food, then watched our favorite TV shows such as Friends, and The Modern Family which we both love to watch because they crack us up. After consuming more chips and Coke than we should have, we wrapped up our bonding moment by nine. My tummy felt so bloated as I rode my bike away from Justin's place and towards the church.

It was such a wonderful late evening with the street lights illuminating my path, and the quiet night clearing my thoughts of the mix of hatred and guilt that I felt for Serena. I love riding my bike around at night. Because as opposed to the wind that accompanied the summer heat in the morning and afternoon, the cold evening breeze felt so refreshing.

I arrived at the church gate and opened it just wide enough for me and the bike to go through, then made the sign of the cross when I passed by the church, even though it was close at that time. I circled around in my bike and as soon as I reached the back area of the church, I just dragged my bike along with me instead of riding it because it was an easier way to go into the small forest. Without that small crab that brought me to the fountain before, I almost got lost, but I successfully found it by following the light coming from the lamp posts that illuminated the fountain. I was all smiles and cute dimples when I found myself facing the fountain. "It's beautiful!" I took my book from the front basket of my bike then laid the bike on the grass.

Mesmerized, I touched the cast stone seat of the fountain and sat while appreciating the continuous flow of water coming from the tiers around it. Then, I eagerly opened License to Quill, the sequel to The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy by Jacopo della Quercia. It's a funny historical fiction that follows the story of Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Though the book contains many references to actual events, the character profiles were fictionalized to fit the plot and atmosphere, but Jacopo made sure that the names, designations, and personalities of the renowned persons were preserved.

I couldn't put the book down, so by 11:30pm, I was still happily reading and laughing at some parts. The night was so bright that even without the lamp posts around the fountain, I still would've been able to read. When I looked up, I realized that it was because of the full moon. It radiated directly to the fountain as if it were the only reason for its existence. By 11:31pm, I had to stop reading because I was sensing a different vibe that I couldn't understand. Then, just like magic, the fountain's water basin that initially looked like a mix of blue and green, suddenly turned purple. My jaw dropped at the transformation because not only did the water turn purple, there were purple lights shining through, and it seemed like they were coming from inside the fountain. Whatever was underneath it, or whatever was inside the fountain, it was producing the brightest and most beautiful shades of purple, making the entire place surrounding the fountain look so purple as well. "What is happening?" Even I looked purple when I checked my hands. It felt magical, but at the same time, there was a part of me that was scared at the mysterious occurrence.

Then, as if the entire place turning purple wasn't odd enough, the sudden rising of the water from the fountain's basin had surprised me, so I instantly hopped and stepped back. My eyes grew wider and wider as the purple water seemed to have a life of its own, swirling flawlessly in circles around the fountain, then moving upward as it continued to swirl. My eyes followed it as it went way, way, way up. Really high up that I had to step back more because I couldn't tilt back my head and neck for as much as I needed. I was too surprised and mesmerized that I was just frozen there with my mouth wide open as my eyes continued to follow the swirling purple water. Then, without a warning, it came down really fast, that I didn't even anticipate that the water's direction was towards me. I just stood there and couldn't move as if my reflexes had disappeared. The next thing I know, the purple water swallowed me and took me inside the fountain. I couldn't for the life of me, do anything, so I was taken without resistance, not knowing why and where it would take me. It felt like I was being pulled way, way, down. And oddly, I could still breathe even when I was inside the moving purple water. With much determination, I tried to move my arms and legs to swim, but it seemed like my body had really stopped responding the minute the water swallowed me.

I thought it would take forever for that magical, but very frightening journey to God knows where. When it finally slowed down, I realized that I was surrounded, or rather, I was under a body of water; a purple sea! Then, I heard voices as if they were echoes. It seemed like a group of voices were responding to a more solid voice of a woman. The water that held me captive popped up, as if I were inside this really big balloon with water. When I got out of it, I fell and the impact made me roll towards the voices. I just kept on rolling with my eyes closed because I was scared. Then, I felt like I bumped into something, or someone, which halted me from rolling, and I strongly felt that something had been placed on my head. When I opened my eyes, I was stunned at the huge group of people. No, not people. They looked half-human, half sea creatures! They were mermaids! And I was at center of them all, facing an old, but beautiful glittering mermaid who put something on my head! Out of surprise, she stepped back, and when I turned on my right side, another beautiful and possibly the fairest mermaid of all, looked as shocked as the one who put something on my head. She scowled at me with wide eyes and said, "That's my crown!"

"Uhm…what?"

"That's my crown!!!"

I touched this heavy and uncomfortable thing on my head and held it to my face. It was a golden crown that the old beautiful glittering mermaid put on my head. I studied my surrounding, and the faces of the many creatures behind the old mermaid who seemed to be the leader. Then, I realized something bizarre and yet, it was the most fathomable explanation to what just happened. The old beautiful glittering mermaid in front me must be a queen mermaid, and the scowling angry mermaid on my right must be a princess, and I just stumbled into a coronation, but then the queen accidentally crowned me instead of the princess. Holy shit! What kind of world is this???

"You!!!!!!! You stole my crown!!!" The fairest-looking mermaid said this hurtful accusation to me with such an angry face.

I was about to hand the crown over to her, but then it suddenly shrunk and transformed into a golden bracelet, then wrapped itself on my wrist. "Oh no, what just happened?!" I suddenly felt a very strong force running through my veins and my entire body, as if I was being electrocuted. "I swear to God, I have no idea about what's happening!"

She swiftly swam towards me, aggressively held my arm up, and shouted right to my face, "GIVE ME BACK MY CROWN!!!"