Free Sentari: ICE by Trevor Booth

Julius dove into the water head first.
    Ariana and Te’oma looked at each other shocked. They thought that Julius had lost his mind. “Come on in. It’s like a relaxing, hot bath,” said Julius.
    Ariana and Te’oma made their way towards the water’s edge, still a little unsure if Julius was playing a prank on them but, sure enough, the water was warm and inviting.
    Julius kept a firm grip on his raft as they swam across the lake. The water was so warm and peaceful that a sense of calmness came over them. This feeling of warmth and comfort was something Ariana and Julius had not felt for a very long time. For Te’oma, it was the first time that he had felt this warm and safe. It was almost as if the water was warming their very souls.
    As they got further into the lake, they began to drift through the water aimlessly. Julius lost his grip on the raft and let it drift away. He floated in the water, blissfully unaware of what had happened.
    Their minds began to wander. Suddenly their purpose for crossing the lake seemed unimaginable. The more their minds relaxed, the more they sank into the water, until they were completely submerged. Their eyes closed and their minds turned off as they drifted through the crystal lake.
    Julius and Ariana drifted deeper and deeper into the illusion, their minds taken to where they were most happy. For Ariana it was with her family in their pool, for Julius it was in the arms of the woman he loved.
    Te’oma’s mind wandered back to his earliest memory. He lay on a thick woollen blanket on the floor of his parents’ old wood cabin. He was only three years old. His mother was making funny faces at him. Her eyes were so bright and full of life, her smile lit up the room. Te’oma felt a warmth that he had forgotten. He laughed and laughed until his sides began to hurt, then he laughed some more.
    Gaia glowed like an angel. She took Te’oma by the hand, her eyes piercing through to his very soul. “You must wake up,” she said. Te’oma just smiled back at her, so captivated was he by her warmth.
    The walls to the cabin began to rumble and creak. Gaia got up and slowly stepped away from Te’oma. Her smile started to fade as a tear rolled down her face. Te’oma reached out to her, “Mother, please,” he said.
    “You must wake up, my son,” said Gaia.
    Suddenly, water burst through the walls and wood flew everywhere. Gaia and Te’oma were engulfed by the deluge. The water levels rose higher and higher as Te’oma desperately tried to keep his head above it.
    The water reached the top of the cabin. Te’oma held his breath as he was submerged. Gaia stood before him. She was relaxed. She took his hand and looked deep into his eyes. In his mind he heard her voice, “You must wake up!”
    Te’oma’s eyes opened. He suddenly realised he was in the crystal lake. He looked around and, to his shock, there were dozens and dozens of people and animals of all kinds floating in the water.
    Te’oma swam to the surface and gasped for air. He looked around but could not see Ariana or Julius. He ducked back under the water and frantically swam around. There were so many faces down there, some of them were old and wrinkled, their skin soft from years of being in the water.
    A glimmer of light from deep in the water caught the corner of Te’oma’s eye. He swam down towards it, pushing away the floating bodies that blocked his path. Behind them was Ariana; her necklace was reflecting the sunlight. Te’oma grabbed her and pulled her up to the surface.
    She did not wake up. Te’oma dragged her to the edge of the lake and pulled her up onto the dirt. He turned around and looked for Julius. He saw the raft that Julius had made, floating not far from the shore. He dove back into the water and out to the raft. Te’oma went under and, to his enormous relief, Julius floated below the raft. Te’oma dragged him and their supplies to the shore.
    Ariana started to cough and splutter. She sat up and