The Creatures of the Depths

By Nadia Ng and Man Kay Yim

The hot humid air surrounded them as the sun covered the sandy landscape like a warm blanket. Against the background of feathery swarms of white, the water glimmered in the bright light, splashing onto the warm sand. 

As they stood up and put one foot into the water, they felt the small and smooth sand between their toes and cold relief hit their bodies. As they dove into the calming waters and left the warm floors covered in sand, they floated lifelessly atop the refreshing waters resting.

Daniela dove deep into the waters studying the area as she swam, seeing nothing but colorful coral covering the vast sea floor. Peeking into the immense ocean and noticing a glimpse of bronze color, she headed towards the hue of bronze facing the forgotten tower. She searched for the entryway but instead, she caught a glance of a hatch hidden away under the sand at the side of the crumbling building. She crept towards the door. Creeaakkk- It sounded like someone stepped on a frog. She climbed up, dragging her tense body up the ladder as drops of cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She wondered what could be up the long everlasting ladder that seemed to go on forever.

At last, the top was in sight, she vigorously shook the door that sat atop the tower, but it wouldn't budge. She frantically searched for something to use to get it open, finally coming across a  nearby lamppost, and just as she raised her arm, the door burst open in a fury of cold air. *Woooshhh. The wind collected the water surrounding Daniela as she was enveloped in the intense winds circulating her.

*Poof the room was filled with disorientation and confusion, slimy creatures, in a "V" formation standing before her staring menacingly at her.

The creature at the front bolted past her, a gust of wind pushing her to the hardwood floor and making her hit the ground with a *thump. The rest of the creatures followed the first one. It seemed like the one who had knocked her over was the leader, and she had just made him mad, she thought, as she slowly fell into unconsciousness.

The goopy creatures roamed the ocean floor taking over and ruining the environment around them. Daniela shook awake recollecting her precious memories, her feet as fast as lighting blurring into the scenery, and taking over the entire place, bringing it down.  She had to stop this; she knew that only an ancient book could banish the creatures away. “I have to look for it.” The thought stuck in her mind like glue as she looked around and searched until she found a shipwreck. 

There were a few old rags and fishnets scattered around the deck. She turned, seeing a flash of light peering in from the surface, reflecting at her from what seemed to be a lock. She had discovered an old, scratchy, worn-out chest hidden under a layer of algae and sand that had probably been there for ages before she found it. 

She brushed the algae off the chest and reached in to open it. She tried to lift open the hood of the trunk in hopes that the lock had been rusted in the water for so long but soon realized it wasn’t working. She needed a key. 

She looked around the ship until she saw a suspicious stash of moldy potatoes and carrots in a barrel and dug under it, trying to see if anything was there. She soon grabbed something and pulled her hand out from under the potatoes. It was a key! 

She went on to unlock the treasure chest sliding the key into the keyhole and turning the key and unlocking it; *click* she heard a faint click when she had turned the key, nearly inaudible. She opened the treasure chest desperately longing to know what could be inside

What was inside shocked her, it was a book! Not just any book, it was an ancient book, the exact one she needed!

She hurried away from the wreck and towards the now-dead part of the ecosystems in the ocean, feeling that she could get rid of the monsters and send them back to where they came from. She raised the book, arms trembling, thinking that she would finally be set free from their grasp of them.  With relief washing over her she hoped it would all go away.

 "By the power in me, e profundo pelagi rejicio creaturas omnes!" she yelled. 

The black and gray enchanted cloud lifted above the coral and turned into pitch-black ash. This "ash" started to rapidly twirl above and around Daniela faster than the speed of light. 

"By the power in me, e profundo pelagi rejicio creaturas omnes!" she yelled continuously. 

Soon after, the "ash" started to sprint back to the creatures it came from. A second later, they were as dead and lifeless as they should be. 

Now and forever peace will remain in the depths of the ocean once more… or until they awake…
The end… or is it?...