I’m excited to share this latest short story with you. I drew inspiration from a prompt Winston Malone posted in his The Storyletter newsletter. The prompt invited writers to create a flash fiction story, or a poem, based on the concept of exploring the unknown. Beneath a Darkened Reef is the result of inspiration from that prompt.

The Storyletter

Storyletter Prompt: Exploring the Unknown

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a month ago · 16 likes · 3 comments · Winston Malone

Check out the link above to see other stories and poems exploring the unknown.

Kaia never expected new coral to be so colorful up close.

Shades of green, blue, and red blended into a vibrant and beautiful mosaic. She instinctively reached out to touch the reef. Her fingertips stopped short of grazing the stony creatures. Kaia remembered her ocean etiquette. Coral reefs must be admired from a distance like fish swimming behind glass in an aquarium.

Touching reefs harmed the coral.

“Can you hear me?” An anxious voice crackled in her ear. “Are you okay down there?”

Kaia's brown eyes sparkled with amusement. Her oxygen mask concealed an equally amused grin. Jack worried too much for his own good. But that trait also made him an excellent guide. His gruff demeanor faded into a fatherly care once she boarded his boat.

Kaia gave a thumbs up to a tiny headband camera on her forehead. The mask muffled her words. Not that it mattered. Jack would never catch anything she said while so deep underwater.

“Awesome,” her guide said. “Give the line a tug if you run into trouble.”

Bubbles flew around Kaia's face and her black hair fluttered as she plunged deeper. Sunlight penetrating the ocean's surface faded and surrounding water grew colder. Kaia shivered and pressed forward, determined to find the mysterious creature which the oceanography institute detected a couple of nights earlier.

She jumped at the chance to don a wet suit and oxygen tank and dive down beyond the reef's boundaries to shed more light on this discovery. Secrets concealed in the ocean's depths beckoned with their siren call. A thirst for exploration formed part of her DNA.

She loved few things more than unraveling a compelling mystery.

“We're picking up something on sonar,” Jack's voice pierced the surrounding water’s stillness. “I can't describe it.”

Kaia's eyes trailed through darkened water. A massive shadow moved among a legion of shadows. An eerie calm settled over her.

“Whatever is down there is … huge. Be careful.”

Hearing hesitation in his voice didn't inspire confidence. Her heart raced as the larger shadow separated from the others and coalesced into a more defined animal shape.

What are you?

That lone question penetrated Kaia's mind and absorbed all other thoughts like a sponge. Tentacles sprang out from the shadowy creature, reaching out like wriggling fingers. In one fluid wave-like motion, it darted toward her.

Fear surged through Kaia.

What do I do?

Bubbles from her mask floated up before her face. Kaia tried to push out panicky impulses. Avoid sudden movements. This creature's swiftness exceeded her own. Besides, rising to the surface too fast risked creating nitrogen bubbles and a nasty case of decompression sickness. Kaia did not want to relive such a nightmarish experience a second time.

Stay calm. Swim away slowly.

The sea creature quickly eliminated fleeing as an option.

One tentacle wrapped around her lower back. Another rounded her shoulder blades. Each one drew her closer. Her mask muffled screams. Kaia kicked her legs and struggled against tentacles pulling her torso downward. Resistance proved hopeless. No normal human could match the creature’s strength and power.

Did Jack feel a tug on the lifeline? Was he aware of the perilous situation facing her?

Two tentacles pressed against Kaia's head — one connecting with each temple. A luminous burst chased away remnant shadows veiling the sea creature. It resembled a glowing octopus with a quasi-humanoid facial structure. An unidentified cephalopod species. Two giant eyes with massive pupils settled on Kaia.

Hundreds of images flooded her mind. None were random. Each one wove together with the next to tell a complete story.

The images revealed a smaller translucent cephalpod swimming toward a giant floating garbage patch. Larger cephalpods warned the smaller one to stay away. Tragedy struck while it innocently roamed through floating garbage. A toxin infected the young creature. Only a few moments passed before a lifeless body sank back into the depths.

Emotions bombarded Kaia as rapidly as the images. Grief. Anger. Loneliness. All originating from the cephalpod encircling her. New thoughts and feelings entered her mind when the images ceased. A chill raced down her spine.

The cephalpod finally withdrew its tentacles and swam from her sight. Shock numbed Kaia as she climbed through blue waters and resurfaced alongside the boat.

“You gave me a scare.” Concern permeated Jack's stubble covered face and clear blue eyes as he helped her climb back on the boat. “Where did you go?”

Kaia removed her mask and slipped off her oxygen tank. She pulled off her goggles and headband camera and cast the goggles aside on the deck. She studied the camera for a moment before shooting him a puzzled look.

"Didn't you see anything on my video feed?" 

Jack shook his head. 

"Your camera cut out," he said. "Sent back nothing but static. What happened?"

Kaia stared unblinking at her guide, uncertain of how to answer his question.

“Nothing.” Kaia paused and licked her lips while searching for the right words. “I got tangled up for a moment. I'm good now.”

His lips twisted into a crooked frown.

“Are you sure? You seem kind of rattled.”

Her eyes darted to the spot where she dived earlier.

“Everything is fine. Let's just go back to land.”

What was she supposed to tell him? Without video evidence, Jack would dismiss her words as a lunatic’s ramblings if she divulged exactly what happened with the cephalpod. Kaia wished her ordeal originated from the dark corners of a hysterical mind. Those final shared thoughts and emotions would haunt her less.

Legions of other creatures stayed hidden during their encounter. The one who spoke to her mind also acted as a voice for the others. A single purpose unified them following the tragedy. They crafted a perfect solution to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again.

The cephalpods planned to rise from the ocean as one and cull the species who created the toxic garbage patch.

Did you enjoy this tale of oceanic horror? Share it with your family and friends and encourage them to subscribe to Strange New Worlds to receive other original stories, poems, and articles. And don’t forget to check out my other horror stories. Pandora Reborn, In Hell’s Shadow, and Hiding from Shadows are available at booksellers worldwide.