Writing: Afloat

The idea for this story was inspired by a spider mite infestation in my rubber tree. Upon removing the near microscopic mites (with neem spray and a brush), the plant grew more in 1 week than it had in the preceding 6 months. I was shocked by how much these tiny pests could impact the growth of such a larger organism, and this brought my attention to the numerous other examples in nature including biting flies bothering large mammals (and humans) or various parasitic crustaceans leeching off of whales. Many of these creatures have developed measures to rid themselves of these parasites. For example, scientists believe whales may breach and flipper slap as a way to do so. ...

Saltwater assailed Jun’s nose and eyes as he struggled to orient himself. He flailed for a grip onto something, anything, solid to steady himself. As his chest began to grow tight, he felt a grip around his waist, yanking him forward. Jun broke the surface and breathed in the sweet ocean air. He finally looked around and noticed Alcar holding him and swimming towards the edge of Che’el. Strength slowly returned to Jun’s limbs, but he was far from ready to swim by the time Alcar pushed him onto the island and immediately swam back into the ocean. Jun stared into the sky, chest heaving, and felt the static fade from his mind, replaced by growing recollection. The distant island approached, then… ...

Jun stuffed his things into a knapsack, clothes and food for two full days. Coming back to Che’el, he had hoped to see his family, but he finally came home during a time when they were out. Lira, however, trailed behind him, peppering him with questions. “What’s going on? Where are you headed in such a rush?” “It’s all real, Lira,” Jun responded. “The Erosion is real, and we have to find a way to stop it!” ...

As he read and wrote endless records of island arrivals and departures, Jun kept track of the patterns he noticed. While islands tended to spend a majority of their time away from the Archipelago, both their visits and the times between tended to increase in duration as the islands grew older. Hundreds of years ago, historians discovered that the oldest islands in the Archipelago showed their age through fogged eyes and brittle shells which flaked off keratin constantly. When these islands left, they did so permanently, likely searching out a place to die in solitude. Despite this knowledge, the inhabitants of the aging island Tulora refused to migrate to a younger island when Tulora was preparing to leave. They departed, never to be seen again. ...

The Archipelago had existed since long before the humans upon it began keeping written records. It was centered around a chain of underwater mountains, or seamounts, formed from the fiery eruptions of a pool of magma which seemed to drift along the ocean’s floor over the millenia. Only the tallest seamounts breached the ocean’s surface, but every mount, short or tall, shaped the currents to create a fertile bed of life. ...

When Jun was six years old, he asked his mother Elys where Che’el came from. She wrapped her arms around him and began her tale. “Long ago, before Che’el or any of the islands existed, God came down to visit Earth. The first animals he saw were some tiny baby sea turtles, and so he decided to take on the form of a baby sea turtle so he could join them. God and the sea turtles swam together through shallows and depths, through sea caves and kelp forests, and through the most beautiful coral reefs God had ever seen. They played, ate, and explored, and life with them was wonderful. God decided to stay as a sea turtle with them that night, and the next day, and the day after that. Years went by, and God continued to stay with those sea turtles. ...

It was 247 years ago when humans first came to the island Che’el. Their ancestors came from various islands of the Archipelago, and their descendants spread to many more, but as Che’el drifted, apart from the Archipelago, the humans upon it survived in ecological balance with their island and with the ocean. As the first light rose over the water, Jun rubbed the sleep from his eyes and started gathering his tools. He peeked back into the shelter at his parents as they slept on, curled around his baby sister. She had been restless as of late, so their sleep came during what precious few moments of quiet they could find. Jun tried to sneak out, but he still heard stirring behind him as he left. ...