A Boy, A Cave, And About A Billion And One Starfish.

• Mia Specia, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

"STOP!" Max shouted from behind, just as Alex's feet became one with the ocean's tongue. Ice cold water surged around him, and shot needles through him.

Both what he saw next and what he felt is not easily described. A kaleidoscope of blinding colour danced around him and seeped into his body, transforming into a ebullient, colourful emotion that Alex had never felt before.

Every colour was there. Swallowing black, dazzling silver, frivolous pink. The cave was no longer than 50 metres wide, and it stretched back to what seemed to go on forever. Starfish lit up the cave like fireflies, with colours brighter than the most blinding lights.

The cold piercing water that had first greeted him was gone now. It was replaced with warm, inviting water which tasted sweet to the tongue. Everything about the cave was sweet, terribly sweet, to a point where it almost seemed bitter.

Alex wondered where to start exploring. He chose a spot where a particularly large cluster of lime green starfish laid and swum up to it in euphoric perplexity. His thoughts were clouded entirely by the wonder which cloaked his thoughts.

He didn't think twice when he felt a surge of water behind him, and he didn't flinch when the light started to drain from the cave. He didn't feel the water around him run cold, and he didn't notice the bitter taste that filled his mouth.

What he did notice, was the lime green starfish in his hand turn brown.

And that was the last thing he could remember.

When Alex came to, his hospital room was full of people. In a way, there were 7 billion people in his room. Cameras angled themselves towards him from different places and reporters scribbled with menace into notebooks full of words. The whole room fell silent as Alex began to move.

He watched the blobs of colour and shape stare at him and wondered why they looked so thunderstruck. He sat up and stared into each and every one of the reflective lights that were fastened to their heads. Minutes went by, and nothing was said, as cameras stared and people didn't breathe.

Until a brave hand appeared from in front of Alex, holding a mirror.

Alex began to shake. He gripped the bars on his bed and tensed his muscles. A low gurgling came from the pit of his stomach and he thrust his hand at the mirror, which fell off the edge of an invisible waterfall and shattered the silence.

The people in the room began to step back, their faces red in shock. Alex rattled their room and shook their emotions. He looked as if there was something inside of him that was trying to get out. It gurgled and spat, fighting desperately to claim control of him. His mouth (or whatever you would call it) spat out a sound that was barely recognisable as a voice.

'S-s-s-s-s-tarfish' the creature gasped. 'Staaaarrrfiisshhh.'