Full of the secrets of the world, the sea whispered to Cadmus. It beckoned and he followed, waves crashing all around him as he rose from the sandy bank. Cadmus pushed away a tangled lock of curls as he approached the crushing waves. He was hungry; hungry for the knowledge that only dreams could provide.
In a solid movement, Cadmus was catapulted into the leadened depths. His arms propelled him forward with confident strokes against the raging sea. Minutes melted into hours as he swam forward. His neverending thoughts stilled to nothingness as they centered upon one feeling and emotion: calm.
As if speaking to him, the waves of the sea broke, pooling into a solid stream of water that carried him forward. In an instant, the water poured into nothingness and Cadmus found himself standing on the bank of an empty cove. He called out into the chamber, his words lost to his dreamworld. The sea called back to him, whispering a single word into the hall, “Come.” And then another, “Cadmus.” He stumbled upon a colorful ladder of coral within the cave. Then there was a startling silence as ribbons of anemones, flowers, and grass swam upwards towards a platform of limestone.
Upon it, a girl lay deep in slumber -- chestnut hair spiraling around her as if crowned by the very sea that led him to her.
He always found her. For as long as he could remember, the sea had always led him to this strange dream girl. Yet tonight -- for the first time -- she wasn’t merely a wisp in the wind but fully corporeal. Even from a distance, Cadmus could make out her auburn hair and the delicate freckles that lined her nose. He had to get to her, had to reach her.
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Heart racing, Cadmus began to climb; but, with each step, a new rung of colorful coral fell into place. No matter how far he climbed or how quickly he pulled his body forward, the girl only grew further and further away. She was lost to the very dreamworld that he had created.
“Please,” he shouted, his cries evaporating before they were even formed. “Don’t go!” His cries were scarcely a whisper.
He could barely make out the outline of her amber eyes fluttering open. She had heard him. He was sure of it! Only, she responded with a sharp shriek -- a very real shriek -- that pierced right through him and shook the cavern’s walls.
The cries grew louder until the cave collapsed entirely and they were fed back into the sea. Crushing waves drew them in as Cadmus thrashed and tumbled within their depths. He reached for her but she was nowhere and everywhere. Finally, Cadmus was spat back onto the beach while the girl was lost to the endless depths of the ocean; The only recollection of her within his dream, her earth-shattering cries.
In an instant, the sand disappeared and he awoke seizing his satin sheets. One word was on his lips: “Fuck.”