Never Ending Story: Part 2 -- A Vision

Traveling at night provided the octopus the cover of darkness to keep him hidden from predators. During daylight, he hid in crannies within the reef and restlessly slept. His dreams were unsettled; the recurring lyric continued to stir up memories which briefly flashed and disappeared. He could not connect the images with any specific memory. And, yet, each image seemed familiar, seemed to come from some shared distant past. It was exhausting to focus on the images, and he fell into a deep untroubled sleep.

As he approached the shore, the shallower water provided him less protection. And the water was tainted with men spoil – debris, oil, dead sea life and a smell that tasted of metal, blood and unsanitary conditions. Hiding was more difficult, and the constant boat traffic overhead stirred up the lifeless bottom. He felt unclean, and his fears began to rise.  He found an abandoned pier; its collapsed timbers provided some protection.  He was not far from the bright lights and the song was very strong. Its vibrations tingled across his body. So familiar, so heart-warming, and yet it could not be placed.

Suddenly, an apparition appeared! A diver was gliding along the sea bottom, spearfish gun in hand, head turning from side to side, seeking prey. The octopus coiled up as tightly as possible, his body assuming the colors of the background. Controlling his breathing he awaited the diver’s approach. The diver stopped and looked straight at the octopus. His gaze was unrelenting.  Then, he slowly turned away and swam farther down the coastline. The octopus remained stationery; he knows predators wait for movement and attack quickly. This waiting game is usually won by the octopus; this time he prevailed again.

Soon, it would be dark, and the octopus will move closer to the bright lights and source of the song. Resting deep beneath the pier, he calmed himself, pushing his fears away and rested.  He felt these next steps will be the most challenging of his life. His family history spoke of strong leaders who guided the family through many challenges and dangers. Was this his moment?

He had heard stories about his grandfather and other relatives who traveled great distances, overcoming horrific odds and dangers, to populate new reefs and establish new lives. They had fought battles with other sea creatures, tended their family needs, dressed their wounds and rebuilt their lives wherever they could find shelter. He dwelt on the stories and learnings he had been taught. Briefly, an image begins to arise in his memory – a feminine creature.  A long storied and never seen creature.

No, that was a figment of his imagination and part of stories created by his ancestors to explain phenomena that could not be explained.  He quickly pushed the image from his mind, and began to prepare for the next leg of his journey. Slowly, he unraveled and slide silently across the channel’s bottom, moving around anchors and debris and moving up the channel. The noise rose higher and higher, and the song continued.  However, there were periods where it stopped – he wondered why.  Carefully, he surfaced across the channel and viewed the pier where everyone was gathered.