T is for Tale: the second tale - Part 4

My sincere apologies on this post being late, it was written, it was saved, it was not posted. Errands are no excuse for such a lack of decorum. So I quickly post this now and ask for your forgiveness, though you may not be many to read it, you are a great bunch for doing so. Sorry for the shortness as well....


--- It was a long dark shape and as the rope was completely pulled away a low groan echoed through the waters. Read watched in horror as the water behind the shadow started twirling frantically in all directions and the giant slab of metal crept forth. ---

  "What's it doing?" he asked in horror.
  "You don't worry about that." Pock said, "You worry about the creatures that live on top of it."
  "On top? There are things living on that beast?" Read watched the metal ship move, wondering how the contraption that had only ever been a home for his friend was suddenly able to swim. 
  They hurriedly swam across the water, moving away from the giant thing and found themselves entering a field of boulders. Read bounced from boulder to boulder and found a nice hole to crawl into and feel safe for a moment. Pock swam in lazy circles around the break in the rocks to keep his friend safe.
  "It might be a good idea to talk to the birds." Pock said .
  "Birds?"
  "They are animals that swim in the sky. They call it flying." Pock explained, "They are the ones that swim with the clouds like in your dream."
  "We need to find some!" Read piped up.
  "They'll be near land." Pock said, "If we keep swimming with these rocks we'll come close to an island."
  "Island?"
  "It's ground, like the bottom of the ocean, but where the water is replaced by air." Pock explained.
  Read's mind reeled at the very thought of it. A giant expanse of land like the bottom of the sea but without water, without swimming, just full of air and birds. He couldn't imagine anything that sounded more freeing. To be able to sail through the sky and still be on the ground like his home. He had been worried he would never see it again when Pock kept swimming upwards.
  "We'll rest today. Tomorrow we will look for land."

  Read spent the night dreaming of clouds and of sharks flying in the sky.

 To be continued...