FSE

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The river sparkled like a million diamonds, each brilliance capturing the reflection of the hanging deep-yellow moon low in the violet sky. From the trees, a few monkeys chittered and squeaked as they moved from branch to branch, seeking out a late-evening snack of cheremoya. From the weeds closeby, the snort of a wild pig broke the calm rhythm of the river's current as it sloshed up onto the bank, blotting out moment by moment the light-brown sands etched with shells and pebbles.

Alana breathed deeply of the warm night air as she stood naked overlooking the river. She loved it here - there was no question the river was her favorite part about being in the Philippine jungles. In the daytime she would join her brothers Leonsio and Jesu in the fields, harvesting fruits and vegetables (and receiving sweet sugar cane for a treat), gathering food for her people. But the nighttime brought out not only the mystery of the darkness, but also its beauty.

Barely sixteen, Alana was already well on her way to becoming a most beautiful woman. Her dark brown eyes regarded the waters for a few moments as she rested a small hand against a tree, content to listen to the sounds of the night. Her long waist-length hair hung freely, a cascading raven waterfall, the tips brushing against her bare buttocks. Her legs were smooth, shapely, strong from her many days of hiking, climbing and working. Her skin was smooth and brown, kissed by the sun from head to foot, with neither a blemish or freckle to mar it.

She reached up on her toes to grab a section of hanging vine from the nearby tree. This was her favorite part of the river - being able to swing down from the hill about ten feet high in the air, and push out towards the middle of the river, where she could then let go and drop. She smiled and stepped back a few paces, getting a strong push on the vine, then grabbed tightly and swung out over the river. She laughed softly, imagining herself as "Tarzan", the legendary ape-man that she and her friends had been reading about during day school in the village.

Swinging out towards the center of the river, she yelled and took a deep breath as she let go of the vine, splashing into the river feet-first. The warm crystal water closed over her head and she immediately opened her eyes, swimming underwater a few feet. She startled a crowd of late-gathering fishes, scattering them with her arms and legs. It was so lovely underwater. She longed to be one of these colorful fish, able to swim about, to dive and frolic, never needing to refill her lungs at the surface.

Presently that need began to weigh upon her and she broke off from her beautiful surroundings, kicking upwards. Her long hair shimmered and sparkled as she surfaced and gasped, her heart beating a bit fast. After getting her breath, she turned over onto her back, gracefully backstroking across the surface, using her legs to kick outwards instead of flutter-kick.

The moonlight surrounded her, a veritable spotlight from Heaven. Smiling to herself, she did a back flip, diving underwater a few feet and stroking powerfully with her arms. A trail of bubbles escaped her mouth as she swam beneath the water. Her gaze lowered to the depths below her and fear tugged at her. She had never been very deep in the river - her brothers Leonsio and Jesu had once considered showing her how to dive, and how to stay underwater longer, but she had declined. She was still very timid since her last encounter with the deep.

That had been a very frightening ordeal. A boy named Edilberto, nicknamed Ado, had taken a liking to Alana when she was about 12, and it had been decided they would marry at the given time. Ado was deeply infatuated with Alana, and would swim with her often. Once, while they were playing in the river, he had grabbed at her legs to pull her down. But instead of the romantic, playful Alana he had hoped would embrace him, he was fearful to see Alana fight back at him and struggle. Unable to break free from one another, Alana and Ado tumbled downwards into the deep river. Had Leonsio not come to their rescue, they would have wrestled themselves to the very bottom of the river, become trapped, and drowned. Alana had no idea how deep they had been - she remembered only that she was screaming, bubbles were everywhere, and her ears were in terrible pain.

Looking down into the crystal blue depths now, Alana was unable to ascertain the bottom of the river, even as much as the moonlight's rays attempted to break through. The feeling of vertigo slammed into her just then and she burbled!, her breath leaving her in a frightened cry of bubbles as she kicked hard at the water and swam back to the surface. She filled her lungs again, shaking all over, suddenly very frightened and nervous, and struggled to swim towards shallower waters. Once at the shore, she crawled up onto the sand, shivering and immediately cold. She realized she was crying softly, the freshwater droplets of the river mingling with her tears as they ran down her face.

She looked back at the water, wiping her eyes with an unsteady hand. It was now suddenly very onimous and silent, a few rippled waves lapping at the sand the only sign that there had been a visitor here. She looked up at the full moon, tears still dripping from her eyes. Even it had lost its glow, hidden now behind a few low-flying clouds. The jungle was darker now - and perhaps a bit more dangerous.

Quickly Alana found her banana-leaf skirt and tied it around herself. Casting a final glance at the river, she made the short climb to the top of the hill and started for home and a dreamless sleep in her hut.

--

"You have not eaten, Alana," observed her mother Fausta the next morning.

Alana nodded and brushed her finger against her cheremoya, picking at the skin. "I'm sorry...I did not sleep well last night," she answered in her native Tagalog.

Fausta's smile touched her dark eyes. "Perhaps that is because you swim so late..."

The girl looked up from the wooden table curiously.

"Oh yes," her mother chuckled, placing dishes into a basin, "I know of your night wanderings."

"She cannot sleep like everyone else," snorted her older brother Leonsio, "All night I hear her splashing in that river. And yelling like Tarzan."

Jesu laughed. "She is king of the jungle now, ha?"

Alana ignored her brothers' cajoling and got up from the table to help Fausta. "I go there to swim because I like it there."

"Well, can't you go in daylight, when the jungle is not so dark? I have fear for you when you swim late at night. If something were to happen to you, Leonsio would not know to come for you."

Her mother's last sentence stinged her. Ever since Leonsio had rescued her and Ado from the river's depths, there had been no end of it. Whenever she had to go on her own into the neighboring fields, Leonsio would be beside her to watch over her. When day school was over and she walked home, Leonsio would be by her side once more. Even swimming in the river with the other village children, Leonsio would sit on top of the hill and keep an eye on her - especially if Ado joined her. But Ado usually stayed away from her when she swam these days, having already found another girl for his playing and fun.

"I am always fine in the river at night." Alana protested gently. "I am safe there, the moonlight protects me." That much was true. Water snakes and wild pigs did not venture too often where there was light. Where the moon cast its light on the surface, snakes usually swam away, preferring the dark mud by the shores.

"You were not fine last night. Why were you crying?" her mother asked, turning to her.

"I...I was just afraid of a shadow, that was all. Walking home...I thought I saw something. But it was just a monkey. it still startled me." Alana hoped that her explanation sounded sincere.

Fausta nodded, giving her a stern look just the same. "I think I should let Leonsio look after you if you decide to swim again. These wanderings at night are not safe, you know that."

"Mother, please..." Leonsio moaned from the table, getting up. "I cannot watch over her every second. And I must sleep at night because I am up before everyone else gathering food in the morning."

Alana looked thankful to her brother. "Yes, please? I like to go at night because no one is there to bother me. I need time alone sometimes."

Fausta sighed and shook her head. "Being alone is not always a good thing. Especially in the jungle at night. I don't want you to swim any more at night without someone."

"Mother, please, I will be fine."

Fausta looked at her daughter and ran her hand through the girl's long hair. "Alana, our village has lost many already in the past year from the sickness." The sickness was a deadly form of pneumonia and for the last year and a half, it had decimated the village population to nearly half. "I just pray to God every day that nothing happens to you."

Alana's eyes filled with tears, remembering how some of her own friends had become sick and had died. She could understand her mother's fears all too well - the same fears she had, the gnawing dread of the unknown depths below her in the river.

--

Going against her family, Alana snuck from her hut and padded to the river, removing her clothes. She stopped herself from using the vine and carefully made her way down the hill to the river's edge. She looked around her, noticing the moonlight reflecting on the surface, and padded into the shallows, careful not to make too much noise splashing.

When she was chest-deep, she took a breath, planted her feet on the bottom and swam down, brushing the bottom of the river and swimming slowly forwards until she was in water she could not touch bottom with her toes. She lifted herself again and slowly surfaced, making as little noise as possible. She did not fear getting caught as much as the fear that she might indeed run into another visitor in the river. One that would not hesitate to bite her - or worse.

She gazed all around her at the wide-open river and breathed deeply. She was perfectly content again, the fears and the stings from that morning's conversation already washing from her as she swam slowly on the surface, breastroking and kicking her strong legs. She reached the center of the river again, at what she assumed was its deepest point, and dove downwards a few feet, swimming through the crystal water. More fish had congregated close by her legs, and a few kicks from her feet brought them around her, suddenly darting and diving away into the waters below.

Alana did not even follow their movements, seeking only air again, and she angled her body and kicked back up to the surface for a breath. She flipped over onto her back to swim again, her eyes nearly closing against the beautiful moon shining above her.

Suddenly she felt her head bump something, and heard a startled sound followed by some splashing. Terrified, Alana spun around, gasping and nearly choking back the urge to scream. Instantly she imagined any moment to feel the strong arms of Ado around her legs, to grab and pull her, screaming and bubbling, into the dark depths of the river.

What she saw instead made her eyes bulge, and a quick giggle escaped her. "Oh my God, you scared me, little one..." she whispered, smiling and looking at her new-found swimming companion.

It was an otter, churring questioningly back at her, nearly nose-to-nose with her now. It gazed back at her with curious deep-brown eyes and churrred again, a light almost-purring sound coming from its mouth.

Alana laughed softly, staying perfectly still, treading water. It was certainly not unusual to see otters in the river, but this one was very different. It was larger than others she had seen basking in the sun by the riverbed, and it was also oddly colored - not dirty brown but more a silky, luxurious tan-gold color. Its body was sleek and lithe, about three feet long from nose to tail. Its whiskers twitched now and then, and its tiny ears seemed to wiggle about.

"You are certainly a handsome otter," Alana found herself saying, "Are you here to swim with me?"

She was surprised to hear an answering "churrr" followed by a light sneeze, and she laughed again, "I assume that means you will. Come, follow me."

She turned around and breastroked slowly across the surface. She looked behind her, not expecting the otter to follow her, but was surprised to see that it had indeed, and was swimming beside her, using its thick tail to propel itself. She laughed softly and the two swimmers made their way around the river slowly. Reaching the middle of the river again, Alana dove underwater again, stroking downwards a few feet before opening her eyes. The otter surprisingly followed down too, swimming around her kicking legs and following her.

She turned her head to watch the grace and beauty of the otter as it flipped and twirled and dove around her. It swam up to her and touched noses, churrring a trail of bubbles before going off again. Alana nearly laughed underwater, lost in the sensation of watching this adorable creature show off for her. She watched as the otter then did a straight dive, fluttering its tail and stroking out of sight into the depths below. Following its movements with her eyes as long as she could, she was again terrified of the deep water she was in, and quickly let her air out in a rush, kicking the few feet back to the surface and gasping.

She coughed as some water ran down her throat, and rubbed her eyes clear, turning around her for any sign of her new friend. It was nowhere to be seen. Alana had no idea how long otters could stay underwater. She knew they were hardly like fishes, but knew from the locals of the village that they were powerful swimmers.

She waited for a long time before a shape appeared before her and the otter surfaced, puffing its fat cheeks and spitting water from its mouth.

"There you are, you monkey..." Alana breathed a sigh of relief, surprised to find herself stroking its nose with her hand. The otter did not pull away, but seemed instead to come closer, nuzzling her hand and churrring. Alana was now incredulous. Otters NEVER allowed this! She giggled, continuing to nuzzle back at the otter, trying to imitate its silky churrring sound.

Suddenly the otter turned away and, arching its body, dove below again.

"Hey...wait.. wait..." Alana begged, but the tail had already disappeared. She took a deep breath and dove down after it. Again she swam down only a few feet, scanning about her for the otter. She was worried; she had found a wonderful playmate in the river, and she could not even keep up with it! Tentatively she kicked her smooth legs and propelled herself down a few more feet, feeling her ears suddenly pop. She gave a bubbled cry and kicked back upwards again, intent on getting air.

And then she felt something at her legs.

She wildly looked below her, and saw her otter friend swimming around her legs back and forth, snorting bubbles from its nostrils. It looked up at her and churrred. Alana smiled in spite of herself, and slowly sank back down, reaching the level she had been before, roughly twelve feet underwater. With a quick movement, she plugged at her nostrils, feeling the blocking of her ears settle again. The otter churrred and swam around her body, its thick tail brushing against her skin now and then. Alana shivered in spite of the warmth of the water, feeling the touch from the otter extremely soft, comforting.

Without going back for air, she sank down and swam below the otter, swimming and twirling with it, trying her best to follow all of its movements. Her long hair floated and splayed around her, and she giggled bubbles as the otter swam right through it, then spun around and dove below her. Lost in this incredible feeling, Alana never hesitated. She dove deeply down, kicking her legs powerfully behind her, following the beautiful otter through the depths, not even feeling the tightness beginning in her lungs, or the pressures building on top of her from the depths of the water. Her eyes looked around her, suddenly not fearing the reefs and weeds waving around her, but marveling and wanting to explore them.

She swam towards a jumble of large rocks, finding a place where her toes could rest, and examined the reef curiously. The otter swam towards her, nuzzling its warm muzzle against her neck, and she tittered again, playfully pushing the curious nose away. She suddenly noticed, with a bit of fear, that the surface above her was far away. Fear took over her and she pushed off the reef, letting air from her mouth slowly as she ascended to the top, gasping hard for breath. She had no idea how long or how deep underwater she had been, but suddenly felt the growing need to dive again.

Taking an extra lungful of air she dove straight down this time, pointing her toes and strongly kicking with her legs. The waters grew colder and darker as she descended deeper and deeper, past twenty, thirty, forty, fifty feet. She spotted her furry friend not far below her, somersaulting and spinning about, happily snorting bubbles and swaying its tail. She kicked her way smoothly downwards, and was surprised to see the bottom of the river looming ahead of her. Without hesitating, she swam the rest of the way down, clinging to rocks on the bottom and steadying herself.

The otter swam towards her, seeming to churr a bit louder and again touched noses with her. Alana smiled and lightly brushed her hand through its short pelt. She stayed on the bottom as long as she could, completely enthralled with the beauty and silence around her, slowly kicking her legs behind her as she hung there, suspended in bubbles. The nervous tickle in her lungs began to grow, becoming a sharp pang, and she turned around, did a somersault and pushed off the bottom with her feet, rising slowly back to the surface, once more blowing air from her lungs as the pressure became less tightening and the water was again bathed in moonlight.

She gasped as she reached the surface, just as the otter too reached the surface in front of her and puffed and spat. She laughed and carefully slipped her arms around the otter. Again, instead of shying away, the otter let the girl hold him in her arms a moment. He churrrrrred happily and rubbed his muzzle against her nose, and Alana felt it nibble her.

"Thank you, dear friend...thank you," she whispered softly to the creature and let it go. The otter began to swim away, but turned its head back to her and made soft churrfing sounds. She smiled - the otter was obviously saying goodbye for the evening. She watched it swim to the edge of the river, dart its head back at her, then scuttle to the weeds and mud at the banks.

Alana breathed deeply, all the fears and nervousness leaving her. Suddenly the depths of the river were not so unknown and unnerving. Somehow, thanks to her companion, she had seen what she had never seen before. She was so excited she took several deep breaths before diving back down again, swimming deep to the bottom, eager to explore her new world.

--

Alana and her new friend swam often in the river by night, even when there was no moonlight. Which was fine with Alana. The darkness no longer worried her; the depths of the river were now welcome and pleasurable, instead of mysterious and foreboding. She had gained freedom from her terrors of what lay below her, and the others in the village would swear for years that when she ventured to the river, she was never seen without her furry friend.

END