Under the Dark pool

The black boundless horizon is specked with molecular luminous shards elevated in the space. I traced from one light that shone of warm orange towards a dim cold white above it. I inspected the familiar scene that always left an onlooker startled and filled with calm sentimental contemplation. My skin was dry with a lack of moisture even the tip of my nose wrinkled to stretch the skin. The burning Chloric scent tickled my nostrils. My head slowly sunk below the surface as sounds ceased into mere incoherent hums. My eyes rose above To stare at the dark ceiling obscured by large branches jutted outward reaching across the view but disappearing beneath dark leaves. The canvas wavered and quivered in soft waves creating a moving static picture. The film displayed Branches bending ever so slightly to a breeze as leaves shook violently. The surface broke into tiny constant vibrations with the leaves resting calmly on the surface. The lights seemed to glow brighter beneath the waves and leaves. The camera lenses' focus constricted into a tunnel vision as the view broke into disassimilated vibrant particles. The lights collapsed into the canvas before complete darkness reigned. It was soft with protruding groves like a touch of a walnut that tightened its grip on the bridge of my nose. I rose onto the surface as the water crashed into the White porcelain cement. His lips were stretched into a thin but wide smirk with his eyes squinting at me. His face was illuminated by the Verdana light that revealed the cervices around his nose and deepened the shadows around his eyes.

"Why are you just lying in there?"

I looked at him before leaning backwards and gasping. "Just having a swim."

"I would say… you were killing yourself," He proclaimed with an outburst of excitement and intrigue. My arms waded in the water as I pushed my arms in front of me. I kept the slow rhythm until my bare back touched the hard soft surface a hard rock edge leaning on my head. His head was well above the water with his chin touching the surface. His hair was untidy but dry.

"I will say you are pretty weak because self-murder is not good. You might go to hell."

"What are you saying? You, the priest now?" my words were delivered factual but he let out a decent giggle before returning to his relaxed mock face.

"No of course, but we should iterate the priest's words because his words," His arm emerged from the water with his fat finger tossed towards the sky with dripples raining onto the surface. "Are gods.."

"So, we can say Gran-gran is.. in hell."

"Hell na… no she was great a great Gran-gran she is up there I know," His playful mocking mask fell away with his mouth gaping open as his eyes under a dark hood had an innocent twinkle flash. The low chirping of cicadas was calm. I looked away from Tim and swam to the nearest step in the pool. The dry clods of sand lathered onto my wet soles before advancing to the grass with wet dew wiping off some mud. The polished veranda tiles were slippery with clear reflections of the back door light. I opened the door into the warm air thin with freshly cooked steak and burnt vegetables. The fairly lit living room was wide with Peach-painted walls and pearly white tiles. The furniture was a three-piece set of a 2 seater on my left, an armchair in front and resting close to the far wall on my left a long three-seater sofa. The deep crude blue leather was hard but soft by the edges and creases from use that had feathering of leather. "So, What's in the box Angela," His loud voice smiled kindly at the contestant. "Well, I will pick my favourite option?" the scalding spicy scent is mollified by the starchy potato specked with herbs. The arch rimmed with tiles along the inner edges of a wall revealed a dinner table presented with a full meal placed meticulously in marketable order. The green leather material was an emerald glare under the lights with long thin floral strips tied into a neat knot. The dress disappeared from the archway before her mother appeared by the edge of the entrance. "Ohmm, Tracy?" Her face pulled shakily into a smile as she rubbed the pinafore before extending her arms. I walked towards her but noticed her hands raised before her waist. "Sweeetie, you were… swimming." Her voice cut for a moment as her eyes studied the pale white feet with traces of dried thin layers of mud between her toes. "Could you go to the bathroom first and bathe… and if you will, I will give this hug." I looked at her for a few seconds, I stepped away and walked by the applause screeching through the low frequency. The bathwater was warm and cloudy but her eyes could trace her thin legs. She lay in the tub with her whole body submerged with her hair sprawled in the water. A knock rattled on the metal frame as a sharp playful voice peeped. "Hey sis, get out now. We have dinner." I rose as my hair matted on my bare back and placed my hands on the edges of the tub. My arm reached towards a long red towel hung by the door. I wrapped myself after drying and walked to my bedroom. My long baggy jeans with the hems withered of loose threads and a short lantern style sleeves white blouse. I descended the staircase and could hear the clattering of metal against ceramic surfaces and the clinks of glass. She jittered with her fork staked with broccoli before placing it into her mouth. Her brother sat opposite her mother and could not hear any sound from him except only of chewed meat and carrots. His balding head with wispy black hair tinged with sliver white settled above the headrest. White clean industrial long-sleeve shirt was folded neatly on his remaining forearm below the elbows. The ceramic plate screeched, as a fork impaled with a steak rose into view before slipping away. I crept from behind the boulder and walked alongside the table. I settled in a seat beside my mother. Her neck turned eerily slow and her face was rigid smile revealing her well-lined front teeth. "Honey, you couldn't make it so we began dinner without you." Her mother proceeded to reach her arms above the table and grabbed a bowl of coleslaw. The ladle was cumbered with tendrils of green cabbage hanged out from the scoop. It was a wide soft splat on the plate as some of the contents landed on the mashed potatoes. "I have been practising really hard for these past weeks and the coach told me that I may become capt for the team." His mouth puckered as his cheeks hollowed before his Adam's apple bounced up and down. "Sounds great son, I know you will get that position." His strong clear silverly blue eyes turned to his son and met with his son's eyes for a moment before turning away. "Oh well, you shouldn't be surprised, Michael always returned home with his white gym shorts with whole new colours," her voice was light with a twinge of annoyance. "How was your day, Love." "Can't say there was much to speak about but my recent project is picking up and my boss seems to like my progress," announces factually his head staring ahead straight. His eyes shift to the far right and he acknowledges his daughter. "Hey, Tracy you were late for dinner?" "Sorry about that, I was in a bath." "… Never mind that, how's your school so far?" Her eyes observed her hand holding a fork by her fingers' edges. The instrument encircled the soft starchy surface of the golden pile creating a deep circle. Her lips pursed and felt her hand relax as the dulled sound of a light object hit the wooden-covered surface. 'Nothing major, I mean I didn't arrive home with anything amazing to report on to make any of one proud of me or feel any less worthless about me.' "hmm, it's nothing really just homework… so far." Her lips moved efficiently ignoring her mind's honest expression of the question. "Oh that's okay, I wanted to check up on you." The table fell into a silence occupied by the sounds of morsels chewed. "Well, I thought Tracy and I would go to a painting class," Her head periodically faced each member of the family before it swung enthusiastically to Tracy with her eyes beaming. Under her ferocious gaze, Tracy felt her limbs shake like prey at the mercy of a hunter. The look on her face defied her body's response, as her eyes screwed into a faint frown with her lips stretched thin. "Sounds wonderful, so you and your mother are taking up art." His response propped with his eyes fully on his daughter. Her face was a mix of bewilderment and shock as she stared at her father. Her father squinted at her before returning to his steak. "I don't think, I was supposed to know about this.." the blade in short reps will cut the meat before the staked piece left the plate. "Well, it was a surprise of sorts," she clarified "but I believe we will have a good day tomorrow." Her face collapsed inwards as her lips pulled into a lean pucker with her mind blinking in and out of consciousness. 'Tomorrow, tomorrow. Tomorrow;" Michael watched her sister's facial spasm before declaring "I wish to come along but I hope you enjoy tomorrow Tracy." His lips were tilted to one side and gave a comical smirk that exuded a childlike mischievous demeanour. The surface was gleaming from a candescent watery reflection before wiping the plate with a cloth. Tracy watched her mother wash the dishes while she dries a utensil. Her hand will run in tight circular motions in the bowl. The sponge ran along the edges from the outer dark blue rims before slowly spiralling towards the white centre specked with dry potato. Her one free hand will submerge the bowl in the clear water. Her hand presented the clean bowl and Tracy received it. While she was occupied on a plate, her hair seemed to sizzle above her neck as Tracy's riveting glare began to penetrate. "Honey, I understand how you feel about tomorrow but I promise it will be fun," She utters. "It's abrupt and I don't I will enjoy it," Tracy retorts as arms drop to her side. Her mother continues to wash a glass with the dense opaque orange liquid thins and disappears in the murky soapy water. "Oh I know but I promise you will enjoy it," she assures her daughter with one hand laid on her shoulder. Her hands lay softly on the cotton material but her skin felt the moisture seep through the threads. "Mom, your hands are still wet."

The ceiling above seemed covered with a thin grey veil obscuring the sight. The long thin boards curved by the corners with wide ends. The surface was a simple series of abstract designs of material resembling faces of something familiar but mysterious that stretched but thinned out at the end. The boards rotated slowly from the centre of a plastic dome with the speed decreasing each time. A white stick was raised placed between two blades and pushed one blade. The fan rotated faster as the inner gears creaked in protest. "Could you fuck off please?" "Nah, can't sleep." Tracy lay on the duvet with her arms sprawled on her sides as her fingers rested out over the edges. She would jolt her fingers several times out of habitual reaction. It was tall with long arms that lay on the cold dusty tiles. When the last light from the hall will flicker then darkness encompasses the whole house, it will begin moving. The long dark scaly arms will elongate from the sides of the bed. The retched claws will reach upwards with wide palms to receive. Her eyelids will be closed with her head snuck beneath the covers. Scrackk- Cracckkk! A crackling sound snapped before disappearing. She would remember waking up without much of a wink last night. Her eyes scanned the wooden frame of her bedpost for any signs. Her fear of the dark that keeps monsters hidden under its thick curtains ignited an inkling of curiosity. So some nights, her hand will slip above the bedding as the fold will multiply under her forearm. Her fingers will lay on the edge before slowly sticking out towards the dark. Her hand will lay outward making slight movements as if she is grasping something in the air. Suddenly pull her hand back under thick blankets and put her cool hand against her chest. "So how about Stella?" his voice chirped and held the vowels of the girl's name. She stared at the ceiling observing the fan slowly rotate as her fingers danced beyond the edge. The short red curls hid her ears but never reached her small neck. Her face was speckled with freckles across the bridge of the nose only to slowly fade by her full cheeks. "No, I don't know," responded Tracy as the face disappeared from her mind. The hockey stick fell fluidly from the handle with the head landing onto the mattress without sound. Her ears perked as sounds of duvets pushed across the mattress accompanied by springs creaking. "I will go sleep now," his voice mutters. "Goodnight," The door handle turned and the slam of the door followed after his nightly farewell. Her nostrils funnelled a gush of air pushed from her lungs. Her eyes ached along the surface with a slight burn. With a deep breath, her mind fell away as her sensations wavered. It was loud and brash but through the walls, it was softened. The smooth tile was slammed with water at full velocity and roared. A single knock was delivered by the door before it was opened. All the sounds felt loud but vibrant through the darkness. Her voice was melodic but firm, once its expression occurred all the sounds seemed to fall into the background. "Sweetie, you got to wake up." My eyes floundered for a few seconds. The long dark thick shadows obscured the light. Eventually, the shadows thinned until the light filled my view. It was a white glow that faded revealing thick lines of purple running across the surface through strange blue terrains. My Head lifted but my hair like a weight held me back while I shifted my sight onto m