Another journal

You can find all the sections here.

Dry-Eyes looked around, then led Emily across the bridge to one of the towers. Walking felt strange, the water pushing back as she stepped forward. Up close, the tower had the organic striated ripples of a shell. Emily reached out a hand to touch it, but a glance from Dry-Eyes stopped her.

“We don’t want to wake everyone.”

Emily shrugged and followed Dry-Eyes inside. They were in a chamber that was something between a hall and a room, the smooth floor sloping away with the curve of the wall to dim vanishing points. There was no furniture or ornament, just an impression of labyrinthine space and Emily thought it looked like a parking garage would if it had been grown instead of built.

“Let me see the compass.” Dry-Eyes interrupted Emily’s gawking, holding out her hands. Grateful she’d kept it in a pocket and not in the backpack—which she didn’t want to open underwater, no matter how breathable it was—Emily handed it over. While Dry-Eyes took readings from it, drifting to different points in the chamber, Emily wandered around. The walls had the same rippling shell texture as the outside, but lighter in colour. She wrinkled her nose, trying to remember what the pearlescent inside of a shell was called. Nacar? Whatever. She still wanted to touch the walls, but folded her arms, waiting for Dry-Eyes.

“Okay.” The sprite did not look happy as she handed the compass back to Emily. “We have to go down.” She looked uncomfortable. “I don’t like to ask, but may I ride on your shoulder? I don’t like moving through this—stuff.” Dry-Eyes flipped a hand at the medium that surrounded them, causing her to drift off to the side.

Emily looked at the other woman’s limp wings, which fluttered slightly as they were brushed by an eddy. The slight but constant pressure of the water couldn’t be comfortable against them. She nodded. “Sure, hop on.” As Dry-Eyes stood on her shoulder, Emily could feel her shifting around a little before deciding to just sit, feet kicking Emily’s collarbone.

She started to turn her head, then thought better of it. “So, down this way?” The slope of the floor made it obvious, but it felt polite to ask.

“YES.” Dry-Eye’s voice sounded booming in Emily’s ear.

“Oh shit, too loud!” Emily winced and grabbed at her ear, nearly slamming Dry-Eyes against her skull in the process.

“Watch out!” Dry-Eyes floated back in front of Emily, scowling.

“Sorry, I guess I’m not used to having someone ride on my shoulder. Which makes sense, if you think about it.” Emily rubbed at her ear.

Dry eyes looked away before replying. “To be honest, it is not something I’ve done before either. It’s not very dignified.”

The two women looked at each other a moment before breaking into laughter. After some trial and error, Dry-Eyes decided to perch on Emily’s backpack and they started down into the tower.

Mirrored from Journal of a Something or Other.