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    Thread: New "Story" thread- help needed

    1. #21
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      As we entered the cave I instantly shut my eyes, reacting to the fear. I also dug my fingers into the fishes sides for a better grip. I wasn't sure if the fish would think about my size on his back as he went through the cave's entrance and into the channels. When I opened my eyes I found it was not as dark in the cave as I expected. In fact, although it was not as light s it was outside of the cave, i could see quite well. The passage we were in was not very wide, but for the most part it was ample for the fish and myself. Occasionally I would see other passages that led off of the one we were in. The other koi that had served as my "guards" when I was "abducted" and brought into the cave were still with us, though no longer on either side of me. They were following behind us, and in front of us.
      As we slid through the passage, swerving back and forth, I noticed that algae was growing on the surface of the rocks. "How strange," I thought, "that algae is growing on the inside of a cave. It appeared to be what I know as angel hair algae, ad was sort of pretty in its wispy, ghostly look as we went by, lightly stirring the water. It appeared that there were shrimp feeding on it, but the shrimp were the size of small cats. "Things sure grow large here," I thought to myself as I almost flipped off of the koi, tumbling over the front of the fish. For a moment as I tumbled over, our eyes met. He had stopped, but I had not. I Had become so involved with looking at my surroundings that I had relaxed my grip on the fish. As I looked for those brief seconds as I went over its head, I got the impression he was laughing at me. And to be honest, I probably did look rather humerus flailing my arms and legs until i landed on the floor with a loud "umph."
      I stood up and found myself in a larger part of the passage. This was more like room, with a high ceiling. I looked around the room and my attention and vision focused on some movement on the ceiling. The nymph of a dragonfly was moving across the ceiling and had now started down the wall.
      He was headed towards me, and the koi were standing like sentries around me.
      Last edited by matherfish; 12-30-2018 at 09:10 AM.
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    2. #22
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      As I watched the nymph come down the wall I was slowly backing up. The koi behind me also moved closer together, as though to prevent my escape. The angel hair algae was functioning also as spider webs it seemed. There appeared to be smaller fish and insects caught up in it. This was a depressing place despite its original beauty at first glace. The nymph seemed to be moving slowly, but that was okay with me.
      As I leered at the nymph I noticed something happening towards the area of the "room" where we had came in. I was not looking in that direction so I missed what initiated the excitement, but my attention was drawn immediately to it. The koi which were only moment before surrounding me, now had their focus and attention on the entrance to the cave. Some had started moving towards the opening. I could not tell what it was, but surrounded by the brighter light from outside the cave, a shape was moving into the cave. It appeared that this figure was not welcomed. As the figured came closer, I also glanced around quickly and saw that the nymph was also now standing on the bottom of the cave. The nymph also seemed to be staring at the cave's room opening. Was this new arrival a rival or an adversary? Or could it even be an ally? The koi had moved between it an me so that it was blocked from my sight. I am not sure it they did this on purpose, but the results were the same. I moved to the side a little to see if I could see better, but tried not to move too much so as to draw attention back to me.
      As the nymph watched it did not watch for long. It quickly began moving back up the cave's side and into the darkness. I could now see why. Coming into the cave, and just outside the room was a huge frog. This would be considered an enemy to the nymph, I thought. But with it's size and my size, it would not be considered my friend either. It's long tongue was striking out at the angel hair algae, snatching the fish and insects which were recently caught up in it and were struggling to get free. It was not interested in those that were dead. It's appetite was enormous!
      And it was moving into the room, towards me, while the nymph was watching from above.
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    3. #23
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      The koi's attention was diverted from me and on the frog. I took this opportunity to move back along the edge of the side of the cave and was able to squeeze into a crevice in the rock. I wondered what would happen once the koi remembered me, or when the nymph would come back down for me. I held my breath as the frog moved closer. Eating as it came ever near me.
      Suddenly the frog lunged forward but not at me! It had seen the nymph on the wall near the top of the cave, and as it lunged forward, its sticky tongue flew out by me towards the nymph, and as the tongue retracted I saw the nymph trying to free itself from it. It was not being successful. I froze with fear, held my breath and prayed. The frogs tongue, with nymph held in it, was drawn into a wide open mouth. The frog sat still for a minute, as though enjoying the latest dinner catch. Then, as though a direct answer to my prayers, the frog turned around facing the opposite wall from me as it turned, and began heading for the entrance to the cave. I exhaled with a huge sigh of relief.
      Strangely enough, the koi had forgotten me as well, for they also began swimming out of the cave. A few would swim in occasionally, but they just seemed to swim in and out as though they were searching for food. Obviously that would not be me, or I would have been eaten by the koi that brought me into the cave. The cave was empty at the moment. Slowly I moved out of the crevice in the cave's side and decided to look around while I was alone. I needed to explore as much as possible while there was nothing in the cave with me. Looking around I saw that there were two ways out at the back of the cave. one was a little bigger than the other, but both were too small for the koi that I had seen so far to be able to enter. They were both large enough for me to go in so I was happy to see another way of escape in case I was trapped in here again. I headed towards the larger opening of the two.
      Just in time, I slipped into the opening as a koi brushed by, curiously inspecting me.
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    4. #24
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      As I looked around this larger "back" entrance, for some reason it looked familiar. I stared at it as I ran through my memory banks trying to picture where I had seen such a place before. I was taking the entire cavern opening in as I thought, and as I turned to face where I had entered I saw the big "room" that I had left a few mutes ago. The koi continued to swim nonchalantly in and out of it through the front opening. I saw various bugs also coming in and out, some getting trapped in the angel hair algae. Nothing there reminded me of where I was to stir my memory, so I looked back at my surroundings. The tunnel went on back and seemed to curve, blocking my view as to how far it went or what laid ahead.
      I was not sure if I wanted to go further "exploring" this labyrinth of unknown proportions. I decided I needed to proceed to try and find my way out of this water encasement, but resolved within myself I would not go in any places that I had to squeeze into that would be difficult to make a quick retreat. I was not that foolish, even under these circumstances.
      As i slowly headed back into what i determined was deeper into the cave, I took in the scenery that surrounded me. I had determined to explore my imprisonment in this pond or whatever it was. The thought struck me once again. In all of the excitement of the nymph and the frog, I had failed to remember that I was under water. I was at the bottom of a body of water, but was continuing to breath without any problems. I thought back to how I had fallen into my pond, and had somehow arrived in this place. Not my pond, but still under water. I then remembered why this passage seemed familiar. It looked much like the passageway that I was swept through from my pond into where I found myself when the rushing water ceased.
      Could this be my way home? I stepped up my pace.
      Last edited by matherfish; 01-08-2019 at 12:31 PM.
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    5. #25
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      As I came around the first "curve" in the passageway, I immediately realized the passageway was a long corridor type passageway, with "halls" leading off in varying directions from it. My passageway was not straight, but I could see where the side passages opened off of it. I stopped and looked at them, wondering if it was one of those openings that would take me out of this watery world. I then thought about seeing TV shows that depicted people getting lost in caves, and unable to find their way back out. I had not considered getting confused as to my path back when i headed out of the big "room." I had wanted to find my way out of hear that I acted hastily as I went through the opening. Now I found myself thinking about taking another opening, and wondering if it would also give me more choices of openings, and where they would lead. I realized that this could be, and perhaps would be, a large maze of similar looking caverns.
      I stood there deep in thought, and though seeing the cavern's walls, and openings, I was not seeing anything else. Maybe I should more correctly say, not noticing anything else. There were things I was not seeing. There were smaller fish swimming by me on occasion that were gray, and not brightly colored. Maybe that is why I did not "see" them. They were there, but not in a standout way. They were just passing by. There were also snails on the sides of the walls, going about eating algae. Maybe that is why there was not the same amount of string algae here. Maybe it was because there was not as much light. No matter the reason, there was not the ensnared insects in angel hair algae found here. I decide to move on in the cavern I was in, and would not investigate the side "doors." It looked to be maybe 50 yards to the end if i went straight ahead before this passage ended, or before it curved and went on in another direction. I determined that I would stop at the exits out of this tunnel and look down them as I came to them, but would not enter them. I would just see what they looked like, standing on the outside. I chuckled to myself, as I thought "I will see what's behind door number 1, nor door number 2," from the old "let's Make a Deal" TV show.
      As I chuckled with the thought, an ominous thought came to me. On the show, the doors sometimes had great prizes awaiting, but at other times, there were not so good things awaiting you. Would I find things I hoped for, or things that I would dread. Maybe they were neither.
      The first side tunnel was just ahead, on my left. I will get my first door.
      Last edited by matherfish; 01-14-2019 at 12:52 PM.
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    6. #26
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      As I looked around the cave's entrance I saw a drab looking cavern filled with mud. The mud looked to be deeper than in the cavern I was currently in, and I saw no reason for me to enter into this cavern. I could not see that there was an opening at the back or that it went much deeper beyond my sight. The mud was deep, as I tested it with my foot, extending my leg down into it to test it. I could not tell it's depth as I could not touch bottom with the one foot, so was not willing to put two feet in.
      I slipped my foot out of the mud and back into the "main cavern, moving on to the next side cavern.
      This cavern was also on my left, and I wondered if it and the previous side cavern might actually be joined somewhere towards the back. It too was filled with mud. This entrance was a little larger than the previous one. I could squeeze into the other opening, but this one allowed me to enter quite easily, making viewing the cavern much easier. I had not really looked at the size of the last cavern being concerned over the depth of the mud, and perhaps the slightly narrow entrance. Now I wondered if the cavern may have gotten bigger as it went back into the rock. The shadows and twists and turns of the caverns make it hard to determine where they might lead. I reminded myself that I do not want to get lost in here.
      As I turned my attention back to the cave that I was currently looking into I took more careful note of it's contents. There was nothing but mud just as there was in the previous cavern. I started to turn away to continue by journey through the main passageway when movement caught my eye. Rising from the mud was another large frog, lying within the warmth of the mud. This my have been the frog that i had seen earlier, but i doubt it. He had not come by me when I was in the cave's passage, and that one had gone out the way I had been brought in. This definitely must be a different frog, with a different way of entry. A little hope came to my thoughts. There is another way in and out of here! This frog proves it.
      Concerned with the frog, and perhaps its appetite, I moved on down the corridor, trying not to disturb the frog.
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    7. #27
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      As I lumbered down the cave I realized it was growing gradually wider and taller. The scenery was no different, just rock walls on both sides, and above me. The floor also was rock, but not much mud in this cavern. I wondered if t was from the amount of traffic it might receive. I leered ahead at the opening coming in about 40 feet. Nothing looked much different than what I had already seen from the cavern looking into the other side passages. I assumed there would be more mud, and hopefully not another frog.
      As I lost myself in thought, I was awakened from my daydream to the movement of water around me. Something was coming towards me from behind. I turned just in time to see the frog which had left its resting place in the side cavern was now swimming towards me. I quickly looked around, but saw no crevice or hiding place. I could not outrun it and especially could not out swim it. I was trapped. I had not seen any sticks along the way to try to make a weapon, and my belt would not work now. The frog continued towards me but was not in a hurry. Perhaps it realized that there was no where for me to go. Maybe it had never tried to eat a human before, after all, I would be more than a bite full. I turned to face the frog, stretching out my arms and legs as broad as I could, trying to make myself as big as possible. When I did, it seemed to startle the frog. It seemed to have stopped in its approach and sat staring at me. I guess at that moment, in sheer panic, I lost it. I must have lost my mind. As the frog st there sizing me up, and I stood petrified with arms and legs outstretched as though in the middle of a jumping jack, I thought I heard a chuckle.
      "A giggle?" I thought. I heard a giggle? I was terrified, imagining being devoured by a frog, or partially devoured. I was afraid to look around to see where the sound came from, but I immediately realized that sounds in the cave, even caves filled with water, create an echo. I stood rigid, afraid to move, or as I have heard before, i was petrified. Then I heard it again. That little giggle was not in my head, and was not from me. Either someone else was in the cave, or this frog had the capacity to giggle. Was the frog laughing at me? I was terrorized and the frog was laughing? I preferred to think that someone else was in this water world with me.
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    8. #28
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      As the frog grew closer to me I could see on it's back a figure. It was a child riding on the frog as though it were a horse. It was the child giggling. I was not losing my mind. there had been giggling and it was the child evidently giggling at the look of terror that had to have been on my face as the frog had drawn nearer to me. I noticed a vine in it's mouth, perhaps a parrot's feather stem. The child was using it as a bridal and reins. The child was giggling more dramatically as it grew nearer to me. I now saw a saddle-type fixture that appears to be made from the seed pod of a lotus. It was an amazing sight!
      I stared with perhaps a gaping mouth, although my mouth was not open. As the child and frog now was in front of me I could see the child's features clearly. It was no one that I knew, and as best I could tell, it was no one i had ever met or even seen. The child looked to be about seven or eight years old. The hair was dark, and shoulder length, but I could not tell if it was a male or female. The face was oval shaped, with chubby cheeks but no distinguishing features that would set the child apart by a nationality, nor an indication as to being male or female. The eyes were dark, but exuded a playful look that said, "you can trust me." At least that is what i read into them.
      Around the child's neck was a compound layer necklace made of small stones, perhaps found in the flower pots where pond plants had been planted. The child had on a par of shorts that showed age as the legs were tattered but they were made of blue jean material, and did not show a lot of wear. The child had no shoes on.
      As I stood taking in the sight before me, I also noticed that the child was also viewing me with just as much curiosity. I also had moved from taking in the vision, and had gone into analyzing the situation. "Where had this child come from? Where were the parents? How many others were here? How log had they been here? Could they not escape from this place?" and the thoughts kept racing through my mind. I was trying to think of what questions to ask first, but before I could speak, the child motioned me to get on the frog, sitting behind him.
      I hesitated, but really, what choice did I have?
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    9. #29
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      I climbed up behind the young boy and put my hands around his waist as the frog began to swim through the water. The frog move through the water quickly and with ease. I thought about how many times I would watch frogs swim through my ponds, but I never noticed just how grateful they were. I must have hit my head when I fell into the pond because this truly had to be a dream that could have nothing real about it.
      The boy, his frog and I went gliding through the cavern. It occurred to me suddenly that we were going into what may be back deeper into the tunnel and I might not be able to find my way back out. From what I had seen the tunnels all look the same and there was nothing I could use help find my way back to where I have been. “Don’t worry about it.” I told myself, “Just sit back and enjoy the ride! After all, this is just a dream. Might as well see what happens.” I was comforted in resolving that this was just a dream.
      It was before long they we came to what might be called a fork in the road, If this indeed were a road. The cavern split into different directions. I couldn’t tell if the young boy was guiding the frog or the frog was going in a way that it was used to going, but the young boy didn’t seem to worry. He seemed to also know where we were going, but it didn’t matter, it’s just a dream.
      We took the fork to the right. The cave opened up into a large chamber. Unlike the path that we had just came on this chamber seem to be bustling with activity. there were frogs, salamanders and fish swimming throughout the waterway and it appeared that there were caves randomly within the walls.
      Last edited by matherfish; 01-27-2019 at 03:58 PM.

    10. #30
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      As we glided through the water the boy would occasionally let out a giggle. More questions began to run through my mind. I continued to question where the boy came from, and wondered if he was alone. But now as I looked around this "housing community," darker questions returned. "How did the boy know where to find me? Had he been sent? Where was he taking me? If I had not come willingly, what would have happened?" Again the questions filling my head, as I thought of all of the unsolved mysteries which I had faced since coming here. As often and as much as I had been around ponds, I had never been around a pond like this, nor had I ever dreamed I would be.
      The frog abruptly stopped. We were in front of another opening in the wall that seemingly was indistinguishable from all of the openings we had passed. The young boy giggled again, and he motioned for me to get off. I through my leg over the back of the frog to the side and slid off. The frog started to swim off with the boy still on his back. I started to step forward, actually running after the frog and the boy, but I was no match for the speed and agility of the frog. Within seconds, they were out of sight. I had been left by myself once again. The sandwich man worm had left me, the koi that had carried me into the cave had left me, and now the boy had left me. Someone or something seemed to show up when I needed them, but as soon as the need was over, they left me to fend for myself! I decided to look around.
      I was still in the cavern, inside the large room like area that went on as far back ad ahead as I could see. The fish, salamanders, frogs and now I also noticed crayfish withing the area. Looking around I began noticing the various plants growing here, providing hiding places from the carnivores, and breeding places for the animals. There were grasses, such as neon grass and star grass, and there were lots of types of arrowheads and lilies, lots of lilies. There were lilies growing from the cave floor everywhere. Lush plants with subterranean leaves, and stems reaching up toward the sky. They would make almost any ponder jealous.
      I remembered the lilies I had encountered earlier, how their pads covered the top of the water. I now questioned that conclusion. They provided cover for where I was, but I did not know if they reached the top of the water. In this strange world of liquidity, did the plants grow to the top of the water's surface, or did they grow to undetermined heights and then stop growing? As I was studying them, I also realized that on the walls around the cave openings there were plants growing which greatly resembled vines. They reminded me of water daffodils and water marigolds.
      I turned around and faced the cave which was right in front of where I had been dropped off. At the moment, there were lots of tadpoles feeding around it's opening, darting into the vines when a frog would get near. I headed towards its entrance, not knowing what was to happen next.
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    11. #31
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      I wasn't for sure what to expect when I stepped into the cave. I had never been taught "cave" etiquette, so I was not sure how to enter in. Should I knock on the side of the opening as though on a door, or just go in. Was this the home of a fish, a frog or a human? Obviously this was a group of caves where the animals and amphibians lived, but did humans live here as well? Where did the boy go to and where did he live? So many questions still running through my head, but no answers to follow them.
      I stood hesitantly at the door of the cave. I could look into the cave but not very well. It was not a large opening, but it seemed to open just as the entrance went around a corner, turning behind the entrance. The wall was like the rest of the caves, but this one seemed a little more "polished," as though it had been rubbed to make it smoother and shinier than the huge cave I was standing in, the one with openings into many smaller caves such as this one.
      I stood a little to the side of the entrance and leaning around to the opening, I called out. Funny, I did that without thinking. I was under water, but was not gasping for air, and my lungs were not filling up with water. As I cried out to let anyone, anything inside know that I was there, I heard my voice for the first time under the water and in this strange environment. It was not garbled like I expected it to be, but it was not crisp and clear either. It was understandable, but sounded much like I was in an empty barrel. There was also a slight echo.
      I called out again, and then listened carefully to see if there was any response. I thought I heard movement from inside the cave so I stood waiting. I waited a bit, and it seemed that the noise was getting closer. I waited but the noise seemed to be faint, so I was not sure and called out again. Not sure what to expect, and not sure about the frogs, tadpoles and other animals swimming by me, I was getting somewhat apprehensive. "How much sound would knocking on the rock wall make to get the attention of anything inside? Was there something in there or not? What was I doing here and what was I expecting the occupants of this cave to do to help me? I continued waiting.
      To my surprise, finally there appeared a sandwich man worm. Was this the one that had saved me before? Had I heard it talk to me earlier when I was attacked by the lilies? I stepped into the doorway, just inside the door. The worm was not currently in a piece of a leaf, but still moved slowly. I reminded myself that this was a caterpillar. The caterpillar motioned me to follow him into the cave by moving the top part of its body.
      We went inside. Once inside, as I turned into the new cave, I saw a hole in the top of the cave which allowed light to come into the cavern room. In the room there were a few potted lilies growing up towards the ceiling. I looked around but there was not much else in the cave, and the cave did not go on beyond much further than around where I was standing. As I stood looking at the plants, I was taken aback as I heard a voice. I looked around to see who was talking, but saw no one. I looked carefully at the plants, maybe subconsciously fearing them attacking me. Where was that voice I heard? Did I just hear a noise that made me think of a sound, or was it an actual voice?
      I searched the room with my eyes.
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    12. #32
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      Everything went black.
      When I regained consciousness I was laying on the cave's floor with the back of my head hurting. I do not know why it was hurting but it was. I reached up and rubbed it and to see if it had been cut, but it hadn't. I supposed I had fallen and hit my head, knocking me out, but I was not sure. I thought back, trying to remember what had happened and then I remembered the voice that I had heard. I looked around again. Listening carefully, ogling every space, every crevice.
      The voice broke the silence again. I strained to listen. The worm had returned, and I watched as it approached. It came from a different opening than the one we came in, so the cave must be bigger than it had appeared. As the worm came ever so slowly into the room, I realized the voice was coming from behind the worm. "Sit down. Sit down," the voice seemed to say. There were no chairs, so that surely wasn't what was being said. The voice was getting closer. "I'm coming. I'm coming!"
      From the darkness of the opening emerged another worm, much bigger than the first one. As it "inched" it's way towards me I saw a man on it's back, sitting on it as if riding a horse. I am not sure what the expression on my face must have looked like, but I am sure I looked aghast. I stood speechless.
      "Sit down! Sit down!" The man continued to state enthusiastically. He had arrived next to me and gestured his hand as he waved his arm motioning for me to sit on the floor. "We must talk." As I started to sit down, crossing my legs as I did, he reached out his hand to shake mine. I was still to shocked to speak.
      "Can you talk?" he asked?
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      "Can you speak?" he repeated.
      "Yes," the word finally came out of my mouth. "So many questions in my mind, and this is all I could say," I thought to myself.
      Finally, I blurted out, "yes, I can speak."
      "Good," he replied. "We have much to discuss, and it must be done quickly."
      "I have lots of questions..." I started, but he interrupted.
      "There's no time for that. We can discuss your questions later," he stated. "I can even answer some of your questions as we go."
      "Go where?"
      "You'll see," was his hasty reply.
      As he walked away from me he stated hurriedly, "Have you realized our problem? It must be stopped! You are here just as I am here and others and we must solve the problem."
      Others! He said others! The boy that brought me here, this man and now he spoke of others? Where are they? How many more? and what was he talking about, "our problem?"
      With his back to me, and my thinking of more questions, I heard him say something to the worm but I could not understand what he said. The worm headed away and the man turned back to face me.
      "We will go to the others," he said with a sense of urgency and demand in his voice.
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      The worm returned with two koi behind it. The koi had what could only be described as a bridle for a fish. There was no saddle. I wondered how i would stay on it's back while riding.
      "Put the bottom of your foot against the front of it's anal fins," I heard the voice say. "You can use them to brace yourself and to help stay on." As I threw my leg over the fish and pushed myself into a riding position. I thought of riding the fish on the merry-go-round at the park when i was a child. "At least that one had a saddle," I chuckled slightly to myself. Suddenly I felt a jolt and we were off. Out of the cave and back into the major cavern we went.
      His fish was leading the way as we were winding our way through the busy corridor, and I braced myself to hang on and stay on. Like schooling fish that swam in synchronization we twisted our way through fish, frogs, turtles and salamanders. If it were not for such anxiety on my part, not to mention a certain amount of fear overcome by curiosity, I might not have agreed to go. At this point, I did not see any other chance of going home. Again, a humorous thought came to mind, and again at a non-comical time. As we glided through the water, I felt as one with the fish. "Perhaps now," I thought, "I am truly Matherfish."
      As again I was in thoughtful concentration, time had gone by quickly. I had not noticed our coming to the mouth of the cave, but realized we were again back out into the "open" water. The sunlight must have been been what brought me out of my thoughtful trance as its brightness was almost blinding. Beams of light highlighted various things in the water, including its rocks and plants. Seeing the blooms from the water's bottom made me think of rounded rainbows all over the surface. "Rainbows" isn't the proper word to describe them because they are not "bows," I thought, so I should devise a new name. Maybe say they look like "raincircles." That would not be right either because their beauty had nothing to do with rain. It was enhanced in the sunshine! As I was mesmerized by the multi- colors covering the ceiling above me, I found myself in euphoria. Many of the blooms were opaque, allowing the sunshine to shine through the petals illuminating them as though they were on fire. I could sit here and ogle them for hours. The leaves seemed to define them.
      Oops! I had become so enhanced in thought, I forgot where I was and what I was doing. I also forgot to brace myself and hold on. I had fallen off the koi. Fortunately, the fish had stopped, and was waiting on me to walk over and get back on. My host had realized that I had fallen off and had circled back to where I was. "Ssssorry," I stuttered apologetically. My host, I still didn't know his name, giggled at me and said, " that's okay, but I told you you had to brace yourself and hold on." He then said, "Maybe I also should have told you to also pay attention. No distracted driving." With that he outright laughed.
      I didn't think of myself as driving. I was more like being carried. I had the bridle in my hand but I did not know where we were going so I could not guide the koi. I had just been holding on! I was once again throwing my leg over the fish, putting my feet against the anal fins and hanging on. And once again, we were on our way.
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      What seemed like a long "ride" was actually only lasted 30 or 35 minutes. I was busy looking at things we passed along the way. The beauty of the plants blooming along the way were mesmerizing lighting up the top of the water. But it wasn't just seeing the plants from below. There was the beauty of the plants below the surface to enjoy as well. There was anacharis roping through the water with ts bright green tiny leaves glistening in the the sunlight from above. There were some plants that I did not recognize not too far away but they exhibited a graceful beauty in its slow dance. i also realized that there were no marginal plants that I could see so I assumed we were not close to the edge or the shore of the water feature I find myself within.
      I watched the man riding the koi in front of me for a few minutes. He seemed to be riding very confidently as we rode through the water. I noticed for the first time that there was a young girl was standing off in the not too far distance. She had darker colored hair and was dark complected. She also had an extremely smooth looking complexion with dark brown eyes. She had stopped whatever she was doing and was watching us. I did not see her I time to see her doing anything, but being only about nine or ten years old I would assume she was involved in something. This brought me to ponder the question as what it is they do here in this life surrounded by water.
      As we continued on our journey I realized that there were more hills or rock walls growing up from the ground in the far distance. They did not seem to go very high in the air, but it did give credence to the realization the water was much deeper than it appeared. The prism of the water distorted the distances, and the further away the more the distance was distorted. At least that was what I concluded was the only explanation for the size of things that I was seeing.
      The child caught my eye again. She was waving, with a huge smile on her face. I was able to focus on her face a little more clearer and it seemed that her smile portrayed a sense of hope within it. 'What was it she was expressing in her face," I thought.
      I was soon to find out.
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      We had not gone much further when we came to a stop and the man got off his koi. I followed suit. The fish swam off around some rocks and were soon out of sight. There were a few other fish swimming around, including some mosquito fish and some goldfish. There were also a few other fish in the distance that I was not sure of what they were. When I got off of the koi I notice there was a mat of green growth on the ground that was an algae that covered the ground.
      I followed the man towards a woman who appeared to be about his age, but maybe a few years younger.She was smiling and walking towards us with her hand outstretched to shake my hand. She seemed extremely pleasant and welcoming.
      "I am sorry," the man said. "I have not introduced myself, nor have I asked your name." He then cleared his throat and stated, " My name is William Drake, and this is my wife Peggy."
      "My name is Matherfish," I replied. "But what is this about?"
      "I really don't know how to start, but you definitely should understand our predicament."
      I was finally going to get some answers to my questions, so I was listening intently. I did not know how long the explanation would take but I was ready to hear whatever he was going to tell me.
      "Time here is hard to estimate," he stated, "but we have been here for over a year, we think. The days are hard to keep track of because we cannot tell the days and nights apart all of the time. Cloudy days also cause problems. plus for the first few days or weeks we did not keep track of the days because we were too busy trying to find a way out of here." His face began to look distraught, and he added, "now we know we cannot get out on our own and feel you can help."
      "A year," my thoughts raged. They had been here a year! What about the boy I had seen who had had me ride with him? What about the girl I had seen? Were there others? How long had they been here? And how could I help get them out of here?
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      Ponding had been my hobby for many years. Growing up I had became involved with the aquarium hobby, and after I was grown, ponds seemed a natural progression. I had started with a small preformed pond and the hobby just grew along with my enthusiasm. It was the love of the hobby that brought me to the pond's edge just a few days when I lost balance and fell into this liquid entombment. Now in the midst of my frustration, this "William Drake" character tells me he needs my help. He has been here a year, and I have only been here a few days, and he needs my help to escape? I saw a boy, and later a girl, and I now I am wondering how may others are here that could help him escape? Why me? Escape what? Escape How?
      I thought about the number of plants that were still in the form of tubers for winter's storage that were in the five gallon buckets. I thought of the number of hardy tubers in the tubs full of winter's cold waters, waiting for the sun's warm rays to start shooting up summers lily pads. I had put them in my world, nurturing and nourishing them to grow strong and healthy. They had beautified my world, and now I was in their world. Why was I brought here? I had concluded that I was not here by accident but that I had been brought here on purpose for a purpose. Maybe I was now going to find out what the purpose was!
      "Tell me what is going on, and how you think I can help," I stated. "If you have a plan or idea, clue me in and let's start work."
      I was ready to go home, and this seemed to be the first step. I am on my way.
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      Not exactly on my way home,immediately, as I hoped. Mr. Drake, William, told me to follow him and I did. This time we were walking. As we walked he told me his story. He and his wife had a similar experience as mine, but he remembered a few details to his eventually being here. William began relating his story as we walked. This time I did not view the scenery. I was too busy listening to his tale.
      William, with a sadness in his voice, began, "My wife and I were working in our pond, a half acre dirt bottomed pond. It was build just to house pond plants so it was only three feet deep at it's deepest point." Shaking his head from side to side, he continued, "and I don't kow how it happened but it seemed to have opened up a deep hole in the bottom, but you could not see it from above the water."
      "I was wading from lily to lily, cutting off the dead and yellowing leaves from the plants. My wife was at the pond's edge trimming some of the bog plants, and shaping them up. We had been doing this for years," he stated, still shaking his head from side to side. "Nothing looked any different nor had we done anything different to the pond. It was business as usual."
      "As I was wading among the lilies i felt what seemed to be something below the water wrap around my ankle and looking down, I saw that it was a lily tuber. My first thought was that the tuber had been dislodged from the soil by my walking and the water movement had moved it, catching it on my ankle. Bending down, I reached to get the tuber off of my leg. I pushed it away from my ankle and stood still for a moment. The tuber wrapped around my ankle again, as if by deliberate intention. I bent down to remove it again, but this time something pushed me from behind, causing me to lose my balance. I fell into the pond head first."
      When I went to stand up, I could not reach bottom, and the tuber clinging around my ankle tightened, and was pulling me down. I shouted for my wife."
      Peggy, whom I did not realize was following behind us, stated, "I heard him yelling and saw him going down in the water. I did not understand why he could not stand up, but I could see something was wrong. I went stomping across the water as fast as I could." She stopped for a moment, as we had also stopped walking. We ducked under what seemed to be the underside of an archaic bridge or water feature. We continue walking, the three of us, and as we did, Peggy started her story again.
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      Peggy continued her tale. I was fully attentive.
      "As I rushed to William I saw a plant's pad go up into the air, out of the water, and strike him on the back. knocking him down even more. Just as I arrived to where he was, reaching down to him to help pull him up, another plant slapped me, knocking me backward. I fell into the water, splashing water high into the air. I saw William gasping as I also swallowed a mouthful of water."
      "Peggy was trying to get her head above the water but was grasping at the leaves and stems of the plants for something to hold on to," William interjected at this point. "Neither of us remember much after that until we remember finding ourselves below the water in this place."
      As he spoke, my thoughts returned to my "falling" into the pond. I did not remember what caused me to fall, but had assumed I tripped. Now I wondered if I had been tripped. As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard a voice, as William spoke again.
      "There are a few others here as well. All 'fell' into a pond and have been trapped here every since. We have learned to make 'lives' here but none of us want to stay." Then with a quivering voice he said, "We all want to go home." He dropped his head and his chin almost hit his chest. Peggy took his hand as she also dropped her chin. If we were not already under water, I am sure their cheeks would have streams of tears running down them.
      "We want to go home," he repeated numerous times.
      So what is the plan? I was waiting for him to tell me. What does he think I can do? I am younger than he is, but not much. Definitely not a pillar of strength. So what was his scheme?
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      As I waited silently for further explanation, there came up to us 3 more individuals. One of them was the young boy I had seen earlier. As I looked at these other stranded souls, I wondered what the plan was to get us all home. We were not held by ropes or cages. We were not held captive by someone with a gun threatening us. It was hard to describe what held us because it was beyond normality. We were in a water world held with its depths but unable to climb or swim to the top. As I pondered our confines, the girl I had seen earlier joined our group.
      "Everyone is here," William stated. "We are all here having fallen or pushed into our ponds and were dragged down into a place beyond out ponds. Things are mis-sized, mis-shaped and beyond natural." We have tried to go home, but cannot find a means or a path that leads us there."
      One of the two most recently seen women spoke up, "We think we have determined why we are here, and what may get us home.We think the plants are angry because they are so over crowded."
      I had not seen this personally so I wanted to know more. What made her draw this conclusion? What were they wanting me to do about it?
      "The main paths here are not crowded because the fish traveling the waterways keep the plants pushed back, but the outer areas from the paths are so crowded they are almost impassable. The plants need to be separated, and moved elsewhere to make more room. They need room to stretch out ad grow healthily and to their prime."
      How could I help with this problem? The plants were much bigger than me, and do not yield to my desires. I had not even seen the places she was talking about so it seemed important that see the situation before I agree.
      "Take me to these plants," I stated.
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