Alex.J.Cobalt

Daneli sat at the bow of the ship, looking out on the horizon.

The Schism Sea was vast, she had known that already. She had studied the maps and the diagrams showing the depth of the Schism that went to the centre of the world, flooding it with ancient water hundreds of years ago. She had built her life around studying it.

But on it? She’d never thought she’d see the day when she could actually sail on it. When she could hear the lap of the ancient green waters on the ships hull, or the gentle rocking of the boat.

Which is half the reason why I’m here, Daneli thought. The sea was calm, too calm. The Captain of the Evasnet, their current craft, had never seen such flat water in years. It was eerie, he said, like the Gods of the deep were waiting for something. He said that it would be a new wave of water to erupt from the Schism trench.

But it couldn’t be a new wave of water. That would go against every prediction ever made, every analysis of the Schism trench over the last fifty years. The whole of the academic world was unified in the same thought that the Schism trench was extinct, a remnant of this world’s tumultuous past and nothing more.

What are you hiding? Daneli thought.

Boom.

The sound shook the wind from the slack sails. Daneli ducked under the edge of the ship’s hull, pressing against her ears as they rang. She saw the deckhands scrambling up masts in a panic, all pointing to the horizon again.

She stood, slowly, turning back towards the horizon. Where there had once been an unbroken line of the end of the world, a huge bulge had appeared. It would be hundreds of miles away, but to hear it here would have meant that the explosion was enormous-

Oh my spirits, Daneli thought, it’s erupted. The Schism has erupted.

Stories on a Theme is a writing challenge to write flashfictions set on a particular Weekly Theme. It’s running from 6th July to 30th August – Check out my IG for more info on how to join in!

• The Joining Payment
  “We’ve got 10 minutes until the alarm goes off.” Fezula didn’t look concerned. She was never concerned about this. “Fine,” she replied, “let’s … More The Joining Payment
• Can’t Do It
  “I can’t do it,” Felruza slammed her fist against the table. Why was it so damn hard? Why could everyone else do this … More Can’t Do It
• Like the Sky at Sundown
  “You’re orange,” A bit of a state-the-obvious comment from Ryan. Cassie wiped the orange blood of her blade and sheathed her weapon. Monster … More Like the Sky at Sundown
• Not anywhere
  Dead Dead. Not alive. Not here. Not anywhere that I can perceive. Just. Not here. What does that mean for life, when death … More Not anywhere
• New Day
  Each day is an unknown. It doesn’t feel like an unknown. You can have plans, have thoughts, have things to do. But each … More New Day
• Reclaiming Ara’banthe
  Fathie pulled her headphones over her ears. The noise of the city, the thrum of the cars and the rhythmic thudding of footfalls … More Reclaiming Ara’banthe