Farewell from Paradise

by Saltzman, Brent

  He leaned in, transfixed by the pull of the entity’s beauty…

  Delaney leaned in, enchanted by the allure of a man she knew could—and would—save her from the horrible life she once so embraced. Their lips came close, and then—

  “Excuse us.” Several nurses flooded the room. “We need to run a few tests so we’re asking everyone to clear out for the next hour or so.”

  “Oh, ‘course.” She stood up, partly embarrassed by the thought that anyone had seen her attempting to kiss an unconscious patient. Outside, she walked right past Bev, who futilely tried to comfort her, and made her way down the hall, tucking her emotions under her sleeve.

  “What’s her problem?” John asked like the grouch he was.

  “I think,” Bev uttered, “that now she knows, too.”

  In an instant, it was gone. The gorgeous figure fell back into the pool, becoming one with the placid surface. The orange band disappeared, leaving only the faint cerulean glow.

  But now, Sam knew exactly what he had to do.

  Within minutes, he was back on the opposing shore near the campfire as the morning sun rose up over the trees. The swim back was much easier than the swim there. Never once did he feel even the slightest hint of fatigue as he made his way to the camp and started zipping up his backpack. Nedry woke with a yawn, as did the three giants.

  “Planning a trip, lad?” Doc grumbled as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

  “Yes.”

  “Where to?”

  “Not sure. Doesn’t matter.”

  “So why you going then?”

  Cook stretched. Darwin stood his full height, nearly hitting his head on a tree branch.

  “Because I know what will happen if I don’t go: nothing,” Sam said. “Nothing will happen.”

  Nedry hopped up and down with fresh energy. Darwin tried to hide a proud smile.

  “Well, we wish you the best of luck, mate!” said Cook as he shook Sam’s hand with a formidable grip. “Hope you find your purpose out there!”

  “I think I will. Thanks.” He suddenly spoke with a confidence the others had never imagined he had.

  “Hold on,” boomed Darwin as he stepped forward. “Your company will have a third.”

  The titan’s two friends exchanged puzzled looks.

  “I have wasted my life here in this ‘oasis’ of surrender. I may never know if I had a purpose. But the least I can do, Sam Pierce, is help you find yours.”

  Sam nodded.

  “Um, you sure you want to do that, friend?” said Doc. “I mean, it’s been a wee while since you’ve done anythin’ even slightly adventurous…you sure you be havin’ the strength to—”

  Darwin ripped a nearby tree from its roots and snapped it in two over his knee, then stripped off the branches with his teeth and slung it over his shoulders like a club.

  “Oh, alright then…”

  And they said their goodbyes, packed some meat for a fattened Nedry, and took off down a trail on the other side of the clearing past another “To Atlas” sign as the skies cleared overhead, lighting the way. Sam led with a determined ferocity, slashing through ferns and thickets without fear, ignoring fantastic creatures that trembled in the wake of his fortitude and the thunderous footsteps of his titanic companion and sharp claws of his little reptilian pal. Through rain, sleet, snow or storms, nothing was going to stop him from returning to his world.

  Especially now that he had a reason to go back.

  A purpose.

  23

  The Ocean of Dreams

  The night was quiet. Just the faint honking of distant traffic down near Midtown and an occasional rumble of rainless thunder. Delaney Cooper sat on a bench just outside the hospital. A slow flame was working its way down her half smoked cigarette.

  “You going to be alright?” Beverly Pierce squeezed in next to her, clutching a light jacket.

  “I think so.” She looked away as she smoked. The silence was unsettling, especially as her fingers shivered.

  “Here.” Bev put the coat over her shoulder. “Don’t need you getting pneumonia or something.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Something you want to talk about?”

  She didn’t answer. Not right away.

  “Because now’s the time to.”

  Del took a shaky drag and looked up at the stars. “When I was young, before I was married an’ all that, I was little bit crazy.”

  “Define it.”

  “I didn’t really care ‘bout nothin’ in the future. I didn’t care about school. All I wanted to do was go out and go to these stupid parties, bars, whatever. Every goddamn night. Thought that was the only way to live.”

  “So you were young. You weren’t crazy.”

  “I used to go out with a purpose. Wear these stupid lace leggings or these tattered dresses. Do things I shouldn’t have. Drugs, all kinds. Didn’t matter none ‘bout how bad they were. Thought it was fun back then.” She took a long puff then flicked the butt away. She immediately lit another. “I’d hook up with these guys I’d meet at these places…bars…frat houses…whatever…and they just…they’d look at me like I was some prize in a fair…and it always worked with me…always. But like I said, it was just fun. In that moment, and that moment was all I cared ‘bout. But the mornin’ time would come ‘round, and I’d look at myself in the mirror, at the makeup runnin’ down my face and all the ridiculous crap I was wearin’ the night before, and I’d just wonder why I loved it all so much, and if there was anything else out there.” She laughed at herself, a self-deprecating chuckle. “I think I talked myself into lovin’ it because I ain’t have nothin’ else.”

  “Again. You were young. Youth’s an excuse for a lot of things.”

  “And then I met someone who swept me off my feet…but he wasn’t no different...but for a while I had myself convinced he was. He was just like all the other guys I was with. All those guys at parties. I was just a game. Nothin’ more than that. A number on the list.” She hadn’t smoked her second cigarette. She just let it burn as she twirled it around. “And when we divorced…I was just…lost. I went back to my old ways and just…convinced myself that this was what I wanted. And then when I came here and saw Sam…and how he wasn’t instantly attackin’ me like some horned up guy at a club…I just…felt somethin’ different. Somethin’ right. And when he talked to me, it was just…like he actually cared ‘bout what I had to say. And then when we went home to my place and he didn’t try to come in or…or go in for some ‘coffee’ right away or nothin’ like that and wanted to take me to dinner instead…I knew he was different. He wasn’t just the man I’d been lookin’ for my whole life…he’s the man I need to help me start a new one.”

  Beverly rubbed Del’s back. “You know, I listen to you, and I see a lot of Sam. He’s always been…lost. You can see it in his eyes. Hear it in his voice. He’s just been drifting. Needs someone to help him find his way.”

  “He ain’t lost,” Del smiled. “Not as long as you’re around, Mrs. Pierce. He won’t never be lost.”

  “I think we’re freaking lost…” Sam peeked around a thick tree trying to figure out if he’d seen it before. The canopy was starting to thin, so he felt they were approaching the jungle’s end, but he was all but certain they’d gone in a circle. “Anyone recognize this tree?”

  “It looks like all the trees, lad.” Darwin felt the smooth bark, testing it for grip.

  “Great. Wonderful. Anyone got an idea?” He looked down at Nedry, who was busy digging grubs out of a nearby tree stump.

  “I’ve got one,” said the giant. “If you promise not to scream.”

  “Scream? Why would I—”

  In one swift motion, Darwin scooped Sam up and tucked him under his arm, then used his free hand to lunge up a tree as Nedry looked on from below with jealous eyes. When they reached the canopy, he held the squirming man above the tree line by the back of his shirt collar. “See anything?”

  “Well I don’t see a new pants
store which I might need now! But besides that…” He looked out over the top of the rainforest. About a mile to the north lay an ocean that stretched clear over the horizon. “I do see something…”

  Within ten minutes, they had emerged onto a beach that seemed to extend the length of the Earth in either direction. The ocean before them was calm, with but a few gentle waves crashing in the surf. And poking out of the water was a big, metal, industrial-looking sign: “To Atlas.”

  “Okay…” Sam looked around. There was nothing else. Just a beach. And an ocean. And then nothing. “Now what?”

  “Looks like we may be in for a mighty swim, lad.” Darwin stopped at the water and looked out over the vista. “Though I don’t see anything that might serve as a proper destination.”

  “So that’s it then? We’re at the end?”

  “No, no. I mean…maybe…”

  “So all this way to get stuck on a stupid beach?”

  Nedry looked upset. He lowered his head with a sigh.

  “Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we should’ve just stayed in Oasis.” Sam groaned.

  “Now, now,” came the sudden voice of the old, mischievously wise Mysterious Figure. He was sitting in a foldout chair with white lotion on his nose and an umbrella. He stood and put his hands in his pockets, as he often did. “Haven’t you learned anything so far?”

  “You!” gasped Darwin, who collapsed to his knees and bowed his head. “It is an honor.”

  “You know this guy?” Sam asked.

  “He is everything. He is who knows all. He is—”

  “Yeah, okay, he’s great, got it.” He turned back to him. “So what are you suggesting?”

  “I’m only suggesting that maybe you shouldn’t give up so easily,” the Figure said.

  “Easily? Hello? Have you taken a look out there? You can’t expect us to swim across an ocean!”

  “So find another way across.”

  “Well maybe if you’d stop being greedy and conjure up a yacht or something, we’d be in business!”

  “Sam, I like you, but you’ll never improve yourself if you keep waiting for things to come to you. Now, use that big lovely brain of yours and figure this out. As for me…” He stepped back into the water. “I think I’m going to take a little dip.” After a few paces, he was swallowed by the waves.

  “God, he’s starting to get on my nerves.”

  “Any schemes, Sam Pierce?” The giant stood and brushed pebbles from his legs.

  “Um…” Sam looked at the sand. It was weak. Crumbly. Nothing there. Then to his backpack. Could it be used to help float? No, no, that was dumb. Then he turned to the trees from which they had emerged. And that’s when he got his brilliant idea.

  “Whose stupid idea was this?!” Sam yelled over the howling wind and pounding rain as their little makeshift raft was tossed about the stormy waves. Their transport had been constructed of loosely-packed trees wrapped together with twine made from stripped branches. Twigs and leaves stuck up from between the logs that comprised the floor and Darwin sat near the back and kicked to propel them forward. For a while, they were making good progress and the shore had long been consumed by the skyline. But then, all hell broke loose as if they were being tested by Poseidon himself. The skies went black, the waves swelled to the heights of mountains and they found themselves constantly struggling to maintain their grip on the slippery bundles of branches that served as crude handles.

  Nedry had the (relatively) easiest time, burying his talons into the softening wood and clinging for dear life as the squall raged on like an angry beast. At one point, Sam had slipped off the raft and was sucked down beneath the waves. He fought back in vain, feeling his body sink deeper into the black, before Darwin’s mighty hand reached down into the abyss and plucked him from the sea.

  “I had it under control!” Sam shouted over the screeching of the wind as he spit out seawater.

  “I’ll remember that next time then, lad!”

  “We’re not going to make it much longer! The raft’s breaking apart!” And as he spoke, a chunk of log tore from the tethers that bound the vessel together. Nedry leapt from his secure perch and onto Sam’s backpack, screaming for his life.

  “Might want to hold on a little tighter, mates!”

  Before them rose a wall of water the scale of which they had never seen. So massive it was that even the tallest skyscraper would’ve found itself ravaged. They held their breath as the raft worked its way up to the wave’s crest, the wall becoming nearly vertical, their legs flailing in space. They reached the top and the craft was tossed over the sea, landing with a hard slap a hundred feet below, then they rode down the backside of the wave like a sleigh traversing a snowy hill until the surface flattened out once more.

  And then, just as quickly as they appeared, the waves were gone. The inky clouds broke apart, revealing harsh rays of sunshine that shone on the ocean like spotlights. Within seconds, the sea was as calm as glass, the cloudless skies were bright blue and seagulls were squawking overhead.

  Sam lay with his face between the planks, panting. “What a weird day…”

  “Get up and look at this, Sam!”

  His body aching, he somehow managed to lift himself up. It took him a second to get back his balance before he and Nedry hopped over, taking care not to slip in between any logs. They met Darwin at the edge of the raft. He was looking out over the water, which was so still that it almost looked like an infinitely gigantic mirror.

  “What am I looking at?” Sam asked, who could see only his own reflection.

  “Shh!” The giant put a finger to his lips. “Just watch.”

  For the longest time, there was nothing. But then, slowly, a shape coalesced beneath the surface. And a little rubbery nose like a beak finally poked through, surrounded by tiny ripples. This was followed by a full head and two curious eyes.

  “It’s a dolphin…”

  “That it is, that it is.”

  Another dolphin popped up. Then another, and another, until there was a full pod. They swam around the raft, even going so far as to leap over it, and beckoned the company into the water. Darwin was already taking off his furry boots.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Takin’ a little swim, lad! Come in!”

  “Yeah, no thanks, I’ve spent the last few minutes trying to avoid getting in the water, so—”

  Nedry sprinted past and happily dove into the ocean. He was a better swimmer than Sam realized and within moments he was playing with the pod, riding on their backs and doing flips and twists in the air.

  “Your friend’s got the right idea!” Darwin gave Sam a friendly—yet extremely hard—smack on the back before diving in himself, his colossal body making a great splash. “The water’s perfect, Sam Pierce! Jump in!”

  “Fine,” he scoffed while taking off his shoes. He stood nervously at the edge of the raft as one the dolphins struck the bottom, knocking him into the ocean, much to Darwin’s delight. “That’s not funny!” he cried as he coughed up water. One of the creatures swam up next to him and he hesitantly grabbed on. The next thing he knew, he was whisking through the sea like a rocket, an experience as exhilarating as a rollercoaster. When he finally let go and came back to the surface, he was smiling. “Okay, that may have been kind of fun…”

  Nedry splashed him and smiled. He splashed back. The dolphins joined in. And that’s how it went, for hours and hours. Never once did he feel tired, or bored, or vexed. In those few precious moments, there was nothing to be unhappy about.

  There existed only bliss.

  By twilight, the dolphins had gone. Nedry was sound asleep. Sam and Darwin sat at the edge of the raft, their legs dangling underwater. The sun was gently making its way into the depths of the horizon. An orange glow peeked from behind a purple sky as stars began opening their eyes.

  “When I was a little kid,” Sam said, “I had a friend who always used to brag about going on vacations to Florida and swimming with dolphins. That
was one of my dreams. I used to hate that little punk. But then he’d ask me something that made me realize later that he wasn’t being mean. That he wasn’t bragging.”

  “Which was?”

  “He’d ask me, ‘why don’t you go, too?’”

  Darwin nodded. Understood.

  “He was never bragging about anything. He just didn’t understand that it wasn’t something I’d ever be able to do. Born into two different worlds. He didn’t need to understand the value of a dollar. He didn’t know what it was like to have your mom tell you Santa wasn’t coming this year, or that we’d have to live in a hotel for a while. It was never his fault.”

  “And it was never yours either, Sam Pierce. Remember that. You blame yourself for too many things. It is a habit that only leads to darkness.”

  “When I got older, I shifted the blame to my parents. My dad was so stubborn, my mom was so weak.” He shook his head with a sigh.

  “Perhaps you misinterpreted. Perhaps your father’s stubbornness was actually pride. And perhaps your mother’s weakness was actually compassion. I can see them both in you, Sam, in fair quantities.”

  “Well, sometimes compassion can be a weakness.”

  “As can fear,” the giant boomed.

  “Fear?”

  “Yes. The fear that you cannot provide for your children. The fear that they will be taken. The fear that they will grow to resent those who were given more. That fear can breed pigheadedness. And it can develop into a compassion that may be misconstrued as a fault.”

  Sam thought on it. He’d never looked at it that way. “Maybe.”

  Nearby, a large buoy dinged on the surface. Atop was a flashing neon sign that read “Atlas” with an arrow pointing down.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam asked.

  “Hmm…I don’t know.” Darwin kicked the raft closer. “Perhaps it is a submerged city?”