Cold Amber

by Dushanth Daniel Ray


Images. Dark and evil images, flitted through Amber’s mind. Everything was hazy. She could see an outline, a person in front of her. The man was holding something in his hands, rusty and covered in grey moss, it looked like chains. Amber’s eyesight, though still dancing slightly from the drowsiness of her pain, started to sharpen. Soon she could see clearly, but everything was dim. She was on a huge raft, travelling down a strange river that stank of pure hatred. She was not alone; there were others, each of them with a glassy stare, unblinking, doomed to an eternity of torture. The raft stopped, reaching the unseen shore, as if it was gliding on air. The man pulled on the chains, forcing Amber forwards, who now realised that she was chained with the others. There was a huge flame, burning the far horizon into their eyes. The man in front of Amber, the one who pulled the chains, turned to face her. She gasped, her voice almost muted. He had no eyes on his putrid face; small ruby-red snakes slithered across the inside of his skull. He opened his mouth; a stench overwhelmed Amber. Poison green vapour, it was.
“Welcome to the Underworld.”




Daniel sat upright. He heard that scream. He knew that scream. It was Amber’s. She must be somewhere close. He stood up in a flash, gazing into the ancient mirror that hung on the wall opposite his bed. No. She’s not here. She’s dead; she’s gone to the Underworld. She might be gone… forever.

He heard more shouting. Yelling. Hoarse voices, or maybe just one voice, Daniel wasn’t sure. He was still thinking, dreaming maybe. If only that- that Minatour hadn’t attacked them, Daniel wouldn’t be on this ship, they wouldn’t be fighting monsters and extreme weather. If only that attack never happened, they would still be happy, and Amber…Amber would still be with them...

There were hurried footsteps, coming from all over the ship. The shouting went on. Among the noises, there was a peculiar sound, like an odd step, a wooden footstep. There was a loud bang, a force of impact; and Daniel’s cabin-door burst open, shaking him to the bone. Willing himself to focus, he realised that Captain Samuel Clinton was barking at him from the now empty doorframe.

“Get up, ya’ Land-Lubber! The Sirens arr’ singin’!”
Daniel could not understand him. What did he mean? Singing Sirens? Sure enough, there were more noises. A new sound drifted through the ship, pricking the ears of every soul on board. It was strange in every sense, a new melody to many. Daniel could not interpret it. He had to get on the deck. He rushed out of his cabin and ran up the stairs, pursued by the odd- footed Captain.

The ocean was not so calm anymore; sea spray grew harsh as bulldozing waves crashed into the hull of the already weakened Andromeda. Daniel ran to lean over the railings. The song was… wonderful. It was enduring in every way possible, lovely and enchanting, it was warm, and yet it was cold. He looked past the storming mist to see the creatures that sang it, and what he saw trapped his heart.

The Sirens floated across the raging sea, unperturbed by the waves that seemed to magically revolve around them, not able to touch them. They were women, but not just any women. They were beautiful, the best things the world can offer. Lovingly, they gestured at Daniel, asking him to jump down to join them. It was enchanting, almost overpowering. Daniel had forgotten all about the dangerous weather, he had forgotten all about the Sirens’ deadly curse, but most of all, he had forgotten all about Amber. All that mattered to him were the women in front of him. They were perfect, and he deserved that…

There was a shout, and the world blacked out. After what felt like eons, Daniel woke up in the storage room far beneath the deck. It was soundproof, and therefore the Sirens’ song could not be heard. Daniel cleared his mind, realising how Patricia had just saved his life. It still hurt where she had hit him.

“Sorry,” Patricia sat next to him with an apologetic look on her face. Daniel appreciated her for saving him. She was like a bigger sister to him.

“Okay, Lads!” Captain Sam’s face was slightly pink. “The Sirens arr’ the signs we wer’ lookin’ for. Wer’ goin’ overboard!”

Overboard? After sailing on the Andromeda for months, battling a dozen of beasts, braving the powerful weather along the way, that they will have to jump off, in the middle of nowhere… wait- nowhere?

Daniel understood now. They’re finally here. They had reached the-

“The World’s End.”

Captain Sam replied in a tone that hinted his eagerness in the drop-off. “Exactly.”
Dominic, Daniel’s best friend, though remained calm in most situations, could not handle the fact that they were going to plunge down a huge waterfall. “How long do we have left?” His expression was tainted with exhaustion. Samuel was about to answer when there was a sudden lurch. The whole ship lunged forwards, throwing everyone off their feet.

“It’s The End!”

The condition outside had gone a lot worse. The singing of the Nymphs had faded into the rumbling of something nearby, it sounded like a massive creature, drinking up the seas. The sky was as dark as night, the stars were so close they could practically feel their bright aura. The currents were strong and constant, pulling the Andromeda to a higher speed, but nothing in any of their lives would have prepared them for this. Even the sight of it was blood curdling, piercing their souls to the very core. The World’s End was right in front of them.

They had reached the very horizon of the Earth, the very end of it. The waterfall stretched from beyond even the greatest eyes could dare to see. It was the Niagara Falls’ biggest ancestor- no, this was a lot worse. It was… The End…

“This is it!”

The line that separated sky and sea no longer exists. Now, it was just outer space that they could stare at. Daniel held hands with his fellow friends and braced themselves. They have gone through a lot together, and now they will see if they would still be united, even if The End wants to tear it apart. They were about to go down… down into the Negative World, The Land of The Dead. They were right at the gateway to… the Underworld. Now they will see if they can save Amber from her eternity of torture, of pain…

The Andromeda, pulled by a force that had nothing to do with the strong current, came to a stand. For a millisecond, the world around Daniel stopped, everything flashed through his eyes. His disastrous first day of school… his parentless eleventh birthday… his first game with his new friends, Patricia and Dominic… Amber’s first day at his school… Amber… Amber’s sparkling eyes…

As the Andromeda fell, tilting to the front, cold sea spray an agonising pain, all Daniel could think of, was Amber. Amber…