Apr. 18
11: 07 am

“This is getting frustrating!” Sayuri wailed. “It’s been nearly three days and I haven’t even found anything!” Not entirely true, since she did find artifacts that were of some value but what she didn’t find was the Holy Grail. Even its shadow would have been encouraging.

In front of her was the same peaceful scene she’d been exploring for the past 67 hours. A crayfish felt the movement of the sub and quickly ran for shelter. She still wasn’t used to the spectrum that the multicolored corals created from the slivers of light from the morning sun that managed to reach this depth, creating an atmosphere of mystery.

It was so calm, so serene. “If it weren’t so cold in here I’d stay here forever,” she mused. But she knew that this scene could be deceiving. In this isolated world you had to fight to live. You’re either the hunter or the hunted.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t realize that she’d come upon a deep crevasse about a hundred meters wide. It would probably take her fifteen minutes to get across. She immediately looked down. “Oh, boy!” she gasped. “If the Holy Grail is down there then mankind would just have to settle for a legend.”

Flashes of yellow caught her left eye. It was a school of sunfishes scurrying away. “Sorry”, she grinned, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Suddenly the little light that was available at this depth vanished from overhead. Sayuri looked up. “There must be a storm coming. If there is, I would like to be away from this crevasse as soon as possible.” She started to maneuver the little sub and was surprised when as suddenly the lights vanished that they came back. ” What the. . . ” she exclaimed and looked above. The world above looked clear and bright as when she started this morning from what she could see. “That’s strange,” she whispered.

She was jerked forward with a sudden force when the little sub hit something, or rather, was hit by something. She got up and managed to see a great white shark swim away from her. It was then that panic set in. Her heart immediately began to beat faster. The floodlights probably attracted its attention, she thought.

“Great,” she groaned, “just great. You’ve always wanted adventure Sayuri, and now you have it”.

She stirred the sub away from the shark. She didn’t want to chance a fight with the shark and if that was the case there was no doubt who will win. The main reason she chose this sub was that it was small and light. And against a crazed shark it didn’t stand a chance. Maybe it would just ignore her. Maybe it was just chasing something else and she got in the way and it’ll continue its course.

She found out this wasn’t her lucky day. Especially when she saw the white shark circle back to her again. “No! No!” her mind screamed. “Go away!” but the shark continued on its path. It swung its great tail and managed to smash one of the headlights. “That’s okay. Just one of the headlights. No problem,” Sayuri whispered as she struggled back to her seat.

It circled back again, making the sub its pivot point, and rammed its head against the sub. This time it managed to smash one of the propellers. She gritted her teeth. “Now, this is not good. Not good at all”. Every charge of the shark succeeded in knocking her from her seat. She never imagined having a skirmish with a shark. She fought desperately to steer the sub away from the shark but it was futile. “Sayuri, try to think rationally. You could get through this. You have to.” The shark wasn’t giving up on its target. Add to the fact that she was still trying crossing the ravine.

The shark lunged at the sub again and this time Sayuri hit her head. She was still clearing her thoughts when the sub was hit with another succession of blows. She hit her head again and this time she wasn’t able to get up. She tried to but she was getting dizzy and the constant stream of blood from her head matting her face didn’t help.

She heard the sound of breaking glass and rushing water. She was aware of the shark circling above her like a vulture. She felt the sub sink deeper and deeper into the black abyss. The pressure was getting heavier fast, making it more difficult to breathe. She was slipping in and out of consciousness that she didn’t even feel tears rolling down her cheeks. As the darkness overwhelmed her, her last thought was of the blue-eyed boy she was leaving behind.

Author’s Notes:
And the plot thickens. . .

Same day
2: 47 pm

Stunning! It was the first word that came to Sayuri’s mind as she surveyed the world in front of her. “No matter how many times I do this it never ceases to amaze me,” she breathed.

The two floodlights of the minisub guided the passage, illuminating everything in its path. The sub was traveling at a slow speed of three knots, the speed she found most comfortable, not to mention it made viewing the scenery more pleasurable. Some people might find it disconcerting to be trapped inside a metal shell some thousand feet under the sea with nothing but yourself to talk to and the rhythmic rumble of the engines amidst the uncanny silence. But Sayuri was used to the isolation and the mystery of the sea always succeeded in beckoning her.

She relaxed and allowed the magnificence of her surrounding envelop her. She was glad for the sound system of the sub as she popped a record on. The strains of her favorite band Crash & Burn reached her ears and she began to bop her head. Nothing like rock music to lift the spirits!

She assumed her year spent as a marine archeologist prepared her for such a sight but, much to her delight, she still found a certain excitement in it. Sure, she had been part of diving expeditions before but those were just very routine, like examining marine habitat and all that. But never on a mission. A mission in which she hadn’t dreamt she would be undertaking alone.

Every kind of ship predating to almost 1000 years was there. Wreckage of sunken ships at every hundred miles. Sayuri felt like a child lost in a treasure trove. There was so much history in this place. Every ship had a story to tell.

It was indeed an arresting sight. The slivers of light that managed to reach this depth cast an eerie glow to the wreckage. All the multicolored corals and fishes, each showing off their own charm as if fighting to get her attention. This was the main reason she became a marine archeologist at such a young age.

“Why do you want to be a marine archeologist?” she remembered her eight grade teacher asking her.

“Because I want to see the things live there. All I ever see are either from television or magazines. I want to see them for real. Whenever I see them, it’s like I’m in another place,” her ten-year-old self said earnestly. “My father always takes me to the beach every summer and there we would sail his boat and fish. I love the feel of it, the wind, the sun, and the water. It just isn’t the same any other place”. Since she couldn’t resist, she added, “Who knows? Maybe I’ll even see mermaids.”

Her teacher chuckled. “Well, be sure to tell me if you see one.”

“I’ll tell them you said hi,” she teased back.

She smiled at the memory. She knew that she’d attained that dream and it has exceeded her expectations. And that’s why she was here. She wanted a new challenge. The Holy Grail was the perfect solution to that. It gave her something to hope for. Something to satisfy her adventurous nature.

That kept her going. The intense drive for achievement. To do something no one has done before. It gave her a sense of direction in life.

Although Hokano would say otherwise. He’d say that her curiosity, most often than not, lands her in trouble. Well, she had to admit he wasn’t all wrong about that.

She giggled at the memory when Hokano had to pretend to be a lawyer. She accused a store manager of cheating her on a sale and the manager tried to defend himself saying the sale was correct. And that grew into an unruly fight since the now red-faced manager couldn’t take the abuse of Sayuri’s tongue. Hokano finally had to convince the disgruntled manager that pressing charges wouldn’t solve the problem and it wouldn’t be good publicity for his store to be involved in such a scandal.

They had a fight afterward and Hokano gave her one of his irritating self-assured stares and said, “If you ever behave like that again, I’ll place you over my knee and smack your bottom for all you’re worth!” That shut her up. She didn’t like to be reminded that she was a child.

Hokano didn’t always approve of what she does and he’s always ready to voice that out. He says she’s too reckless which makes his task of looking after her more difficult. She asked furiously who gave him the right to look after her. The most irritating part of that fight was that he just shook his head and said she was being pig-headed again. Ha! Look who’s talking!

But despite all the cursing and four-letter words they were still friends. Hokano doesn’t tell her what to do because he knows that’s he respects her opinion, even if he doesn’t always like it. And if he does tell her what not to do she’ll turn around and do it anyway.

She smiled at the thought of him. Even if this trip turned out to be another false lead and nothing came out of it, she knew that she would always have him. Enough of the reminiscing. You have a more important task to do here. With an effort, she fixed her eyes to the scene ahead.

Hokano stared at the multicolored horizon produced by the setting sun and felt a sudden dread. It’s been two days, he thought. He cursed himself for not going with her. “Take a grip, Hokano,” he told himself. “She’s going to be fine.”.

Although he reminded this to himself, he still couldn’t shake the chill that kept creeping down his spine. It was menacing, like a monster waiting in the dark before it comes out and strikes its victim. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling but there it was and there was nothing he could do about it.

Author’s Notes:
I really want to be inside a sub and see the world hidden to us in the sea.

Current year, Apr. 16
8:21 am

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Hokano asked. He was apprehensive. He knew this was a very dangerous expedition. “You don’t know what could happen. These waters are very unpredictable. Maybe we should postpone this trip. I hear Venice is beautiful this time of year.” But he knew he was just wasting his breath. She wasn’t thinking about anything else except this expedition for the last few months. Venice could just freeze over and she wouldn’t bat an eyelash. He knew she made up her mind and nothing he?ll say could change it. What a stubborn creature!

“I’ll be alright. I have everything I need right here,” Sayuri gestured toward the little submarine-well, not actually a submarine but she liked calling it that, attached to the side of Hokano’s boat.

She squinted her eyes against the early morning sun with its rays glinting in the cool blueness of the sky. The soft breeze blew coolly against her face making her hair dance wildly. She inhaled the heady smell of the sea with delight, looking at the seagulls who kept swooping down above the waters in hopes to find their breakfast. The soft lapping of the waves against the side of the boat was reassuring.

The Atlantic Ocean never looked so beautiful! It possessed a certain calmness that one couldn’t help but wonder what kind of being created such perfection. It made emotions jumble from one to another, barely making time for you to distinguish each one. There were two emotions that stood out, though. Melancholy and delight. Delight and melancholy. It made you feel ecstatic and sad at the same time. Ecstatic because the picturesque scenery was not something you see everyday and your eyes couldn’t get enough of drinking in its splendor. Sad because most people go about their daily lives oblivious to this magnificence. Some of us are fortunate enough to experience it. Others aren’t that lucky.

“This is just going to be another dive,” she continued. “It’s not like I’ve never done this before. Besides, I didn’t become a marine archeologist to twiddle my thumbs!”

If that was supposed to reassure him, it didn’t. “But we’re just a few miles from the Bermuda Triangle! I can’t help feeling a bit uneasy.”

“Oh, come now. You don’t believe in those crazy stories, do you? I’m not the first person to come here.” She flashed him a grin. “You’ve been watching too many horror movies.”

He ignored that teasing comment. “But what became of the people who even thought of coming near here? They vanished!” He paced back and forth. “Can’t you at least pretend to be worried? Really! We’re in the disaster capital in the world and you’re worried about twiddling your thumbs!” Putting on his most serious voice, he said, “Besides, I promised your parents I?d look after you and I don’t even want to think about what your father might do to me if I don’t.”

Sayuri rolled her eyes. Here he goes again! Acting the guardian bit. Just because she’s younger doesn’t mean she’s incapable. Men! Why do they always have to be so overbearing? Maybe that’s what 6 years of friendship can bring.

He always had this overprotective habit that can only be called smothering’though she wouldn’t dare say so to his face!. He’s the only friend I have. Still, it was sickening at times. Maybe some people will call it sweet but, unfortunately for Hokano, she wasn’t one of those people.

“I agree to your insistence for independence,” he continued, deliberately ignoring her reaction, “but don’t you think you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself? It doesn’t have to be today. That ship isn’t going anywhere. It’s already under the sea for goodness sake! What’s the hurry?”

“I’m always in a hurry,” she pointed. “I was reading at two, submitted my first thesis at ten and graduated from college at age eighteen. What did you expect?”

It was during those years of research that she found evidences linking a French ship named Merle to the Holy Grail. It was a trading ship, primarily used for trading silk and other necessities to foreign countries as far as Japan. It was a harmless ship, if you count trading stolen antiquities to long-time clienteles harmless. The captain was not exactly friendly, and on some accounts, very disturbed. He must have been if he planned to smuggle The Grail out of France. The Universe must have had enough of him since on the said voyage, from Paris to America, it never reached its destination. Some said that it took a shortcut to America by passing through the Bermuda Triangle and that’s where the ship met his fate. Some said the greedy captain double-crossed the buyers and sold it to someone who had a higher bid on the artifact. Most people believed the former, though since no plausible explanation of its disappearance could be found and honestly, no one wanted to know. It sank because it was arrogant enough to sail through the Bermuda Triangle and that was that.

And now that it was within her grasp she wasn’t about to let it slip away. Never! That was what she had worked all her life to achieve and she’s not going to turn away from it. Not even for Hokano.

“But you will be there for three whole days! Is finding the Holy Grail really that worth it?” he demanded. He was getting desperate. What would it take for her to change her mind?

He watched as she stood up and approached him. She looked at him seriously, as if considering his suggestion. His pulse raced. He felt hope surge through him. She’s going to change her mind! The thought lifted his spirits. He was about to say something when Sayuri reached up and pinched?pinched!?his nose. The girl thought he was being silly!

“Three days at most,” she corrected. “I wouldn’t stay there longer than necessary. I ?d come back as soon as I find it.” If I find it. She didn’t want to think about that one. I won’t fail. I’ve never failed in my entire life and I’m not about to start now. I have to be optimistic. I have to be.

She turned to Hokano and saw the concern in his eyes. She had to convince him somehow. Even if I can’t convince myself’stop that!?I’ve said I’m going to be optimistic and that’s what I’m going to do. She continued her lecture, “Don’t you get it? If we prove that the Holy Grail did sink here along with that ship we?d be doing the world a big favor. Just think of all the lost history we could uncover!” she looked at him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Still, she saw that Hokano was unmoved. She had to let him see reason. She let out a deep breath. That’s it. She didn’t want to do this but he gave her no choice. She turned to her last resort.

She looked at him with all the disappointment she could muster and said, “I’ve been waiting for something like this all my life. This is what all my hard work all those years was for. It’s been my dream.” She had to make this work. “Would you dare deny me my dream?” The look she gave him dared him to say no.

That’s right. Lay a guilt trip on me why don’t you? He grimaced. You know very well that I wouldn’t be able to say no to you. Ever. He sighed. Half of him wanted to protect her and half wanted to let her be herself.

Looking out for her has already become second nature to him. He has been her protector ever since the day in the school cafeteria when he saw the kids taunt her. A slip of a girl with dark pigtails looking at the bullies with defiant dark eyes, daring them to do their worst. He didn’t even know he had that protective nature until he saw her there. As if she was calling to him to rescue her, despite her fearless attitude. He was suddenly glad that he was taller than most kids since he wasn’t sure if he could have defeated those bullies.

It wasn’t her fault. She was so smart that other people found it threatening. She had no friends because they thought that she was weird just because she liked reading books on history and the metaphysical sciences instead of fashion magazines and romantic novels.

And she is seldom excited about something. So how can he deny her this? I can’t. “I suppose there isn’t the remotest possibility that you’d change your mind?” he asked in a last ditch attempt. She shook her head. He sighed. He knew he was going to regret this. “Alright,” he said at last. “But promise me you?ll be back in three days.”

It worked! It actually worked! Sayuri jumped up impulsively and hugged him. He trusted her and she would never let him down. She smiled as she looked at him. I’ll make you proud. “I promise,” she whispered. With that said, she jumped into the little sub.

“Take care of yourself!” Hokano shouted.

“I will.” She closed the top cover of the vehicle and started to submerge.

Hokano continued to stare at the submarine till it was swallowed under the deep blue waters. She’s going to be alright. She’s going to be alright. She can take care of herself. He was still feeling apprehensive. Some of his doubts were dispelled by Sayuri’s argument. She can be convincing if she wanted to. Maybe she should have become a lawyer instead. She certainly is sly enough for it. He chuckled. The pun did seem to liven his mood.

He went to the command station of his ship and stared at the tracking screen which fixed the sub’s position. He had argued with Sayuri about the idea of attaching a tracking device to the sub. She ranted about him not trusting her. He ranted about her worrying him needlessly to a frazzle. She ranted about her independence. But when he issued an ultimatum of going with the tracker or not at all, Hokano won?one of those rare cases.

He looked at the blinking screen for a time. I have to let her be herself. I can’t protect her from the world forever. He rebelled against that decision but he knew he had to let her go. He knew it was the right thing to do. But that didn’t make it any easier.

Author’s Notes:
Yes, I’ve chosen Japanese names for my characters. Oh. Thanks for my niece Sayuri for giving a name for my character.