Надя Грин
To breathe
– So, is it good for them there? I’m happy for it, – said the spot.
– Yes, for sure! – answered Fish. – Why did you not go with them?
– No, – said the spot sharply. – I had no choice. Probably, they were for me the same as it was being in the city for you. They squeezed me.
– Did they beat you? – Fish asked, scared.
– Oh, no, of course no, – the shiny spot calmed down Fish.
– They did not beat me. The thing is that unsuitable substances are slow killing each other. And here is just two ways out, the first – they have to break up, or the second – they will be killing each other to the end. We chose the first when the second was already so near.
They look good, – Fish started to argue.
– And with your voice I can not tell you are in bad form.
Hah, thank you, – with a half-smile said the spot. – But if you were to meet me earlier you would not think so.
What you were before? – asked Fish.
– Now you even did not notice me in the dark. You have heard me, just because we're a few meters apart. But before, many years ago, you would feel my fresh smell from kilometres away. If you would hear my sound, it would make you fall asleep, not distract you. Before, everyone was coming to me, not leaving me. You could see me from outer space, – said the shiny spot with a romantic mood. – I was a powerful sea with endless shores.
– A sea? – for a second Fish was sure she was speaking with a crazy person. – Is it possible?
– The sea. Yes, possible. These animals you’ve seen in the city, lived within me. It was hard to breathe for them. It was a torture for them. But they did not know other life, and that is why they thought it was normal. But we both were tormented, – the Sea voice became a little angry. – They, trying to live within me; dried me. And I, by holding them here; killing them with my waves.
After a small break the Sea continued.
– From the start, my waters were leaving me very slowly, I almost did not notice. Just a few shores moved, I did not think much of it. But later, with every day my depth was becoming shallower and shallower. When my size was already the size of a big lake, with every hour, my waters were leaving. Everyone was sure I would completely disappear soon. When I became a pond a lot of animals left me. And when I became a puddle as I am now, the last very cowardly squirrel, who was really afraid of changes, left me. Since that time, I’m fully alone here.
