Through Endless Night

Shafts of golden sunlight lanced through the littoral cave's ceiling to create warm pools of light throughout the cavern. A young woman, clad in a simple bikini, sat within one of the beams, just at the edge of the water. Her eyes were closed with her face raised to the sun. The corners of her mouth were upturned in a simple, happy smile. Far in the distance, the cry of seagulls broke the unceasing susurration of the sea-fed cave.

Her heartbeat slowed fractionally as she mentally pulled the sound of the sea and birds around her like a cloak. The seconds passed but she didn't bother to track them. Not yet. Not here.

She felt it within her chest first, tugging at her consciousness like a young child begging for her mother's attention. At this point, it was easy to ignore the twinge she ignored it. Instead, she began a litany in her mind.

It is nothing to me,

she thought.

I

am nothing. I am a single raindrop, cast off from blackened clouds over the ocean. Others scream around me but I fall alone. Accepting my fate. Striking the roiling, churning depths so that I am joined with it. My burning lungs are the crashing waves but I am the calm, fallen raindrop. Deeper. And deeper until I can hear the roaring in my ears.

Although she could continue to hold her breath despite the throbbing ache, she slowly exhaled. After years of diving, she'd come to appreciate the pain in a strange kind of way. It reminded her of how far she'd come, of the limits she'd pushed and the training she'd endured. It's a reminder of how alive she was.

The rocky ledge above the water gives way to bone-white sand. She unfurled herself, muscle by hard muscle as part of her stretching routine. Starting with her arms, she lifted herself up to tuck her legs beneath her body. Kneeling on the rock, she held the ledge to anchor herself and then lifted with her toes until her calves trembled. She bent, releasing her grip to stand, rocking back and forth while tensing her thigh muscles.

The warm sun high overhead helped to loosen her muscles as she worked through her stretching exercises one at a time.

With the stretching finished, she began to pace the cave while holding her breath. Unlike when diving or sitting, she had to watch her step so she distracted herself. The cave was newly discovered along the coast of Serifos. It was remote and difficult-

Exhale.

She checked her watch - a new Suunto diving computer courtesy of her boyfriend, and mentally noted the time before resetting the timer. Her lean chest swelled as she inhaled as much as possible.

Although the cave was remote and difficult for casual visitors, she'd expected more divers. The locals had shrugged when she'd mentioned the lack of people on her initial visit yesterday. They were an odd, apathetic bunch that seemed more interested in fishing than possible new tourist money.

She'd only heard of the cave from an off-hand remark on a forum. It'd been mentioned in passing by a new user that had never posted anything before or since. She was skeptical so she checked in with a friend who had family in the area and they confirmed-

Exhale.

Longer this time. White sparks flashed in the corner of her eyes but she drew in another lungful of air. The ritual continued with brief pauses for more stretching until she felt like she was finally ready.

Her gear is laid out near the water: buoy and rope, fins, mask and a diving light with a wrist strap. She frowned at the fins, briefly considering going back for her monofin but again decided to take it easy on this dive.

Plenty of time to try for a personal record,

she told herself. Her hotel room was booked for a week and her boyfriend would be joining her soon. There's no accommodations in the fishing village itself but the drive isn't too far at all so she knew she had plenty of time to push herself.

Tomorrow or the next day, perhaps.

Holding onto the weight attached to the rope, she cast out the buoy and then dropped the weight. The azure water lapped at the buoy but it held steady and she saw no major sway to the rope as it fell. She watched it for a time until it vanished into the deep below.

Despite how long she'd been diving, she was constantly amazed at the variation and beauty of each location. Here the water was as achingly blue as the purest iceberg. Yet, it grew dark quickly and she swayed as vertigo seized her. The shiver that suddenly seized her wasn't only due to the thrill of a new dive. For one brief moment, her view inverted and it appeared as if the rope trailed off through a perfect blue sky and far beyond.

Instincts born of years of training kicked in. She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing and the world righted itself.

One minute,

she thought, with her eyes still closed.

I'll be fine. I've given myself one minute for my initial dive. A minute down and however long it takes to surface. Less than a minute back.

She sat at the edge of the water again, in the same spot as before. The sound of the water soothed her and brought her back down to reality. Calm once more, she reached for her mask. It's a new gift to herself, purchased impulsively before the trip and she was excited to try it. She smiled again, a little sadly this time as she traced a finger along the edge of it. It's a new Omer mask and the first time she tried it on, she had to endure her boyfriend asking if she were going to be the villain in the next Spider-Man movie. She wished her were here but they flew separately from different locations and his flight was delayed.

He's wrong, anyway,

she thought to herself, turning the mask over in her hands.

I think it looks more like some cool noir superhero mask. Straight from old time radio dramas.

The young woman swirled her feet in the warm water to clear the sand clinging to her skin. She lifted them to slip her toes into the fins before securing the strap against her foot. Her heart began to beat faster as the dive drew near. Before her growing anxiety became worse, she pushed away to slide into the water, turning with one hand on the ledge to hold herself in place. She leaned back to wet her long, blonde hair while staring up at the cavern's ceiling as last time before her dive Finally, she slipped her mask on, moving it around until it was properly positioned and sealed. Satisfied that the mask was secured, she swam to the buoy.

With one hand around the rope and another on one of the straps surrounding the buoy, she floated and wait. Her strong legs worked back and forth in easy movements. Occasionally, the diving light secured to her left wrist bumped against her arm.

She counted down from thirty, inhaling and exhaling. Although it was a simple test dive, she treated them all with the same cautious respect.

Three.

Her hand went to her diving computer.

Two.

She swallowed air until it felt like she'd burst from it.

One.

The Suunto on her left wrist beeped when she pressed the button and she submerged herself with a controlled kick. The buoy's rope slid through the loose grip on her right hand as she dove.

When the warm water embraced her, her anxiety melted away and she lost herself in the motions.

A raindrop in a calm sea,

she reminded herself. Her arms trailed at her sides while her thighs and ass flexed with each kick.

One with the water surrounding me.

The world compressed against her the lower she went. In the absence of her SCUBA gear, there was absolute silence except for her steady, well-trained heartbeat.

At twenty seconds in, the world faded to an angry violet and she felt like she could still swim for miles. She grabbed at the light's strap with her fingers until she was holding the light's handle. It clicked on with the tap of a button and a powerful beam of white light pierced the cavern. It widened around her and, as she aimed the light lower, it looked as if it continued to open up.

The pressure built as she continued to descend until a sharp sliver of pain pierced her nose and the center of her head. At the same time, she noticed static hissing in her ears that rose and fell in a soothing cadence.

I am a drop in the ocean

, she thought to herself. Focusing on the pulsating hiss at the back of her head seemed to fill her with a sense of calm so she listened to it while talking to herself.

One of many.

Fifty seconds passed. It was getting colder and the darkness was all-consuming. The young woman snapped out of her reverie and found herself surprised at how quickly the time had passed.

Should I keep going?

She asked herself, slowing her movements.

It's my first dive, though so I'll need to-

A single bobbing globe of light appeared far beneath her, interrupting her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat as she shined her light towards it but, when she moved the light away, all that remained was the darkness. Shadows lengthened and twisted while her handheld light explored the jagged walls of the immense cavern.

For a moment, she thought she'd imagined the other light but, when she blinked, the sickly green afterimage wavered against her eyelid.

She checked her Suunto to see that she was just past sixty seconds and roughly twenty-one meters down. With a well-practiced movement, she kicked and twisted to begin her ascent.

The buoy's rope suddenly went taut in the girl's hand. And then it moved, deliberately in a straight line rather than with a sway she'd expect from a current. It pulled to the side and the strange light returned, directly in the path of the moving rope.

Nausea hit her suddenly, followed by a stomach cramp and a twinge of pain between her temples. She pulled her eyes away from the light and kicked as hard as she could.

In her frantic haste, she overlooked a strobing light approaching from her side until it was beside her. She turned to come face-to-face with a monstrosity. Her eyes slid past its features, refusing to focus on any single point of its grotesque body.

Ancient, primal instincts caused her to scream. Bubbles streamed from her mouth and she pushed back, releasing her grip on the rope. A hidden appendage shot forth from the creature. Rubbery tissue scraped against the woman's teeth as her jaw was forced open. A rancid, rotten taste filled her mouth. She gagged, reaching for the creature's arm but it slipped through her hands and vanished in a green froth.

The small woman, floating alone in the cavern, flailed blindly, panicking until her fingers brushed against the buoy's rope.

Something's still in my mouth,

she realized. She pushed against it with her tongue but it refused to move. Her tongue explored the object and she could feel the thing's tendrils latched against the roof of her mouth.

I have to get out of here!

She kicked with renewed frenzy while reaching into her mouth with her free hand but the thing

moved

away from her fingers. She felt every tiny tentacle unlatch and then reattach further in her mouth until it tickled the back of her throat. The sensation made her gag again and her throat convulsed around the alien object. The thing seized the opportunity. It expanded against her throat and then shrunk while disconnecting. She swallowed it by reflex.

Another cramp stabbed into her gut, worse than any period cramp she'd ever had. She doubled-up and then cried out as the rope burned her hand. Curled into a fetal position, she watched as the braided rope rapidly descended.

A warm glow filled the water around the woman.

The need to breathe broke through her pain and panic in such a relentless rush that the young woman opened her mouth. Her brain screamed at her to take in a lungful of water, jabbering that if she didn't, she'd die without oxygen. Instead, she kicked, spinning while trying to ignore the searing pain in her chest and stomach. She spasmed, suddenly forced erect by trembling muscles along her back. Her lungs were a shriveled knot behind her ribs.

Pale green strands floated around her, bathed in the surrounding light. She stared at them, focusing on them as the agony within began to ebb. The long strands danced together as if a school of fish. Caught in some minor current, they twirled and spun and twined together.

She reached for the strands and then stopped, staring at her arm.

Oh.

Oh. I'm- I'm glowing,

she thought, turning her hand over in front of her eyes. She could see nothing generating the light. Her tanned skin held a yellow tint in the light and, as she looked down the length of her body, she realized she was enveloped in it.

The light brightened in a flash, forcing her pupils to contract. She turned away and blinked and found herself in absolute darkness save for the lone beam from her light.

As her eyes dilated, they flattened in an horizontal oval shape. The growing pupil seemed to push against her irises and they, too, expanded until her sclera were consumed. She groaned, pressing the heels of her hands to her temples. The skin near her temples flared as expanding flesh ossified. Sharp pain within her nasal cavity made her squeeze her eyes shut. They bulged against their sockets until the bone containing them gave way to make room.

When the girl opened her unnaturally large eyes, the cavern walls stood out in blurry, emerald contrast. She blinked and the translucent nictitating membranes covering her widened eyes slid beneath her eyelids. Strands of gold and brown appeared in the blue of her irises. More of the muddy coloring appeared until they filled her eyes.

The girl's fingers, pressed against her aching skull, touched bald skin. She explored her scalp and then glanced up at the green strands of her hair still floating above her.

It was only when she opened her mouth to scream that she realized she wasn't breathing. She wasn't breathing and yet, despite the dull, faraway pain in her lungs, she felt fine. Energized, even. The young woman kicked experimentally before noticing that she'd lost her left fin at some point.

I don't understand,

she thought to herself. Her Suunto informed her that she'd been underwater for over five minutes and was nearly twenty-seven meters down.

Cramps formed within the woman's foot and she felt the toes of her right foot press against the her single fin. Pulling her knees to her chest, she unlatched the fin to let it float away. She massaged her foot, staring at their length and wondering if they were longer. As she flexed and wriggled her toes, she became aware of a thin webbing between them.

The young woman watched in horrified fascination as her toes began to lengthen. With each millimeter of growth, the skin stretched until the base of her toes were connected with short, translucent webbing.

A single toenail detached from the end of her big toe. It floated away in a wide, whirling loop but was soon joined by a second and then a third until all ten of her toes were bare. Her third toe began to outpace the others. She cried out, wordlessly, pushing on the digits in a futile bid to make them stop.

Slick skin met her fingers and she struggled to hold onto her foot. Microscopic glands formed beneath her toes and feet as they changed. Mucous oozed from the new glands as dark brown patches formed on her tanned skin. The blemish seemed to crawl beneath her skin until it grew darker and began a new pattern, fading to a light brown and then dark again. The alternating pattern covered both feet but continued up over her ankles. Tiny globs of her new mucous floated around her legs as her body struggled to adapt to the new changes.

Still the woman's toes lengthened until the smallest of them were a full foot long. They swayed in the gentle current surrounding her. She thrashed around in a panic and her wide, long toes caught the water, propelling her further into the abyss below. Lines appeared on the hardened muscles of her thighs when the skin pulled tight over them. White stretch marks fractured her skin like lightning before being swallowed by swaths of dark skin. Below the tissue and muscle, her femur groaned. Fatty issue ossified into new bony growths and her powerful legs lengthened.

Color drained from the inside and back of her thighs as the brown patchwork pattern marched ceaselessly along her body. She scraped at her thighs but the joints of her fingers bent impossibly far backwards.

With her heart pounding in her chest and her freakishly large pupils widened in panic, she stared as a dark freckle appeared on the back of her hand. It seemed to eat at the skin around it until it lightened slightly. As with her feet, the pattern continued to swarm her hands and wrists, moving up to her forearms under a haze of expelled mucous.

Yet her fingers drew her attention. They popped and stretched, slower than her toes. She watched as they added an inch apiece. She flexed them and then gasped, pressing her hands against her stomach. Her long fingers twisted into her bikini as she rubbed her slick, thick thighs together. Her labia bulged then folded into themselves, pulling into her body to leave a dark slit between her fish-white thighs.

Bones clicked and broke within her hips and they widened to allow space for the oviduct growing to replace her Fallopian tubes. She pulled and pushed with her fingers until her bikini bottom snapped and floated away. The young woman tumbled in a slow turn as she rubbed the spreading white skin of her lower belly. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and squeezed, gasping at the over-sensitive sides of her body and an oddly arousing itch forming between her legs. She felt

full

inside for some reason but the sensation of it was erotic in a way she'd never felt.

As she turned, her bra rubbed loosely against her chest. The new white skin spreading along her torso reached the swell of her breasts and they shrank. She slid a hand over her body to press against her breasts. Her long fingers could no longer cup them so she pressed against them while twisting her legs together. The woman's modest bosom pulled into her body while she caressed them, sliding her glistening hands over her erect nipples again and again until they lay flat and dark on her white chest.

A dull aching pain bloomed in the middle of the woman's back. For a brief moment, she lost feeling below the site of the pain but it returned as her back extended. She pulled her legs up and they spread to her sides when she tried to curl into a fetal position. Black glossy skin emerged along her back in branching patterns along her sides and lower back.

Sudden pressure built within her chest and the young woman gasped as if remembering the need to breathe. The pressure seemed to inflate deep inside, pressing against her ribs, breastbone and the skin covering her upper body until it released.

The girl's bikini top snapped as her upper body widened. Muscle formed deep inside her growing body to match her new, wide hips.

Atop the woman's head, her ears folded back against her head. The connective skin grew up from her scalp and around the edge of her ears until they lay flat. The intricate ridges and whorls deflated, flowing into the surrounding skin. The tragus on both ears stretched over the hole left behind. The skin became translucent while it stretched until her ears were nothing more than holes covered by tympanic membranes.

Haunting music played in the distance. It rose and fell like the waves in the cavern above and her new membranes vibrated from it. She unfurled herself and spun to face it. The melody made her shiver and she blinked, her third eyelid lagging slightly behind the other.