[treasure] Little water

The sun glinted off the water as Rannoi guided her small boat through the shallow reef. The waves were calm today, rippling lazily beneath the hull as she approached her favorite spot, a secluded patch of coral she’d found years ago. This was a place she visited often, a hidden treasure off the coast that felt so different than her daily life. The colors beneath her, a mix of reds, blues, and shimmering greens, seemed to glow through the water, welcoming her back.

Rannoi loved the sea, the feel of the breeze tugging at her loose hair, the way the salt clung to her skin. More than that, though, she loved the life it held, the darting fish and hidden wonders that danced beneath the waves. Pulling her fishing gear out, she leaned over the edge, watching the underwater world move in harmony, like a silent, colorful symphony.

She dipped her fishing line into the water, fixed it to the boat, and waited. Moments passed, and then, a flash of color, a streak of orange and green, as a curious little gupper swam closer. She held her breath, watching as it inspected her bait. With a swift tug, she hooked it, and it darted around, weak in his small stature but mighty in spirit, but oh so easily caught.

Carefully, Rannoi lifted it out of the water, admiring its scales that shimmered in the sunlight. She couldn’t help but smile, brushing her fingers along the vibrant, glistening colors before taking out her phone. As usual, she would take a picture of her catch and then release it. She fished to admire the creatures of the land, not to take lives. 

She caught two more, an orange and blue floating char and a delicate pink gupper, their colors so vivid they shined in the pictures she took. After a couple of other fishes, she set her gear aside, content to drift along the gentle current.

Rannoi opened her small bag and pulled out her lunch: fresh bread, some slices of cheese, some ham, and a handful of grapes. She leaned back, feet up and over the edge of the boat, left to dangle with her hooves touching the water, and took a deep breath, savoring the cool air mixed with the scent of saltwater and seaweed. Everything about this place felt alive, from the subtle rush of water below to the cries of the birds in the distance.

Taking a bite of her sandwich, Rannoi watched as groups of fishes passed by in a flurry of scales and color. They swam in a way that was almost hypnotic, moving together as though in perfect sync, turning and looping all at the same time. For a moment, she let herself be absorbed into their world, imagining what it might feel like to glide effortlessly through the water, have s strong tail to propel her through the water, living a life underwater.

Her gaze wandered to the reef below, a vast stretch of coral spreading out, colorful and alive. Tiny pearlescent moonfish peeked out from within, darting between the sea plants, and some small soft pearlfish twisted among the seaweed. It was peaceful here, away from the worries that followed her on land. Here, time seemed to stretch and slow, as though the ocean itself held its own secret rhythm.

As she finished her meal, Rannoi leaned back, closing her eyes to listen to the sounds around her. The waves lapped gently against the side of her boat, and a soft breeze played through her hair, carrying with it the scent of salt. It was a quiet peace, one that made her feel grounded yet light, as if she could simply drift here forever, leaving her life behind and just being part of the universe.

When the sun rose higher in the sky, Rannoi stretched and began to prepare for the journey back. She knew that tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, she would return to the reef. Because here, among the colors and the calm, she found a place where she could breathe, where the worries of the world faded into the rhythm of the water, and where everything felt perfectly, beautifully whole.