Dolphin Magic

A short story

The following short story was inspired by a very frightening dream I experienced some years ago.

Jessica sat bolt upright in bed, sweat trickling, heart pounding. The blanket of darkness and silence disoriented her. She must have cried out in her sleep again - Milo was looking up from his bed in the corner, alert, ready to spring towards any threat. She turned on a light, reassured him, pulled on her robe and went to make tea. She stood with her eyes closed, barefoot, the cool of the kitchen tiles refreshing. It took a few long, drawn out minutes for her mind to clear and for her pulse to slow. The morning rituals helped. The simple regular movements instilled a sense of calm. She went to sit in her favourite chair, as she did most mornings, looking out at the sea. Her life had always revolved around the sea: hobbies, study, work, refuge.

It had been the same dream, the one she had had at least three times before.

This dream was so terrifying that Jess had begun to have difficulty getting to sleep. As if the stress of the last year wasn’t enough, now she had begun to feel decidedly sleep deprived.

It always began the same way. It was a beautiful, warm summer’s day and she was walking along the jetty at the island marina where her parents had kept their little boat. Something would catch her eye, a glint of sunlight on water. She would lean over to look into the clear depths of the bay and then the shark would leap out, perfectly vertical, just as dolphins do, expect for its rows and rows of teeth.