Marlin

The marlin shot through the water like a spear. The scales on his body formed a pattern of bright and dark shapes, glittering beneath the surface. His dorsal fin scratched the waves ever so slightly, slicing the surface, foam splashing.

His black eyes focused on a distant destination. He was still far away, yet, among all animals of the sea, he could reach it in the shortest time. A curtain of golden sun rays glittered into the aquamarine waters as the marlin continued his journey across the ocean. Beneath him unfolded a space of deep blue. Down there, sea monsters lured in darkness. But even if they tried to catch the marlin, they wouldn’t be quick enough. All their strength, hidden in the deep, couldn’t match the marlin’s speed. So, he raced on, undisturbed.

Later in the day, when the marlin reached more shallow waters, the underwater world around him turned turquoise. Light pierced the surface like dancing halos, shimmering bright. His light scales joined in the kaleidoscope of colours. White scales appeared yellow, and silver ones shone light blue. In the sun’s rays, the underwater world beneath the surface was an ever-changing space.

As the sun continued her journey across the sky, so did the marlin, never tiring. Evening approached, and so the blue world changed again. A spectacle of purple and red shades, sunlight broken by the waves, reached the marlin. The world glimmered like glowing shards of broken glass in the ever-darkening waters.

The marlin swam on. His black eyes took in the beauty of the sun’s light playing with the ocean. Yet, he was unmoved. He travelled on.

Soon the sun kissed the horizon. For a moment, the world beneath the waves turned blood-red, as if the ocean herself was bleeding. Then, the sun disappeared and all light faded. The marlin’s bright scales turned grey and black.

And as night ascended, new lights appeared. But they weren’t as strong as the sun. Starlight and moonlight shone upon the sea. The marlin sliced through the water as if nothing had changed, still seeking out a far away destination in an endless ocean.

Specks of silver and white illuminated the sea. Like beacons, the celestial light glimmered in the dark. Green and blue glowing creatures of the deep rose to the surface. But the marlin ignored their bioluminescent beauty. He had to journey on.

Soon, the strange creatures faded into deeper waters again and the starlight and moonlight grew weaker. But the marlin’s strength and speed didn’t falter. He continued. And as twilight approached and the world around him turned darkest, he too faded from sight. For a moment, he was gone, swallowed by the sea.

Then the first sun ray travelled over the horizon, even faster than the marlin. And with the sunlight, the marlin returned, breaking through the surface, glittering, dark blue, yellow and white. He shone even brighter and more beautiful than ever before, continuing his journey through the sea.