Chapter 4

A gentle wave rolled up to the side of his tiny raft, and clapped against the side of the wood, sending up a tiny spray of water into the air. A few of the scattered droplets landing on the man's face, startling him out of his misery. One of the drops that had landed on his cheek began a slow descent down his face, finally ending on his parched lips.

Instinctively, the man opened his mouth and caught the rivulet of water with his tongue. As he did so, his eyes opened wide and his breath caught. Expecting the bitter taste of salt in his mouth, the man was shocked to find that the water he tasted was sweet. He imagined this was only a trick of his senses and used his tongue to find another water droplet on his face. Amazingly, this one was as sweet and cold as the first.

The man's heart began beating faster and his brain caught fire as he attempted to comprehend this phenomenon. He rolled over towards the edge of the raft and dipped his uninjured hand into the water, a small feat he had never dared to do before. He cupped his hand and drew a small portion of water up towards his face. The water was cool and invigorating in his hand and on his arm and he looked quizzically at the tiny pool he held in his hand. Finding nothing extraordinary and overcome with curiosity, he drew his hand to his mouth and drank from the well he had created.

As the water entered his mouth and washed into his body, he was overcome. The water instantly cooled his body, and awakened his nerves. The remarkably sweet taste in his mouth energized his taste buds and lingered there long after he had swallowed the water down. As he felt his small drink seep down his throat and into his belly, he felt strength...renewal.

With wide eyes he dipped his hand in again and instead of bringing it to his mouth, this time he splashed it square on to his face. It was as if each drop that hit his face was electricity, causing all the sleeping parts of him that he had thought long dead to stir and awaken. He threw another handful of water over himself, and then another and another, until he was drenched. He couldn't believe how cold the water was, and even more baffling to him, was how sweet and nourishing it was.

He paused from his frantic showering, his breath coming hard and fast, his hair wet and tousled, and looked down into the water. It was still dark and deep. It was still foreboding and mysterious. But for the first time, when he looked into its depths, he did not feel fear...only longing.