Janus

Janus sat on the smooth surface of the Island. Above him the golden ripples of the sun arced across the sky. It had been relatively warm that day and a thin film of moisture hung heavily overhead. He felt a low rumble in his stomach. He had spent too long above water on dry land unwilling to brave the dangers of the deep.

Janus stood up, took a last mouthful of air and leaped from the roof of the building he was perched on, Big Ben clock tower. His body reacted instantly, instinctively sealing his lungs and opening the four small slits in either side of his neck.

As he soared through the air he glanced up at the sky once more, the Eye had returned. So early after the last appearance of God. He had hoped for at least three days of tranquillity. But it was too late to withdraw now. He straightened into a dive and plunged into the water, his spearhead arms expertly cutting through the water like a knife. He would have to wait until the next judgement day and the resulting surface foam to get back onto the Island.

He swam down past the City of the Deep, the lower origin of the rooftops and spires that made up the Island. The webbed hands and feet on his naked body propelled him past high-rise flats and towering monuments such as the domed top of Saint Paul's cathedral. Buildings teeming with people like himself.

On he went through the Deep, covering the last of the submerged buildings to the sea floor. The already distorted light danced around him, further warped by the water, and he blinked to see with greater clarity the scene that lay before him. Dropping his feet and walking through the streets he met several fisherfolk struggling with a squirming alga, the world's only food source.

The fisherfolk were greatly respected in society. Many years ago they had been the ones who travelled through the forest of heavenly shards to the plug and opened it just enough to allow oxygen to pass into the mortal world. With it came relief to many suffocating people, desperately pumping exhausted water through their gills. Also came the algae, bringing further relief to the masses of the starving public.

The sole disadvantage was that as air seeped in, water seeped out. It was only in the last few years that the Island had come to exist, the whole city previously being engulfed by water. Soon the haven would become unreachable, even with surface foam, forcing them to abandon their only protection against judgement day and the decisions of the glittering squares.

The fisherfolk manoeuvred their catch into the Ritz and Janus followed them in. He walked through the chipped out doorway into the hollow, plastic and windowless restaurant where everyone in the world ate; food was provided free by the fisherfolk for all.

In the kitchen the algae cell, twice as big as a man, was killed, chopped into manageable chunks and then into stakes. One of these was placed in front of Janus and he ate greedily.

The ground shook. It was time to go back to the surface; time to return to relative refuge ready to catch the foam back to the certain security of the Island. The ground shook again and Janus fell backwards. Hastily he picked up his feet and darted out into the street.