21. Momo Leaves the Undersea Kingdom

     Momo struggled through the whirlpools and quickly swam to her father’s palace for a final glimpse of her loved ones—for a final glimpse at her sisters, her father, and her grandmother. The festival had long ended. All was dark and everyone was asleep.

     She silently slipped into her garden and picked seven flowers—one for each sister, one for her father, and one for her grandmother. She gently laid one each by the sleeping forms of her father, her grandmother, and each of her five sisters, making sure to hold it in place with a small stone at the base of the stem.  

     Her heart was breaking at the thought of eternal separation from her loved ones, yet hopeful at the thought of togetherness with the prince.  She wished she could kiss each one before leaving, but she couldn’t take the risk of waking them. 

    Momo turned for a final gaze at her home and turned her thoughts somewhere beyond the sea.  With a sigh, she turned her face toward the moonlight that played on the waves, and she swam toward it. Just beneath the surface of the sea, Momo swam toward the land—toward the palace of Prince Arturo.

  It was still dark as she approached Prince Arturo’s palace. Twinkling stars seemed to hang so low in the night sky that she almost felt as though she could reach out and pick one. Cumulous clouds played tag across the sky as the diamond stars and full moon played hide and seek.

     The moon bathed the sea waves with a faint glow and caused the dancing waves to glisten like stars. The moon, as it rose behind the palace, cast a silhouette across the dreamscape tapestry.

     By the time Momo had reached the beautiful marble steps, the moon had risen just high enough to bathe the steps in a ghostly glow. For Momo, the fateful moment had arrived.

     She held the vial in both hands as though fearing it would get away, while at the same time, she feared opening the vial. She removed the top from the vial and let it fall to the surf with a little splash. A pungent smell escaped from the vial and assailed her nostrils. She held her breath, closed her eyes, and lifted the vial to her lips.

     Momo quickly forced herself to drink the liquid and swallow it before she got much of the taste in her mouth. She gagged and felt like spitting, but she feared that if she spat, she might lose some of the potency of the draught. She felt like vomiting, but she forced herself to restrain the urge.
     Momo’s grew dizzy and her head began to spin. All seemed to turn pitch black. In a moment, she felt her body suddenly bump into the marble steps, and she realized that she had fallen. Barely aware of the pain of falling against the steps, Momo rolled over onto her back. In her state of confusion and dizziness, she watched the sky as it seemed to spin around her.

    Slipping into unconsciousness, Momo was faintly aware of the waves lapping against her on the shore, and the distant pounding of the surf against the shore. Then she was unaware of anything, and Momo lay there as though she were dead.