My alarm beeps loudly, the time set for 5:00. I slammed my hand down onto the alarm clock and sat up, yawning in the process. This is the day, the day after three years, I finally enter the ocean once again.

I jump out of bed and into the shower, washing my hair and body. Some shampoo got into my eye and I silently curse, trying to rub it out.

After I was finished, the time was a good 5:27. I grabbed my toothbrush and wet it, setting toothpaste onto it and brushing my teeth. I don't really need to rush, but I need to say a quick hello to Arthur before I leave. I spat out the remaining toothpaste and washed off my toothbrush, speed walking to the closet and getting dressed.

I looked at the dresser while putting my pants on, a picture of us together with a fish in each of hands. His arm is wrapped around my shoulder, his face painted with the look of a proud teacher. I sighed.

"I can remember that day, when you were bickering at me for using the wrong hook." I chuckled and threw my shirt on, heading back to the bathroom and grabbing my dirty laundry. I looked around for my basket, confused on where its last place was. "Right, laundry room." I rolled my eyes and smiled at myself. Who wouldn't blame me? It's early in the morning, and it's soon time to go. I just threw the clothes inside the empty basket and ran inside my room once more, putting deodorant on and grabbing my belt.

I grabbed the keys from a bowl and ran outside the door, locking it and jogging to my car.

"What has you up this early in the morning Alfred?" I looked over to see my elderly neighbour, Debra Lewis.

"Same thing goes to you Ms. Lewis, but I'm going to go see Arthur and then finally get in the ocean with a submarine."

"Is that so? That sounds lovely, tell Arthur I said hello for me."

"No problem!" I opened the car door and started the engine, backing up and beginning to drive. I looked at the time, 6:00. Time sure flies when your racing around.

I drove to the beach quickly, leaving the car on and jogging to Arthur's cross.

"H-Hey dude. Good news!" I pant, swallowing. "I'm actually going to the ocean for once. The girl that I talked to besides you, Mary, she kind of convinced me. It's only going to be a one-time thing, but I guess it'll be good for me, you know? I have been feeling a bit down lately. I really hope this helps." I set a hand on the top of the cross. "Wish me luck dude." I smiled at the cross and quickly readjusted the flowers back to the middle and jogged back to the car. I put my seatbelt back on and drove to Fischer Tours.

"Hello! Welcome to Fischer Tours! How may we help you today?" A young lady stood at a counter, her name tag saying "Melody".

"Hello, I made a reservation yesterday for the single tours."

"Excellent, and may I ask who you are and who you spoke to?"

"Alfred Jones, and I spoke to Eric Fischer."

"This way please!" I followed Melody down a hallway to a room named "preparation room". Cheesy.

"Eric will come in as soon as he can to show you the basics. How deep are you going to be?" I stared blankly at her. "We have the original, where you only visit the coral reefs, the next one we have where you go a bit further down to see other beautiful hidden fish, and then the last one is into the deep waters where the bioluminescent fish are." I thought for a moment. The further down I am, the easier it is to think, yet the closest chance of something happening, but everyone kind if chooses the shallow waters... I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"The last one, with the deepest depths." Her eyes widened, her mouth crooking up in excitement.

"Amazing choice! Usually people don't want to go that far, fearing bigger fish. I am going to give you this tag for Eric to know which one you'd like, the next customer will soon be coming." She handed me a small tag, I pinned it to my coat and she began to walk away, but paused and walked over to me, whispering. "Do you think you can use this to take pictures? I have always loved the deep depths and I don't really have that much courage to go down myself." She gave me a small portable camera. I put it in my coat pocket and nodded. "Thanks so much! Have fun with your journey!" I smiled and waved goodbye to her. She opened the door, her excitement taking over and she jumped around, I swear I could almost see stars coming off of her.

It was not even five minutes until Eric came over, the man was just like any other, except he seems to be the smiling type.

"You must be the Alfred my daughter was talkin' about." I stood up.

"Sure am, and also the one talking to you on the phone." We shook hands, him patting me on the back as he took me to his office.

"Now, lookin' at your tag, you have guts to visit the deep depths, and I'm guessin' Melody gave you her camera?" I nodded my head. "Like she probably said, we don't really have that many people besides scientists or adventurers that visit. What she doesn't know, is that there are rumors goin' around of this so-called "rare species" down there. Honestly, I think it's just a ton of mumbojumbo talk. There's no evidence or anythin'." He shrugged, sighing. "Rumors will be rumors. Anyway, now we need to get to the rules of divin' down. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it." He opened his office doors, letting me sit and him quickly pulling up something on his computer, printing two copies.

"Alright, I can bring my phone down there right?"

"Of course, just don't fall in the water enterin'. Now, here is your copy of the rules, what the controls of the submarine are, and some cool ideas on the back for pictures." I looked at the rules... he wasn't joking about them, "Don't bump into sea creatures/ rocks/ etc." "Don't kill any creatures." "There is no time limit, but watch the gas." and so on. I took a few minutes and went to reading, the rules simply saying the do's and don'ts of diving. The picture ideas looking as if they were found on some type of cheesy website, and the controls very well explained and shown. I folded up the paper and set it in my pocket. "Are you ready to get prepared for the dive Alfred?" I nodded my head and stood up, stretching and yawning.

"Sure am, did I need to bring my swimsuit?"

"Actually, no, we have a wet suit we have prepared for you, we will let you try it on and see if it fits. Don't worry either, we have it professionally cleaned after every trip and prepared for the next just for you. Lookin' at the small luggage you are bringin', would you like to take a fanny pack or something similar to set your phone inside of?"

"Uh, sure. I don't think holding them is a good idea."

"Excellent! This way." We walked to yet another room named "wet suits" and Eric looked for one that could fit me, it took a few minutes of trying on until we found the correct size. "Alright, now to get you all suited into the submarine, and we usually get asked if they are tested in the water, especially this one, and the answer is yes, I make sure and test them before closin'. There is a depth meter inside the submarine to let you know how much further you can go and when to stop or move up, I'd listen to her otherwise you could run out of gas. Got it?" I looked at him, my eyes a bit wide. "I'm just kiddin', it hasn't happened at all in all these years."

"I was about to say." We entered the "submarine" room and I saw multiple submarines placed in the air connected to multiple wires, one of them connected to each gas container.

"Ah, you get my favorite one. The fastest and less-to-waste-gas one back here."

"You don't have a name for it?"

"No, I'm not really good with givin' names to machines. So I just say what they're good for."

"Ok." He lowered the submarine with a press of a button, the machine slowly moving down to reach our height.

"Alright. Have you got anythin' unneeded?"

"No sir." I said smiling, "Just a small excitement to go down."

"Alrighty! That's what I like to hear." He opened the back of the submarine. I entered first as he followed behind. "Now let's get you a bit strapped in and if you need anythin' or are headin' back up, press this button down here and wait for a response." He pointed to a blue button with a small mic symbol above it. "Would you like to test it out and see how it works?"

"Why not?" I said, a little nerve starting to tug on my chest.

"Alright then, press the button and I'll stand by the mic. Don't worry, if I'm gone, there will be a loud buzzin' sound throughout the place." I nodded my head and pressed the button, a loud siren began to play and Eric answered back with the stand nearby the entrance to the submarines. "See, you're fine." I smiled and he closed the door. Eric went over to the stand and pressed another button, releasing the submarine into the water. My head bounced a bit, and the submarine began to float. I looked at the line of water inside the place and saw the ocean. The beautiful endless ocean. A scratching sound began to play, signaling Eric's voice to begin. "Alright! You're ready to go! Go ahead and press the green button in front of you to start the engine." I pressed the button on the wheel of the submarine, it vibrated for a second and a female voice sounded.

"Welcome aboard traveler. If you need any assistance, you may ask me with this red button here," A red button began to blink. "and if you need Eric, press this blue button." The blue button began to blink.

"Alright Alfred, you're free to go! See you back here, and don't worry, she has instructions for when your lost or wanting to come back. Have fun! Get us some good pictures and we might add them to our wall of photography!" Wall of photography? Did I miss that?

I took a deep breath and pressed the gas lightly, moving slowly out of the building into the endless ocean. Once I was out, the female voice began to speak once more.

"Welcome to the ocean traveler, just move the wheel forward to dive." I pressed the gas halfway and moved into more of the deeper part of the ocean, moving the wheel forward and diving down into the ocean. The blue water soon consuming the submarine and I.