Alluvion

[Patricus I]

It was into a steady sleep that he drifted. Soon, he found himself walking the planks of empty docks flanking a river. He didn’t recognize his location, but the general cityscape may have been anywhere. He thrust his hands in the pockets of a white tracksuit and paused to look over the edge. That was when he saw two boys nearby balancing dangerously along the dock wall. He decided to walk their direction out of concern for their safety. However, suddenly a surge of water lifted the river out of its banks. The boys and Philip were caught in the flood. He tried to get to them, but they disappeared beneath the churning surface. The river roared angrily and carried him away.

The city scape rolled into nature as he was hurled toward a precipice beyond which fell a huge waterfall. He gasped for air and flung himself as best he could, but he wasn’t a strong swimmer. He grabbed at the bier of a bridge as the wall of water tried to pull him over the edge. Then as suddenly as the surge arose, it fell back to normal. He made it to the riverbank, and scrambled up to solid ground. The forest surrounding the bank was limp with the flood. Grasses were folded flat. Branches and debris cluttered along the trees. Some were upended, their roots exposed in gnarled twists.

Breathing heavy, Philip pulled himself out of the flood zone, seeking shelter and expecting to wake any moment.