The Cowboy and the Mermaid

The Cowboy and the Mermaid

Before too long they are both hungry. Lorelei goes home to shower and change and Dwight whips up a nice brunch for them. Dwight has learned some interesting things to do with kelp in his cooking as Lorelei needs that in her diet. He makes blueberry and kelp pancakes.
"These are really good. I would never have thought about drying the kelp like an herb, and adding it to food that way."
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Dwight had enlarged and printed out the pictures earlier that morning. He placed them on the walls to get a good view of them. He also entered them into a computer program along with copies of the glyphs from Rafe's book. He uses the program to help match up the glyphs. Lorelei watches as his nimble fingers fly across the machine and the pictures form and change under his commands.
"It looks like the site is a memorial and the large stone tells the story. The glyphs represent an island, men, women and children who lived on the island, an explosive type disaster occurs, possibly a meteor from the sky and the island and people are gone. The family and friends who lived on the next island made the memorial and sunk the stones so their loved ones would never be forgotten."
"How tragic!" Lorelei is saddened. "I'm glad we were able to find out the meanings so they are truly not forgotten once again."

"There are four symbols on the smaller rocks that are also on the memorial. They represent earth, water, fire and air. The last glyph is the circle of standing stones with the symbols for earth, water, fire and air in the center of the stones. I think they made gifts of those elements to aid them in their next life."
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"As much as I hate to admit it and don't like the technology it was much faster doing it in the computer than trying to match symbols page by page by page in the book."
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"So, we solved the mystery of the stones. I will let Rafe know and get his book packaged and sent back to him. Will you write this up and publish it? I think you should, you deserve the credit for finding it. It is a great discovery and they will always be remembered as their ancestors wanted."
"Do you think I could do that? I would like to write it up, but, I don't want to use that computer thing."
"I can get you a typewriter which I think you could learn to use. It would be faster and more efficient than paper and pen."
"Thank you! You can teach me to use the typewriter." She smiles happily at Dwight. "I would like to go back down and leave a gift in remembrance. We have the gems you found in the cave that would represent all the elements needed."
"Yes, we can take them whenever you are ready."
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Dwight and Lorelei swam out to the ruins and placed the gems in the center of the stones. In the blink of an eye the gems disappeared and in their place is a water filled well. They look at each other amazed at what just happened.
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"What in the world? Have you ever seen anything like this before?"
Lorelei shakes her head back and forth. "There are some strange places underwater but a well popping up in the middle of the ocean from the ocean floor. Never seen that before! Where do you think it might lead?"
Dwight shrugs, "Only one way to find out. I've got plenty of air in the tanks so we might as well go now. Follow me!"
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Dwight and Lorelei descend into the well. The water is murky so Dwight switches his light on which helps to dispel the gloom. They swim side by side as they follow the path through the well. Small fish dart around them. As they descend the smooth walls change into rock formations encrusted with eons worth of coral and limestone making the path very narrow in places. Lorelei signals to Dwight to let her go first in the narrow spots so she can guide him and his cumbersome tanks through safely. The tunnel finally opens up into a large cavern. Dwight's light is the only illumination in the cavern. Visibility is very poor. Luckily, Lorelei has the ability to see in the waters even in the dimmest of light and guides them around the cavern as they explore to find an exit. Lorelei wonders what kind of people had the technology to set up the standing stones and the memorial after the tragic destruction of the island? Who made the well and tunnel and why? Where is this tunnel taking them? So many questions to find answers to. Lorelei is also concerned about how long this will take. Will Dwight's tanks provide enough air?