There's Something in the Water

In the midst of a raging storm, a massive wave crests over a submersible as it steams away at full speed. A flash of lightning reveals the tentacles of an enormous creature hidden below the surface of the turbulent water. Surrounded by danger from above and below, the future of this steampunk vessel and crew is not looking bright. This scene is a soft introduction of the “bad guys” in my steampunk world: immense, undersea monsters called Krakens.

Light shows us the beauty of the world around us, but the absence of light can be even more evocative. The mysteries hiding in the shadows, dark recesses, and murky depths spawn the fears that live within us. In this scene, a flash of light illuminates not only the impending tsunami, but the even more threatening tentacles of a sinister monster that would have otherwise remained invisible. We know that when the light fades, the lurking leviathan will still be out there. Knowing it’s there without being able to see it is utterly terrifying.