A supernatural tale in Antarctica

Part 2

The almost desolate, vast and white continent is visited by the Arctic Terns from the North Polar regions. These birds emerge from their eggs during the Arctic summer. They won’t be able to withstand the extremely low temperatures and darkness of the winters there.

Colonies of terns embark on a long journey to the South Pole, their trail being guided by the summer sun and ocean breezes that naturally propel them forth. Here, the birds will receive 24 hours of sunlight when their birth land is immersed in similar hours of darkness. The sun’s beams that illuminate the ocean waters will help them to see their prey. Within a few months, these slender birds fly from one pole to another.

Being a paranormal film, the terns will have real or assumed uncanny powers to convey the happenings from one end of the earth to another. Their migration will not only connect the humans from the north and south but the Arctic Polar Bear to the Antarctic penguin. The frozen Arctic Ocean will be able to whisper age-old secrets to lakes, valleys, volcanoes and mountains of the Antarctic.

In the tundra in the north, the reindeer, musk ox, fox, caribou, bear and wolf roam. The snowy wise owl seems to keep a vigilant eye on the landscape. In the south, the terns see different bird species. Cute penguins waddle with innocent expressions. These flightless black and white feathered beings will provide comic relief in the movie.

However when winter nights shroud the continent, or the cold season nears, the fleet of penguins on the ice sheets will look surreal. The anchored North Star of the Arctic instils security in the hearts of the northerners but there’s no corresponding star transfixed on the South Pole. In the Antarctic Peninsula during clear climes, the Milky Way stretches like an arched gateway to the heavens.

When clouds visit its icy landmass, the welkin turns electric blue. Volcanoes occasionally erupt to light up the sky in vibrant hues of purple and violet. The aurora australis or southern lights spread over the horizon an undulating green interspersed at times by red streaks.