Salmonid soakers
••••••••••
As the kids finished the song, anna began to think.
Elai knew where she lived. He could have visted her house. Did she leave the door open? No, she was sleeping when she left. And marie? Did she come into the appartment with the door, or slipped under it? Could elai break the door? How did elai follow her? He did not transform. Do humans transform when in with ink? Did he go trough the bucket? Or maybe even with her?
Anna took another sip of soup. She felt better with every sip. But kept thinking.
“You look worried.”
Amina sat next to her.
“I-i, i am.”
A:”I don’t feel good.”
Anna stuttered.
“Bully?”
“Yes... i am nervous.
Is my hear glowing?”
A:”I hope it doesn’t”
“Yes. Calm down. We are here. You can handle this. We can handle this.”
“The last time,
marie and callie were almost defeated.
If he is also an ABOMINATION as me, How are you going to fight against that!
Only i can match it! ANOTHER abomination. Not to be rude against you, but- i don’t want to lose people. You saw what i could do with the serum. The only thing that i could see, was PAIN and FEAR.
I don’t want to fight against him.”
A:”Oh no, not again.”
Anna’s eyes started to glow a flame. The salmonids were looking shocked at her.
Anna quickly took some medicine, losing her energy once again.
She tried to sit upright, against the sleep.
“We should start working on keeping you emotions under control.”
“I know. I am already working on it my whole life. Just doing my best.”
“What do you mean? Did you have problems?”
“Quiet kid, adhd and autism and problems with my legs. I can live with them all. Don’t worry, its not a disease.”
“What is that?”
A:”Right. That doesnt exist in this world. How are we going to explain that?”
“Uhhhm, you see, i don’t talk a lot. That is most of the times not a problem. But, at school, that is not appreciated that much.
And adhd, Being super hyperactive.
But you can’t notice because of the medicine. But my head-first dives in bed.... is a action. And autism, just being a d*mbass sometimes. I like it. And i am not that mobile in human form. That sums it up.”
A:”Not breaking the 4th wall, but anna has it too.”
Amina was thinking. You could see slight confusion on her face.
“So you have a learning problem?”
“Kinda.
But i was doing my best at school.”
“My gosh.”
“Yup. Also is a reason why i am always active, even at night.”
Noah went to talk with sheldon about weapons.
S:”What kind of weapons do you have?”
N:”Pans, weak stingrays.”
S:”Wowzer. Do the weapons a lot of damage?”
N:”Two slams from a pan puts you on critical level. The level between a respawn or not. It uses a lot of ink.”
S:”Strong weapon.”
Marie was talking with the leader. Laura told the story.
L:”So we have no intentions to harm you. We did not have any other choice.”
M:”We understand. It was not needed to take precautions. Thank you.”
L:”What do you mean?”
M:”You see, that girl. She is the same as the guy you saw. But she isn’t bad. She is just a friendly kracken.”
L:”Really?”
M:”Sad but true.”
4 and callie were having another plate with soup. They discussed jokes. And the remarkle spoons. Marina and pearl were discussing music.
C:”Just a piece of art.”
4:”Indeed.”
Anna was still looking around and thinking.
Salmonid kids were done with eating, and left the table. The parents were enjoying the meal. Noah went on to show sheldon stuff on his laptop.
Anna asked marie when they should leave, and how.
“How are we going to get away from this place? With a teleporter? I might sleep for a whole day again.”
M:”The kettle is shut with ink, we must use the teleporter. Sorry.”
“No-i understand. I just need to get used to it.”
Anna focused on staying awake. The medicine made her sleepy. Marie thought.
M:”Maybe we can fight, or spar. The salmonids never saw a battle before.”
“I am too tired. Sorry.”
M:”You charged a special, when waking up.”
“Did i?”
A:”I am not going to use it. I am going to get knocked out.”
M:”Maybe it lets you feel energized. Then we can teleport.”
“Good point.”
M:”Are you done with soup?”
“Yea, it helped a bit.”
M:”Allright, shall we go?”
“Yes. I am ready... i think. Are we going to do this because of elai?”
Marie stood up from the table. She gave the mark that is was going fine. The others looked away. The salmonids were looking confused, and intrested for what is about to happen.
L:”What are you going to do?”
M:”Making her feel better. Don’t worry. We will be back in a second.
Actually, i have a question.”
L:”What is it?”
M:”do you have like... a training place?”
L:”Yeah, not that luxurious. But we have one.”
Laura stood up from the table. She got a pan, and guided marie.
Anna stood up, sleepy and powerless. Amina asked marie if she could come.
Anna’s eyes were not glowing. Anna seemed catious with everything she saw. Amina looked with concern at marie.
Laura walked into one of the side-streets. They came at a field, with torn dummy’s. The dummys had the form of a fishtail. Anna looked at the dummy.
She giggled.
“Heh. Funny.”
A:”Funny how it looks.”
M:”Allright. Laura?”
L:”yes?”
M:”I suggest you take a little bit of distance. We don’t know what is going on.”
L:”Allright. As long as you don’t destroy anything, im fine.”
Marie nodded to anna, amina went to stand next to laura. Laura had a millitary piece in her hair.
Anna got herself ready. Extremely scared of going back to inkopolis. Marie stood in front of her. Examining the situation.
M:”Allright. Activate it.”
Anna touched the orb. She was filled with energy. Lines formed on her face. It warmed her skin.
Laura gave a small yell.
L:”Jeez!”
Amina was standing proud. Like...
“Yup. This is my friend.”
M:”Allright. Do you want use the special, or store it?”
Anna was deaf. She was imagining things.
She was thinking. Of elai. Scared.
“Is that the reason why they are going to use this special? To make me feel better? Or to protect me from the fact that elai could have the serum? And it onto me again! I don’t want that to happen! I still have something left!
I was a monster without chains. I am the one who should change. Not elai, or anybody. Not even the corrupted octolings. I should be able to take control.
My friends... are only trying to protect me... like i am an endangered specie of animal.
They are just,
Trying to contain me. Are they scared of me? Because i am a human?
Am i still the person that i once was?
Or have i become,
A sort of glitch,
An ABOMINATION.
That does not belong here?”
It spooked anna.
Anna was nauseous. She saw everything around her, swirling, distracting, and marie was a green spot. She had the feeling that she was in a rollercoaster.
Atmos was alerted by this, and called for help.
A:”Guys.... we....don’t feel so....good”
“What...is..going...on...i can’t...”
Anna began to swirl around on her feet.
Amina and laura saw this, and ran towards her. Anna fell, and others saw that the lines on her face had dissapeared.
Atmos appeared, and she did not know that herself. She was walking around, in panic. Marie and the rest were looking from a distance. They went behind a wall.
A:”what can i do-what can i do...
I HAVE NO IDEA.
Elai followed me ONCE AGAIN.
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN. IS HE AS POWERFUL AS ME? IS HE STRONGER?
AND HERE WE HAVE ME,
WHO IS JUST A DUMB*SS
And.
CANT.
DO.
ANYTHING ABOUT IT!
AAAAAAAARCH.”
Atmos’ tentacles curled up from frustration. She went on to sit next to anna. She looked at her. Still unaware that the trio was looking.
While she looked at her, she said something.
A:”You don’t deserve this.
The body that carry’s all her emotions.
If i would let go of you, because you ate hurt, you would get sick. And tired. And maybe even die.
If you get hit by him, there is no place for emotions. Then you will be weak. I don’t want that to happen.
I have been there all along. You too.
You could hear me, from the moment you spoke to others. Not when you were happy, but trusted them.
And if i leave, you will lose your mind.
Not like, go bezerk, but just lose your actions in emotions. You get tired from being split apart. The same goes for being overtaken by that fear.
I JUST WISH.
THAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS.
YOU DON’T DIE.
And the same goes for me.
We already know, that you are an inkling now. And respawn. In any case.
But if you encounter him, and get a hit, i don’t know if respawning works. “
Atmos cried. Little glittering drops filled the air around her. Her hair flowed above the ground.
M:”So that is why this happens.
She does not know if she will respawn when hit by a still-human. She is terrified.”
L:”Does this happen more often?”
“Yes it does. Shush!”
L:”Allright allright. I shut my mouth. Hmmpf.”
Atmos flew into anna. Anna’s body filled with warmth. She shot up.
“WHAT HAPPENED.”
She looked around. Confused.
“Guys?
GUYS!”
A:”Where are they?”
Anna panicked. Her eyes glowed.
M:”What is she going to do now?”
“Lets just say we are here.”
M:”No. I want to see what happens.”
L:”She is panicking.”
Anna stood up. Her bow appeared on her back. She grabbed it. She loaded an arrow in her bow. She holded it, ready for an attack. Her eyes glowed even more.
“We should say hi. I am going in.”
L:”Be carefull.”
M:”She is not going to do anything. Relax.”
Anna heard a sound and aimed. While pulling the string, ears folded down. Her glasses reflecting the light from the moon. Her eyes flamed.
Amina sneaked around the wall. She kicked a stone. Anna heard this, and turned around. She had multiple arrows loaded in the bow. It was night, and anna could not see who this was. She was on high alert. She was scared.
“WHO are you?!?”
“Its me amina, PUT THAT WEAPON DOWN, PLEASE!”
Anna loosened her grip and fell down on her knees. She holded her hand for her mouth. Her bow fell on the floor. It cracked into a thousand pieces.
“I-I, DID NOT MEAN TO DO THAT!
I DID NOT WANT TO FIRE THAT!”
A:”I AM SO SORRY!”
“Don’t worry, i believe you. How do you feel?”
“Bad. Really bad.”
Amina went to sit next to her.
“You don’t have to tell me, what is going on.”
“I have no idea what is going on.”
She holded her head.
Marie and laura walked towards anna.
Anna looked up.
“Don’t send me out of here! Please...”
L:”We won’t. Relax. We are chill.”
M:”Why are you so scared? Like-always?”
“I am doing my best! To not be scared. But... i can’t hold it together. What happens if i get hit by elai?”
A:”OH GOSH...MAYBE I AM GOING TO GLITCH OUT.”
Anna’s hair lit up.
M:”Lets go home, you are tired.”
“How? If i can’t stand the teleporter, how am i going to travel?”
L:”Maybe we can get you to the shore.”
M:”What?”
L:”We have special, how do we put this.
‘Saddles’ to transport wounded salmon. Not like you are wounded. Not at all.”
“Cool!”
Amina nodded.
Anna was still feeling miserable. Her head was hanging between her knees. Her ears, sticking out from the sides.
She mumbled.
“So now, because this piece of sh*t can’t teleport, is going to be transported. Like she can’t do anything.”
A:”Somebody who should be held apart for her own sake.”
L:”i can bring you if you want.”
Noa ran in. Anna did not see yet who this was. She panicked. She looked up.
“WHO ARE YOU?”
Anna got the handle of her bow. The shattered pieces floated back in place. The guys were looking at noah.
“Stop it anna. It is noa.
Noa came in.
N:”Allright. What is going on here? We are waiting on dessert. It is taking long.,
AAH!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
He backed off. He pushed his glasses up his face.
Anna got her bow, and dropped it on the concrete floor, smashing it again.
“Sorry....”
Noah took a deep breath and walked closer.
N:”Here. Dessert.”
He got a cone with ice-cream. It had a orange color. He handed some over. It was orange flavoured. Everyone took a bite. Anna took a bite. It was pretty good.
“Thank you...”
Anna was getting more anxious and tired with the second. Amina noticed, and asked laura to make haste.
“Laura? Marie? Can we take her back? She does not seem to feel so good.”
Anna had already eaten the icecream, sitting with her head between her knees. She felt sick. And worried. She couched. Some black ink came out. Once anna saw this, she shook and felt nausious. Atmos went in a conversation with her.
A:”Are you allright?”
“No...”
A:”Shall i ask for help?”
“Yes...”
Atmos flew out, holding anna steady.
A:”i think she is sick. She has couched some serum up. We should bring her back. Right away.”
M:”Allright then. Where do we go?”
A:”off the hook. “
L:”I am going to get the saddle.”
Laura waved to noa to come.
Anna’s skin was getting white. She was knocked out. The bow dissapeared.
“I really don’t like how she looks. I think she can’t stand teleporting yet.”
M:”or she is just way too nervous. And tired most of all”
Laura came in, with a leather saddle, loose scrap metal hanging from the side. It had a special bed, with pillows. Noa had a less big saddle, but still really sturdy.
L:”I suggest amina is going with us, she knows how she is doing.”
“Allright then. Thats new.”
N:”you are going with me. And anna in the med-saddle.”
Amina hung anna over her shoulder. Anna was breathing weak.
They walked back, and marie explained the situation. The others teleported back. Atmos was walking with them. Slightly in distress. Some salmonids decided to make an escort. Even the steelhead decided to come with. The little kid with braids too. The parents were worried and tried to stop her. The kid screamed.
“I am going to help that miss!”
“But you can’t swim yet darling!”
“I can!”
She ran forward.
The parents followed their child.
They arrived at the shore, and laura and noah strapped the saddles around them. It was a perfect fit. They dived in the water, keeping their back dry. The fins on their faces expanded.
L:”ALLRIGHT GUYS! there is one rule! Don’t make this saddle wet!
She WILL DIE if she comes in with this water.
So swim like a frickin dancer!”
The kid with braids loosened her hair. It was the same lenght as the kid itself.
She dived in. The parents followed her, in case she could not swim. The kid sticked her head out and swam around.
She was pretty fast. The parents looked with amazement at her.
“See!”
Her hands growed. It was now a hand. With fins. The parents were proud.
Amina got anna on the saddle. Atmos ed anna in the saddle. Black ink came dripping out of anna’s mouth. Her teeth covered in black ink.
Amina got on noa’s back. It was pretty scary, for an inkling to ride the water. Noa swam a bit to get amina used to it.
Laura ordered the kid to go back to the shors, it was a long travel to inkopolis. But, the steelhead interviened. He got another saddle, and said to the parents that the kid would travel with him.
The parents found that allright and stayed in the salmonid town. They took off.
With around 60 km/ph they swam across the sea.
It was a pretty calm sea, with minor distractions. The kid and the steelhead escorted anna, and everytime the kid was tired, it would sleep on the steelheads back.
Amina asked noa if they could check on anna. Noa swam next to laura. Anna was still laying kocked out, and had black stuff on her tentacles. Amina was worried.
“Maybe the thought of him, encourages the remaining serum to replicate and take over. Weird.”
A:”I don’t feel good about this.”
L:”How is she doing?”
“Not so great. She is still knocked out. And is producing a lot of black ink.”
N:”oh dear.”
L:”We are almost there. Hold on.”
She went faster, and others followed.
Anna was still unconsious. Atmos looked above her. Stars, galaxies. It fell into nothing, if you could see atmos’ eyes.
Anna dreamed,
A nightmare.
••••••••
She was sitting in another room. It had almost no oxygen. Anna struggled to keep breathing. The embodiment of fear appeared. Now it had the form of elai.
The shadow screamed with a terrifying voice.
“SUFFER.
LIKE THE MONSTER YOU ARE!
YOU CAN’T BREATHE IN DARKNESS!
YOU DESERVE TO BE ERADICATED FROM THIS WORLD.”
It seemed like all the air had dissapeared. Anna could not breathe, and couched. More black serum came out. She ed out.
•••••••••
Anna stopped breathing and atmos noticed.
A:”GUYS HOLD ON. SOMETHING IS GOING WRONG!”
Anna sat up right. She was not breathing. Her lungs were stuck.
••••••••••
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