47. Crack’n the Kracken #2
There’s a part of me that wants to push through and be done with this too. I want this nightmare of a week to be over. I’m tired, and I’m dragging, but if it wasn’t for those flashes—they downright scare me. And that’s what I tell Levi.
‘I understand, Levi, and I want that too, but after seeing those images, I have this nagging gut feeling that we should rest. Besides, it’s still what? Friday? We have time. We can extinguish the light, and if anyone comes down this way, we will hear them,’ I try to comfort him.
He sighs and bows his head as he settles down on the floor.
‘You have a point. We still don’t know what could be waiting for us topside, and we should take this moment to rest,’ he concedes.
Everyone huddles together, and I lay my head on Levi’s neck before he magics out the last light.
My thoughts go back to those flashes of faces yelling, and my stomach churns.
I have a bad feeling about all of this, but I’m not sure how to fix it.
Feelings of love and calm wash through my link with Knox, and I immediately calm down.
Whatever we face, we will deal with it tomorrow, and at least I won’t be alone.
‘Come on, Rezzi-bear, time to wake up,’ Lynx says before I feel a shock up my spine.
‘Fuck!’ I scream, shooting straight up, eyes wide.
‘They’re electric!’ Moni shouts, zipping around my head.
‘Since when?’ I ask, looking around for the damn culprits that tried to kill me. With Levi’s lights back up, I find them wrapping themselves around JP’s neck. I can undoubtedly tell which is Lynx and Knots by the stupid grin on his face, while the other eel’s head is tucked down low.
‘You’re lucky you're attached to Knots, else I would help him skin you right now. I would love to have an eel purse.’ I give Lynx an evil eye before turning back to Levi.
‘Are we all ready to go?’ he asks before turning towards the end of the tunnel.
‘We’re almost at the end.’ JP smiles and swims in front of Levi to lead the way.
This time, as we swim, I let Reaper pull me along with his tail as he skims the bottom of the floor, and Knox swims next to me. We travel for a few minutes until we see some light at the end of the tunnel, and we whoop and shout as we exit.
We move to the surface, following JP to the water’s edge, where we find another issue. For me, it’s the fact that the sun isn’t just coming up, it looks like it’s midday. But Moni points out the bigger issue.
‘Um, we were pulled into the ocean, right? So how do we get out and change back?’ Moni asks the obvious question.
I look at Levi and Ryker and arch an eyebrow. They are our knowledge masters in this world, so hopefully, they have figured something out.
‘We’re up shit creek, aren’t we?’ Lynx groans as Ryker and Levi look at each other.
‘The only information it gave us was that the ocean was to allow us passage,’ Ryker admits.
Great. Well, there’s only one way to find out anything around here. I move closer to the edge of the water and the beach.
‘Do you know if we need any other fruit to change back?’ I ask over my shoulder.
‘No,’ Ryker and Levi answer simultaneously.
As one of the waves rolls towards the land, I swim up with it and perch my fish ass on the beach. Immediately, I start to dry out and start itching. Fuck.
‘Okay, so good news, I obviously found a way back on the beach. Bad news, I’m having a reaction,’ I tell everyone as I try to think of what I can do that counters my reaction.
Shit. Do I still have my S.I.N. box now that I’m back on dry ground and in my normal skin?
I test a pocket and almost weep for joy that I can access it again, but the itch is too strong to be distracted, so I start pulling out different vials.
The first is aloe vera, and I start lathering that along my abdomen, effectively stopping some of the itchiness.
The itch travels down my legs, where I have to grab another vial, this one full of calendula.
The marigold plant quickly relieves the itchiness and adds another layer of protection to my skin.
By the time I’m finished, I look down and find that my scales have disappeared, and there’s a turquoise bikini in their place with a turquoise sarong underneath me.
I quickly tie it and stand up, looking back out to the rest of the group.
“Well, I’m alive. I can only guess we’re being tested with our knowledge of herbs,” I tell them, and test again to see if I still have a S.I.N. box because I don’t see my bag anywhere. My hand slips through a pocket, feeling my glaives, and I do a little shimmy until I hear Moni’s cry of help.
Oh shit.
‘It burns!’ Moni cries, flopping around in her small sea-horse form.
I grab another vial, but this one is lavender oil, and I pour it over her.
“Try to hold still. It will take a moment to soothe and cool down the burn. If it doesn’t, let me know and I’ll get some tea bags to apply to you.”
‘Moni!’ Chester cries, trying to come up, and I hold out my hand, stopping him.
‘No, Chester. I know you want to come up, but I can’t handle two at a time. I need to concentrate just on Moni.’
He resigns just as Moni sighs in relief, and I look down, seeing my bestie glowing in her normal greenish-brown bark with a Sparks cup in her hand.
“I think I like you in this form better,” I tell her.
“Me too,” she says, taking another big gulp of her coffee.
“I see where your priorities are.” I shake my head before turning back to the ocean. ‘Next.’
“As long as everyone is on the same page,” Moni says, floating next to me as we wait for the next person.