The Watchers Wake

Chapter 14 - The Depths

The creature moved closer to me as it almost looked like it was smiling revealing more razor sharp teeth.

Again something inside me snapped.  Whether it was self preservation or some other inbuilt defence mechanism, whatever it was I woke up and decided that I was going to survive this.  I had to survive this.

As it approached me the tautness of the tentacles between us lessened.  I spun in the water, bringing up my knees to my chest and as I did I leaned down to grab the cord that connected me to this creature.  Then I pulled with all my strength yanking the tentacles taut and dragging the monster to me.  Its eyes seemed to widen as I planted my foot in the area which should have contained a nose. Tentacles seemed to slap into me and all around me as I brought my foot back for another strike but none of them held.

The biting grip on my ankle loosened and then was gone as the rubbery ribbons in my hand shook and writhed trying to free themselves.  I held on.  Then with one sharp movement I pulled.  The cords that I held snaked their way to one side of the hideous creature so my action sent it spinning and turned the large head and more importantly those sharp teeth away from me.  I brought my foot down heavily on the area at the back of the head where the small misshapen body could be seen.  I was guessing that to be the most sensitive part of the monster. 

The tentacles went loose.  It was over.  The monster was clearly unconscious or dead, either way it wasn’t moving and was limp.  I was alive.  I had survived.  I still had the bunch of rubbery vines-like things firmly in my grip and I wasn’t about to let them get away from me.  I couldn’t explain why but it seemed very important not to let go.  I looked around me as I tried to understand what just happened.

It was about then that I realised that I had not breathed in a while.  Breathing was important, very important and very necessary right about now.  It was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable.  And to make matters worse, I couldn’t quite work out which way was up and which way was down it was just all black around me and it was only getting blacker.  I needed to breathe and that was becoming an urgent priority.

I closed my eyes and tried to find the surface but all I could think about was Scott.  If I was about to die I would really like to see Scott just once more.  I reached out for him.  I stretched out my mind and I filled my thoughts of him.

Scott help me… Scott please help me, I called to him in my mind and then I willed him to find me.  My lungs were burning and the need to open my mouth and fill them with anything, even lake water, was overwhelming.  I held on. 

I held on to life and I held on to the creature.  The blackness was finally clouding my vision as the strange colours and shapes blurred.  I was drowning.  I couldn’t save myself.  My body ached and consciousness was deserting me.  I would sink to the bottom of the lake and become fish food.  Great.  With no evidence of my attack Scott would probably think I drowned myself.  Fabulous.

Darkness pushed against me as I called again to Scott.  My strength and will to live was leaving me.  The fish were calling to me.  I could hear them repeating my name each time more desperately.  They must be hungry.

 I felt something grab me, a warm and strong grip around my wrist.  I hoped it wasn’t the creatures’ mate because I was pretty sure I didn’t have the oxygen to fight off another one and this one might be a little bit pissed.  Again the water rushed over me as I limply allowed myself to be dragged.  For some reason my hand around the tentacles remained firm.  I might be able to use the body of this creature as a distraction and giving myself another few seconds to live.

My head broke the surface and I instinctively took a huge breath.  Coughing and spluttering the darkness gave way to night.  The moonlight sparkled on the water.  I was alive.  I filled my lungs again and marvelled in the simple act.

Something warm grabbed me again and hugged me to it.  I didn’t fight this time.  My senses were alive and I knew it was Scott who held me.  I smiled as I felt the relief course through me.  He found me.  Scott found me and saved me.  He held me and I held the tentacle. I worked on inflating my lungs again.

“Scott - don’t have time - to explain.” I said in between gasps of air, “Hold on tightly - don’t let go - need to get out - of here fast.”

I looked around us and found the direction I needed to go in.  I had to protect Scott.  Something inside me demanded it.  I gripped onto his arm tightly and felt him take my wrist then using just my legs in a sort of butterfly kick I pulled both the unconscious creature and Scott along at enough speed to avoid another attack.  I had to get Scott to safety.  This creature had been caught off guard but next one probably would not be. 

When we reached shore I threw the arm holding Scott forward almost launching him out of the water.  He needed to be on dry land and safe.  That was my first priority. 

“What the…?” Scott was swearing, coughing and spluttering on the grassy bank. 

He was also looking at me angrily and not without fear.  After all I had just towed him at a speed no human was capable of across the lake and toss him like out of the water with little effort.  He backed away from me as I pulled myself up the bank. 

“Natalie what the hell just happened?”

I reeled in the cord that I gripped onto and pulled the monster onto the bank.  Scott looked at it then at me, all anger gone now just pure fear emanated from him. 

“I think that Jari has been holding out on us.”

“Jari?  Us?  Natalie what is going on?”  His voice was quiet and he didn’t look at me.

“Scott I really need to tell you but firstly do you have a rug in your car?  I freezing and I am standing in my underwear here,” I said through my chattering teeth.

His mouth opened but he clamped it shut again.  His brow was furrowed as he dragged his eyes off the monster and stumbled towards his car.

“Can I put this in your car? I really want Jari to explain exactly what tried to kill me tonight?  And he might need some evidence.  After all I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it.”

I dragged it towards the car before sling the creature in the boot of his car.  Then I calmly wrapped the blanket around myself.  I didn’t fail to notice that Scott seemed to be giving me a wide berth. He pulled on his clothes which were strewn across the grass between the car and the lake, obviously discarded as ran to save me from submerged mediation.  I tried to smile at him, to reassure him but I also recognised that if roles were reversed I probably would be looking at him with the same horror filled expression.

“Natalie, tell me what is going on?” he pulled his eyes away from me, and started the car staring straight ahead, his shoulders tight.

“Jari hasn’t told me much yet. He said I need to,” I paused and wondered how to phrase this delicately, “find my Irin first.  Apparently I am a Qaddis and you are my Irin.  He won’t tell me what that means until you, umm, until we found each other.” I grimaced, knowing that didn’t sound all that good, but quickly added, “Together we are supposed to do something but Jari won’t tell me what.  However given tonight I am guessing why he wouldn’t tell me.”

Scott was driving silently still not looking at me.  So I continued.

“He has told me that he is here to train us but that is about it.  He did once mention fighting but I didn’t think it would involve monsters from the deep.  I was thinking something a little more human and less scary.” I shrugged.  I was exhausted and my words were becoming slightly slurred.  “I wasn’t lying to you.  He thinks we are soul mates.  This is not a practical joke and not an article for the paper.  I really like you Scott and I can feel you.  And yes I dream about you too, in that way.   But given tonight I wouldn’t blame you if you ran a mile.  Which reminds me I can run really fast now and I mean really, really fast.”  My words were really slurred now and my eyes were closing.

“I really like you too Scott.” I mumbled as exhaustion finally took me.