AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

E. 6. "A Fanciful Day at the Beach" (10/10)

The group of mermen follows Brett through the vast space of blue, gliding toward the surface. The waters become lighter and warmer as the sun rays grow closer, notifying them they are near the edge.

The surface bubbles and splashes outward as each merman pops into the air and into sight, treading water to avoid sinking.

Brett peers around the blue and silence surroundings then turns back to the other four mermen.

"Anything?" he asks, moving his arms at a steady pace as water laps over them.

Kale shakes his head, his plastered hair covering his eyes. "Nope, I can still feel my tail." He whips his head back again, throwing his hair away from his vision.

"Yay!" Reid pumps his fists in the air, pulls water along with his movements, spraying it into the air.

Jake stares at his bestie with big, trepidatious eyes. "What are we gonna do then?"

Brett scrunches his eyebrows as he peers down, rattling his mind for another idea. "What if..." He slowly peers up at them. "...we get out of the water?"

Reid shakes his head slowly with horrified eyes. "Oh no, no, no—"

"Do you wanna play this season or not?!" Nolan roars, whirling to him and smacking his hands against the surface, throwing water in all directions.

"Ugh." Reid cranes his head up, a weary expression coming across his face. He then lowers his head back to its regular position. "Right."

"Alright, let's get outta here!" Brett calls out. "Follow me!" He then smoothly dives back into the water.

The others follow him below the surface.

The group swims west in the sun's rays. They gradually approach an ominous, gigantic wall of rock appearing to jut through the surface with its bottom lost in the darkness below.

Brett glides upward toward it and slips through one of its numerous crevices of all shapes and sizes. One by one, the others cautiously come after him.

The waters inside are dusky, almost completely black. Fortunately, Brett is still able to be spotted due to his bright scarlet-coloured tail.

Brett turns parallel to the wall, approaching the dimly lit surface.

Above the surface is a shallow, circular cave with the bright afternoon scenery being displayed through its opening. Around the dark waters is a narrow floor of rock, as if a massive hole has been made on the ground of the cave.

Brett's head explodes from the surface, his thick hair staying in good shape. He paddles toward the edge on his left, near the opening, and pulls himself out of the water. He settles on the rocky edge with his fin dipped in the water.

Then the rest of the mermen come along, sitting by him: Jake, Nolan, Reid, and Kale, who sits by the opening of the cave.

"Nothing," Nolan spits out, swaying his fin back and forth in the water.

Kale is gazing down at his trunk. "What if we dry ourselves?"

Brett's eyes light up at the suggestion. "Great idea!"

"But how?" Nolan asks brusquely.

As a response, Jake shakes himself at an alarming speed, spraying all the water on him in all directions to remove it from himself.

Nolan immediately leans away from him, blocking the sprinkles with his hands. "Eeewww!"

Brett also is craned away from him, his eyes narrowed for protection with a disgusted expression. "Jake Dog!" His eyes immediately widen at the sight of his friend. "Whoa! You're back!"