Going Under

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

     “Anne!” Mel screamed as I ran into the caves and knelt in the same spot Anne had been a few seconds ago. It was dark and cold in here and I couldn’t see. Mel was beside me in an instant and I handed her the rope. I was pretty good with a harpoon, Dad having taught me how to use one since I was a kid, and my uncle taking me out fishing every month or so since Dad died till now. I stuck it in the water but kept a firm grasp on it. A hand shot out a few feet away from me. Anne’s hand.

     “Mel, pull us out when it’s time.” I said and then slid into the water. My feet didn’t touch a floor. It was deep in here, and almost freezing. I went under and opened my eyes. Salty water used to hurt me once upon a time, but I was used to it by now. But it was dark and I only saw a foot or so ahead of me. I swam in the direction of Anne’s hand, and a figure came into focus.

     Anne was struggling to escape from what was holding her. When I saw the dark tentacles wrapped around her body, I froze.

     Anne opened her eyes and saw me. Her mouth opened and bubbles came out, but I knew she was calling for me. I snapped out of it and swam to her. I grabbed her arm and tried to pull, but the squid or whatever was holding onto her was too strong. I resurfaced to breathe in some air, then I dove again and struck at one of the tentacles. The creature, hidden behind Anne, jerked and the tentacle loosened. I attacked another tentacle but then both of them wrapped around my arm and tugged both me and Anne lower. I tried to strike it again but the water slowed my movements down. I swam over Anne’s head and tried to look at the creature, maybe I could strike it from above. What I saw froze me.

     A head. A human head.

     A blonde human head.

     A blonde human head that was looking at me with a scowl. A very human scowl. And she was still holding onto Anne, who hadn’t taken a breath in a few minutes now. Anne, who had just been asked out by the guy she’d been into for months and months now. She wasn’t going to die here, the caves, and whatever the hell that thing was, wasn’t going to take her. This wasn’t going to be her final resting place, like Dylan.

     It took me a few seconds to snap out of this one, then I tugged as hard as I could on the tentacles and the creature thingy let go, out of shock or surprise, no doubt. I struck and my harpoon hit just below its collarbone. The tentacles let go of Anne and I pulled her up, all the while watching bluish blood trickle out of the wound caused by the harpoon. Anne broke the surface first and coughed and spluttered as we swam to land. Mel hoisted her up and I pushed myself up.

     Something slimy wrapped around my leg and tried to tug me back in but Anne and Mel caught me before I could even scream.

     “What the hell is this thing?” Mel said and she wrapped her arms around my waist and tugged. More tentacles wrapped around my legs.

     “Some kinda squid.” Anne said. “A lethal one.”

     I was about to tell them of the human head I’d seen but then I watched as the harpoon slid into the water and disappeared. “Guys, let go.” The tug of war hurt real bad. It felt like my body was going to be split in half. “Let go, it’s too strong.”

     “You’re not dying here, Ner.” Mel shook her head and tugged more, her knees sliding closer to the edge of the water. “We’ll tug you out.”

     “It hurts.” I felt my body relax, the muscles worn out. I couldn’t fight anymore. “Let go. I’m not gonna make it out in one piece.”

     “Missing a piece or two is better than resting in peace.” Anne said and tugged on my arm. “You didn’t give up on me.”

     “Oh, shit.” Mel said as she looked at a spot above me. I turned my head to look, and saw one of the tentacles raised, curled around the harpoon. It came down hard and pierced Mel’s arm.