Terrors in Subnautica(Complete)

Part 8: The Reefback Mystery

Seán's POV

The water is warm today, nice and calming. Comfortable. Me and N/N have been swimming around watching the fish and taking a closer look at the wildlife around us for about 20 minutes now, and we've found some really weird and cool stuff. We've collected a decent amount of salt and metals along the way too!

"Hey, Seán! Look what I found!"

Turning around I see N/N swimming up to me with a spiraled rock that's a combination of deep blue and purple in her hands. She holds it out for me to see and I smile at how enormous it is. How did she even pick this up?

"Look at the little holes on the edges."

She points out little bursts of tiny holes around the edges of the spiral that make unique little patterns along the rock.

"I wonder if it was part of like, a shell or something." I wonder aloud.

"That would be cool! I found it at the edge of the safe zone by the Aurora a little ways behind me. It's huge but it weighs like nothing!"

She excitedly hands me the rock and I'm shocked at how light it is. It feels like I'm holding a tiny piece of drift wood!

"Holy shit you're right. That's so cool! I love the colors too it looks like art!"

"I know right?"

'Warning: Ten Seconds of Oxygen Remaining'

"Time for air." We say in unison.

"Jinx!" We laugh, together.

Damn, even the jinx was in sync. Will the battle ever end?!

 ~~

N/N POV

We've been exploring the safe zone for about an hour and a half now having found a whole lot of really cool things, and a few decent places to hide if anyone needs one.

"We should head back soon, I don't think it would be good for you to stay out here to much longer."

"I'm alright, I'll know when I need to go back inside."

"Ya' know, you make me really nervous sometimes."

"Heh, sorry about that. I know that the way I work is a bit.. unconventional. I promise I'm okay though."

"Well, it's definitely not normal but it's not like I can MAKE you rest."

"You're really worried, huh?"

"How am I supposed to not be? You've got this huge wound on your side and you don't seem to want to rest. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be rude or controlling; It's just kind of scary to think about I guess."

"I get it. I guess I'm just not used to having to worry about other people caring anymore."

"What?"

Shit.

"Nothing, we can go inside if it'll make you feel better."

"It would, Thanks. And I'm sorry if I'm being a little overbearing."

"You're fine, No worries."

We start swimming back and I can't help but feel relieved that he didn't hear my comment before. I don't think I'm at a point where I could really talk about it all yet.

"Did you hear that?"

I snap out of my thoughts to stop and listen for whatever Seán had heard. After a few moments there was a loud somewhat distressed sound coming from the direction of the creep vine forest. It sounds like a reefback? It's higher pitched though, perhaps an adolescent.