Sort of Dead

45 - For The Love Of Blood, Just Move It!

Closer.

Terrible images are coming to my mind, of krakens and hydras and other sea-monsters.

Closer.

There are tiny eddies there - whatever is in there has to be big.

Closer.

Wow, I'm starting to pant like See.

Almost here. And . . .

'It's the boat!' Bee exclaims, and walks towards it. 'And Es is in it!'

As you can probably imagine, we all are incredibly relieved and happy. Well, all except Aar. He's just been proven wrong about there being a boat here after all.

The boat is wooden, it seems, relatively simple in design. Capacity of at least eight to ten passengers. But-

'There are no paddles,' I observe. 'And Es, you can't touch anything anyway. How'd you drive it here?'

She shrugs cutely, jumping out of the boat in a great ten-feet-high jump. 'I don't know, Marri-shan. It just listens to me, I guess.'

I look at Mr. Om, expecting an answer. All I get is a shrug and this: 'This is a strange place, Mar. Spirits might have an edge over us humans in this hellhole.'

At least this isn't as alien as See talking in that girly tone. I'll accept what I get. Es seems to have grown stronger since Witch Moon Day anyway. First making See talk and now this. I wonder what else she can do now.

Soon we're all inside the boat. Well, all except - you guessed it - Aar The Self-Esteemed.

Mr. Om glances at him cockily. 'If someone wants to join us, they're most welcome. We have just enough space for one more teenager who loves to act and disobey his elders.'

Aar groans.

Then something else groans. Something much louder. And deeper. And goosebumps-inducing.

'What was that?' I say. My foot hits something soft and plushy, but it's only See's fur. He fell asleep soon as he got into the boat. 'Any idea, Es?'

'Oh, let me think,' she says (hisses) ponderingly, putting her finger on her temples. 'Ah, yes. I do remember some kids with lizard-faces chasing me. But I think they were pretty cute, actually. Why do you ask, Marry-wee-wee?'

We all stare at her, open-mouthed.

Another couple of groans. They're approaching us. The lizard-heads with children-bodies and fangs.

'AAR!' I scream. 'GET IN THIS INSTANT!'

He doesn't argue.

'ES! GET US GOING!'

'Are you sure you don't want to meet them? They seemed sweet to me - '

'ES, FOR THE LOVE OF BLOOD, JUST MOVE IT!'

'Okay, okay, there's no need to shout.' She sounds hurt - I'll apologize later - but the boat lurches to life and we start drifting across the dirty, smelly lake.

Mr. Om accidentally drops the blindfolds and his duffel containing medical supplies into the lake, which swallows it like some hungry beast. Good for us. Bye, BBs. Won't miss you.

And I think I saw some reptilian-humanoid creature back at the spot where we left, but that might just be my mind growing crazy.

How's that?
Thanks, you know, for reading.