Noel’s senses were starting to come back slowly but surely, though she could still see nothing but the blackness that had engulfed her earlier. Then when she tried to move her limbs, she realized it was because she had her eyes closed, prompting her to open them. It wasn’t easy either, because her eyelids felt like they were tied to dumbbells pulling them down, as if she’d just woken up from a surgery. But the last thing she remembered before everything around her went dark managed to keep her up and not black out again. To do this, she found herself pinching her body for a minute or so, including the places injured by the snake’s fangs, which still hurt, but got the job done.
The first thing Noel inspected when she was finally awake fully – albeit wincing a bit from pinching her snake fang cuts – was her surroundings. Assuming she had indeed blacked out right after the snake died, they couldn’t stay in the cave anymore due to risk of its blood attracting predators. So she was not too surprised to see she was in the middle of another dense kelp forest, with orange sunlight filtering through the stalks and leaves indicating she’d been out cold for quite a while.
Having no doubt that Caleb was the one to carry her limp body all the way here from the cave, Noel mentally called out to him in a grateful manner and looked around to see where he was, only to be taken aback when she did discover him. He’d been sitting behind her with his knife held close to his front in a pair of trembling hands. At the mention of his name, Caleb turned around, and Noel could also see his eyes were slightly red. The reason for this was found out soon when he dropped the knife and bolted towards her to embrace her tightly and start sobbing loudly.
“What were you doing…?” Noel asked cautiously, but Caleb ignored that question and continued to cry and hold her, “I thought you’d never wake up after waiting for over four days! Thank god you’re alright! I couldn’t bring myself to do anything other than carry you away from that cave where the snake died, but now that you’re here again, I-“
“Wait, I was blacked out for four whole days?” Noel asked in disbelief. It then dawned on her how difficult it must have been for Caleb during that period of time to not only carry her to safety, but also fend for himself all alone without knowing when she’d ever wake up, if at all. And this all had to be done while looking out for the aliens, which Noel could only guess had probably been like hell for Caleb, his sensing skills being worse than hers and everything.
Feeling like crying herself after realizing what Caleb must’ve gone through, Noel hugged him back just as tightly, for once not even caring about their bare skin making contact, and said, “It’s alright, I’m fine now so no need to be upset… I can’t imagine how much torture it had been for you to make it through all those days and nights alone, I’m sorry you had to experience that…”
“I felt like I couldn’t make it at all…” Caleb coughed up his words through heavy sobs, “It seemed to me everything was over until you miraculously woke up, you literally just saved me…”
Hearing that made Noel’s stomach jolt. She then recalled the way Caleb had held the knife close to him and his eyes were reddened from crying. She let go of Caleb to look at him in his still red eyes and said, “What the hell were you thinking, Caleb?! You could tell I wasn’t dead and yet you were contemplating THAT?! Did you not consider how I’d feel or what I’d do if I did wake up and found out you did that horrible thing to yourself? What happened to sticking together through this?!”
This time it was Caleb who was taken aback as he stared wide eyed at Noel, who could only look back for three seconds while he stuttered like he didn’t know what else to do, “I… I just said I thought you’d never wake up…” before breaking down into tears in his arms.
Caleb guiltily glanced at Noel out of the corner of his eye. Now that she said it, he realized she was right and how extremely shortsighted he was to even think about going through with what he’d been trying to do right before Noel woke up. What if he had indeed done it and left her in the same purgatory he’d been in for the past four days, only without any end to it for her?
“You’re… you’re right, I’m so sorry…” Caleb muttered, hugging Noel this time not to bring himself comfort, but give it to her. “I was so scared I wasn’t thinking straight… Scared of losing you too…”
He waited for Noel’s crying to calm down, which took a while, but when it did he patted her gently on the back and whispered, “It’s just that… those aliens have already taken so much from us over these several days… I couldn’t stand to lose any more that I hold dear…”
Caleb felt Noel hold him tighter as he said that, before whispering back, “Let’s promise we won’t ever do that to each other again… okay?”
“Promise.” Caleb replied. They felt better than before after that exchange but didn’t stop hugging until much later, for at that moment both of them felt the exact same out-of-place relief they’d felt back at the apartment when they first learned of their families’ presumed demise. And though they knew the feeling was not to last, they wanted to feel it even for just a moment with each other.
Once their minds were put to ease, the first thing they did was try to deduce what caused Noel to pass out for four whole days after the sea snake attack.
“The thing’s fangs did get to me.” Said Noel, glancing at the scratches on her arm and side. “And based on my knowledge of sea snakes, just like the ones on earth, that creature could also probably both camouflage and was venomous; no doubt its venom was what paralyzed me for four days.”
“What a relief this thing’s venom isn’t fatal, and can also wear off over time.” Caleb muttered, before adding, “Does it still hurt? If so, it’s probably best to have them wrapped up. I still have the shredded remains of my clothes in my backpack which I kept in case we’d need them for stuff like this.”
“Pretty smart move.” Noel complimented with a smile. “And thanks, because they do still hurt.”
Taking out what looked like was once part of a shirt sleeve from his backpack, Caleb said, “It would have been better if any of us could shapeshift so we could shapeshift these wounds into healing up… but hey, something’s better than nothing, even though I ain’t no medic.”
Noel winced as the cloth was wrapped around the injury on her arm, but still kept up a grateful smile for Caleb, who checked if he tied it up properly and announced, “That part’s all done.” He then pulled out a much bigger torn piece of his shirt and adjusted it a little before saying, “Now time for your-“ but stopped mid-sentence and turned his head away in embarrassment.
“What’s the matter all of a-“ Noel was about to ask, then remembered where her other snake fang injury was and immediately had the same reaction, followed with her cheeks burning hot.
Caleb slapped his own cheeks – which were just as red as Noel’s – with both hands to help get his mind back on the right track, and stammered, “L-let’s just g-get this over with… it’s nothing… right?”
Noel nodded and sat still for Caleb to finish tending to her wounds, albeit still looking away from him and blushing madly. Meanwhile Caleb was having a harder time with this – he had to give his all to not let his mind drift to weird places, all while Noel’s well-curved hips and midriff were mere inches away from his face as he wrapped the cloth around the injury.
It took no more than a minute, but the awkwardness of the moment made it seem five times longer. Nevertheless, once Noel was all patched up (so to speak) both of them eventually got the nerve to face each other again, after which Caleb asked while trying to hide his still red face, “Better?”
Noel nodded. “Mhm.” Then in an attempt to show a little more gratitude, as she could tell how he must’ve felt during it, she quickly added, “Thanks again.”
Caleb nodded back, and there was another brief pause of awkward silence between them. Then the silence was broken only to be replaced with another awkward moment as both Noel and Caleb spoke up at the exact same time, “Hey, you want to-“ which they tried to laugh off for a few seconds before Caleb said, “You first Noel, it’s fine.”
“I was about to say if you wanna lure in some fish to eat, I was getting hungry.” Said Noel.
“Took the words right out of my head.” Caleb replied. “And I can only assume you need it more than ever, seeing how you haven’t had a single bite in days.”
“I’m honestly astounded that I can even move at all, now that you mention it.” Said Noel, looking down at herself. Perhaps it was because she’d also been motionless during the four days of being paralyzed, but her body didn’t feel like it hadn’t eaten anything for a long while. That said, she knew it wasn’t going to stay that way for long, and thus she wasted no time putting her and Caleb’s abilities to use in search of food.
* * *
Some time after they had tended to their stomachs, Caleb started dozing off out of exhaustion, which was understandable considering what he went through the past four days. So Noel thought it would be best to just let him sleep while she watched over him to make sure nothing dangerous approached them. This turned out to be something of a double-edged sword later on. While this did work in keeping an eye out for any aliens that might pass by, it also began to stir up an internal conflict within Noel’s mind.
It was more than a relief they were both alive even after getting attacked and even paralyzed in her case, but now that the moment had passed, Noel wasn’t exactly sure what they were to do next. Neither their original goal of destroying every last rift in the ocean, nor what Caleb proposed in his depressed state about waiting out the aliens’ attack until they left earth seemed desirable at this point. The former option had the obvious danger of them not being capable enough for the job, and the latter’s assurance of survival didn’t feel all that good either, not to mention the idea of what would become of them if they did live through it.
Looking at that idea in the long term, even if the aliens went away and they were free to come out of hiding, then what? Having never learned shapeshifting from the turtle, the chances of regaining their legs to return to land wasn’t too promising. Even if they did somehow master it via practice or something, what would be left on land to salvage for their survival by that time?
And speaking of the aliens, a part of Noel still acknowledged what Caleb had told her before the snake attack was nothing short of true. If they thought about it, the snake attack was probably better proof of that than anything. Hell, after what happened to her, Noel couldn’t help but think she ought to be extremely lucky the venom wasn’t life threatening.
But on the other hand, they DID successfully finish the snake off in the end. And not because some sort of miracle happened to tip the scales in their favor, they had done it with their own hands only. Plus it was no use pondering over what would have happened if the venom was indeed fatal, that wasn’t the case and that was it, nothing could change the course of those past events.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
This was where Noel’s mind was split. The idea of facing any of the aliens again regardless of how certainly still scared her. But after they were able to not only get away from, but also kill one – albeit not unscathed – she was also starting to think maybe they weren’t as hopeless as they thought they were. If they could do it once in an unprepared state, then what would their chances be if they did it while more prepared?
“Can we really do it, or are these just wishful thinking again?” Noel said to herself. She took a second to look at a still sleeping Caleb and thought, “What would he say if he could hear me now?”
“M… mom please… don’t…” Noel suddenly heard Caleb mumble, and she jolted where she sat, for a second thinking he had really responded to her. But it turned out he was just talking in his sleep, completely oblivious to whatever thoughts had been going through Noel’s mind. This still didn’t startle Noel any less though, as she’d never heard Caleb so much as mention his mother or why she never seemed to be around him ever since they became friends in her first year of high school. The only time he did mention something of the sort was when Noel had asked him upon meeting his father for the first time by coincidence. His reply to that back then had been a request for Noel to not ask such personal things while wearing a face like someone shot a poison dart at him.
Noel had never brought up the subject since then, but this time it seemed like she’d have to break that promise for once. Because during the few seconds Noel thought these through, Caleb had woken up with his eyes looking like they might’ve been damp with tears if they weren’t underwater.
Caleb looked around him and asked, “How long was I asleep?” before noticing the look of startled concern on Noel’s face. After a second or so of realization he sighed and said, “I was talking in my sleep, wasn’t I? And you heard whatever I’ve been saying?”
There was no use lying when Caleb could easily find out the truth through her thoughts, so Noel reluctantly nodded. “I’m sorry I overheard, I won’t bother you by asking-“
“Don’t apologize, you weren’t trying to do it deliberately…” Caleb muttered. He paused for a second to wipe his eyes by instinct and added, “And it’s not like it matters anymore, what use is it to keep hiding the pain when we’re already at rock bottom?”
Noel didn’t know what to make of what she was hearing, as Caleb continued, “Don’t worry about me, maybe I should have got this over with a long time ago…”
“Huh…?” Noel cautiously tried to ask if he really was okay with this, but nothing came out. Caleb took a deep breath and in the calmest voice he could manage in spite of himself said, “The reason you – or anyone else we used to know – never saw me with my mother is because… when I was younger, sometime before high school, my parents went through a really nasty divorce that left both of them devastated beyond words in the end. I was no exception, of course – you can probably imagine just by my description how difficult it is for any kid to go through something so difficult and far beyond their control…”
Noel nodded silently. If she was to be honest with herself (but not with Caleb right now), this whole disaster was one huge difficult event far beyond anyone’s control, let alone hers, so she could partly understand that feeling. But for the moment she just kept that to herself in an unreadable form of thought, because she also understood what Caleb needed right now was for her to listen, not to rub salt into a wound that he was opening back up with his own hands.
It wasn’t like Caleb would have been able to hear any of Noel’s thoughts anyway, as he was fully wrapped up in continuing what he was saying, “’Horrible’ doesn’t even come close to describing what it was like for me. Being forced to pick a side and never getting to see the other again, no less someone who used to be family… dad had to take both himself and me to support groups, therapy and shit for a while after it happened, which thankfully seemed to work for him eventually…”
Noel once again asked cautiously upon hearing this, “But it didn’t work for you?”
Caleb nodded almost solemnly. “Call me dumb or stubborn for this, but for some reason trying to have complete strangers resonate with me did nothing to help me. It’s probably because I’ve always felt much better talking with those close to me, regardless of the topic… except this.”
“It’s not your fault.” Noel said in the same cautious manner. “What works for some may not work for others, so don’t blame yourself for that.” She was saying this not out of sympathy from hearing a tragic part of Caleb’s past she never knew of. It was because she meant every word of it, and above all, understood she had to be here for him in his time of need. She was determined to not let the night right after the turtle died repeat itself. Unlike then, this time she didn’t feel powerless.
Caleb nodded again, this time more slowly, and continued, “Even if that’s the case, my decision to keep this hidden from everyone else was not the right thing to do, I can’t believe it took a whole world-ending disaster to make me realize that… I thought if I confided in my problems with those close to me like the friends we made in high school they’d never look at or treat me the same way again out of feeling bad for me, without properly knowing how I feel about anything. I didn’t want anyone’s sympathy or pity, I just wanted someone who could understand. And I couldn’t tell dad either about his attempts to help me not working because it would’ve only worried him further, as if he didn’t have enough things plaguing his own mind already… So I just hid these feelings and the pain from everyone out of fear that I’d make things worse if I didn’t…”
Noel fell silent after this. For one, she could sense that Caleb had more to say and she didn’t want to interrupt him, but also because what she’d heard so far was making her see parts of Caleb’s behavior in a different light. From the day they first met, Caleb had always been one to crack a few jokes every once in a while to make those around him laugh, and most of his Youtube viewers didn’t call him “one of the funniest people on earth” for no reason. Even during this alien invasion, she could easily recall moments in which he would try to make positive or mildly humorous remarks for the sake of levity, like when they were first heading out of the apartment to get to the sea, or practicing their newly earned abilities, and even the rather ridiculous comment he made upon them unintentionally killing the giant crab. Maybe all of that was not because he was some sort of optimist like Noel had thought he was, but because it was his own way of trying to cope with – or at least numb – the pain he was hiding inside?
Her mind also flashed back to when they’d concluded their families were probably dead and Caleb’s reaction to that reality sinking in. As well as when she’d woken up from the venom-induced paralysis in time to see him trying to do something with his knife. She remembered him saying how scared he was of losing her and how that fear made him lose his head to the point of attempting something he couldn’t be responsible for. Now knowing he’d already lost someone dear to him before, and had no one to confide the pain in with, Noel understood why Caleb had felt the way he did then.
“But I should’ve known back then, that the only one I was making things worse for… was myself.” Caleb spoke again, and Noel cleared her head to continue listening. “You know how they say if you never try then you’ll never know… I shouldn’t have let my fear and pain blind me and jump to the conclusion that nobody could help me, when this whole time I had someone who could…”
“What…?” Noel was confused for a split second, then quickly realized what Caleb meant when she noticed him looking deeply into her eyes as if wanting to fall right into them. All throughout Caleb’s story she had listened to him with the right understanding mind and not any of the sympathy or pity that he said were the last things he needed from others.
Caleb inched a little closer to Noel and extended his arm towards her, before stopping himself and, rather unexpectedly, looking embarrassed at what he had just been trying to do. Knowing what was on his mind, Noel whispered, “It’s okay, go for it.” And the second she did, Caleb pulled her into a tight embrace, which she didn’t hesitate to return.
“I knew I could trust you to tell you this…” Said Caleb softly into her ear, as that was where his face was right next to at the moment. “I just wish I had trusted you enough much sooner than this, if I knew it would help me relieve this pain I felt so long…”
“I also understand why you did what you did back then, so I don’t blame you for anything.” Noel replied. “And you know there’s also the saying, ‘better late than never’…”
Caleb nodded. “Thanks for listening to me, even though it must’ve not been easy what with you having lost your family now too… I’m sorry if what I had to say opened up any wounds for you, I was so focused on getting it all out of me that I-“
“It’s fine.” Noel cut Caleb off, followed by a few pats on the back for his comfort. “You’ve felt it way worse and longer than I ever have, it’s only right that you finally get it out of yourself…”
Caleb muttered, “Thanks again…” and hugged Noel a bit tighter afterwards. Noel felt Caleb shake slightly in her arms as if holding back sobs and patted his back some more to say, “If there’s still something left in you that needs to be let out, don’t hold back. You know I’m not going anywhere.”
As if on cue, Caleb did indeed break loose as soon as Noel said that and cried out to his heart’s content, all while she never stopped embracing him to keep providing him the comfort he needed.
After some time, when Caleb had cried enough and got everything off his mind, Noel asked him, “Better?” to which he nodded before finding his voice to say, “Nearly seven years of repressed pain finally released from my heart like dropping a heavy weight, how could I not be better?”
“Good to hear…” Said Noel, but then lost her voice again at what Caleb said next, not because she felt bad this time, but rather she didn’t know what the proper response should be.
“I think I’ll at least be able to be at peace for whatever amount of time we have left, now that you helped me lift all that off myself…”
* * *
It was very obvious that Caleb’s opinion on their current situation remained unchanged even after having his seven year-long emotional burden lifted, Noel thought as she watched Caleb sleep again.
Night had fallen not too long after Caleb told Noel of his hidden past, and so they were expected to both go to bed after another meal of fish. But whereas Caleb managed to fall asleep just fine, Noel found herself still wide awake even something like an hour after they’d first laid down on the sand. The moment Caleb had said something about being at peace for however much time they had left, she’d been reminded of the question in her mind regarding what they were supposed to do after this, which remained unanswered. Her mind was still too split to make a decision on her own, and trying to ask Caleb for advice was useless at this point.
“Face it man, we can run but we can’t hide…” Noel muttered with her eyes still on Caleb. Aside from the glaring problems that would arise if they emerged as the only two humans left on the planet at the end of the invasion, there was also the even more glaring question of whether they’d be able to survive that long at all. Sure, they may be able to keep avoiding danger by detecting it with their abilities, but with almost all the rifts out there still up and running, and the aliens gradually taking over more of the earth to hunt down as much prey as possible, running and hiding could only keep them alive for so long.
“But I just don’t know about the only other option we have aside from that…” Noel said to herself. She stood by her opinion on surviving the sea snake being some form of proof that they just might be capable of going against the aliens by themselves and destroy more rifts on their way. That alone seemed to guarantee a better future for them than just trying to delay the inevitable by cowering from the aliens closing in on them, as it was still a solution to the problem as opposed to running away from it.
“Albeit a solution that we don’t know for sure if we’ll be able to pull off if we tried…” Noel thought to herself, and sighed deeply. With her state of mind about as messy as the state of the world, it was no wonder she couldn’t bring herself to be sure about anything, let alone sleep.
It was this thought and a certain few words included in it that sparked something in Noel. She sat upright where she lay as those words took her back to when Caleb was telling her the untold story of his past – how it was wrong of him to keep his pain to himself by continuously avoiding possible solutions to it, rather than take a risk and confide it to anyone close to him.
“You know how they say if you never try then you’ll never know… I shouldn’t have let my fear and pain blind me and jump to the conclusion that nobody could help me from the pain, when this whole time I had someone who could…”
“That’s it…” Noel muttered as the spark in her became a revelation, which soon became an idea – and a crystal clear one at that. Trying to continue their original journey certainly provided a better chance at survival, it was just that their pain from the turtle’s loss and the fear of failure (not to mention death) kept making them not want to carry it out for real. But to quote Caleb from earlier, they would never know for sure if they never tried. Add that to the fact they’d already taken down one alien all on their own, and that some chance was better than no chance, and Noel was beginning to think they might actually go for it.
She laid herself back on the sand next to Caleb and thought one last thing before she blacked out from sleep, “If only I can convince him when we wake up next morning, then I guess there’s no stopping us now…”