Maleki:

The sea itself was swallowing us. The central point was a large circular pit several hundred feet across where the water flowed around it, stopping at the edge of the bowl. There was nothing we could do to escape. There was no skill in this. Nothing could save us from the trapping forces of the swirling waters. We were nearing the edge of the whirlpool now, and I could now see the bottom of the pit below. Its depth was the same as the seabed around it; no telling how far down it went.

I struggled pointlessly, trying everything in my power to resist the current, but my body was too weak and the waters too powerful as they swept us to the edge of the watery sinkhole. We reached the border, and Miko and I screamed as we felt the water release into the pit. Our screams grew louder as we began to fall through open air down the middle of the whirlpool’s pit.

After all that walking and climbing, we ended up falling to our death in the water...What a depressing ending to this journey.

We kept falling; I released my chokehold on Miko’s neck, squeezed him against my chest, and prepared for an impact as I gritted my teeth and squinted my eyes from the fall. Water graced us again as we dove into a stone pool filled with water. The impact stung against the skin of my back as I sunk into the water, my screams dissipating through the barrier of water separating us from the surface. After a moment of sinking through the pool, I collected enough energy to push us to the top. We both gasped for air immediately. Miko must’ve been confused, considering he had no awareness of what was going on, minus the feeling of being swept away by the seas that we were already swimming on and then falling hundreds of feet, only to crash into more water. I was still confused…

We were in some sort of dark, watery dungeon. The sky stretched out above us, providing light to the area we were in below. Even if it were just for a moment, I was desperate to find a spot to actually rest without floating, something flat and reliable. I looked around us, trying to understand what we had just fallen into. How were we even supposed to get out? We had been dropped far enough that I was surprised we even survived the impact. Miko also hates heights, so it was best he didn’t get to peer over the whirlpool’s edge, or he might’ve been too difficult to control.

After inspecting the slimy stone room, I noticed a faint light shimmering off the chamber walls. Swimming over, I could see that above the water line we were currently at was a corridor with light green torchlight filtering down the hallway. The lip of the hallway was even with this cylindrical stone pit, so I couldn’t swim through it or easily step up. The floor to the next room was three feet higher than the water level, so I would have to get us both up there to continue on. I thought about going up first, but what would I do once I got there, lean over and pick Miko up by his head? I wouldn’t even be able to reach his armpits, not that he can float for that long, anyway.

“The next area is a couple of feet above us. I’m gonna push you out of the water, and then you have to use everything you can to stay up there until I can get up there, too. I’ll give you another push once I land back in the water.”

“Wait, what?” Miko asked.

“Just try and stay on top of the thing I’m throwing you onto. Got it?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Uhh, sure.” He said without confidence.

The first throw was too light. Miko was lighter in the water, but I had nothing to push off of except the underwater section of the wall. My second and third throws got him closer, but he was still not close enough to make it fully onto the next platform. I reconsidered my position and pushed at his ankles and underneath his foot while I began to sink underwater. This gave me enough power to get him all the way up the ledge, where he tucked his neck and held onto the side with one of his ankles. He was great at awkward moves like this since he had grown used to using his limbs effectively in ways most people wouldn’t think of.

This shot me further under the dark waters, but I found the wall and climbed to the surface. My first attempts cleared the wall of the slimy algae and allowed me to get a better kick-off. After pushing with all the strength left in my legs, I leaped out of the water and got my hand high enough to move Miko more securely into his spot. I fell back into the cold water and got back into place to try again. This time, I was aiming for the edge of the stone. I leaped up again, my hand gripping the wet rock. My ribs hit against the wall from the jump, but I ignored the impact and used my other hand to find an area not wet from throwing Miko. I pushed upwards, straining my bicep and chest to muscle myself above the lip of the stone hallway.

I laid on my stomach, arms limp at my side like Miko, and exhaled a long breath and groaned as I internally assessed the condition of my body. This was the most depleted I’ve ever felt, almost like I was suffering a heatstroke. I could barely move, and my lungs were too tired to breathe. This stone beneath my head was cold and provided a sensation for me to focus on to stay awake. We had no idea where we were; I know Miko certainly didn’t. Staying here long enough to sleep is risky. This chamber could flood or something worse with our luck. Just a few more minutes to let the pounding headache simmer down, and then we have to keep moving.

“You all right?” I asked Miko, with my cheek smushed against the ground. He looked as tired as I did. All that kicking must’ve been exhausting since that was all he could offer.

“I didn’t drown, and it’s not like I can complain to you, so I think I’m fine, all things considered.” He spoke quietly, but his voice echoed off the hallways loudly.

I laughed through strained movements, forcing myself to sit up. “I don’t envy you, brother. This is horrendous, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in your position. Don’t beat yourself up when you’ve done all you can.”

He sighed softly. “I know. I am just growing tired of not contributing.”

“You ar- “

“-Really contributing, Maleki, not just paddling my feet. It’s a been trend here lately.” His face turned towards me as if to show eyes of contempt, but his eyelids were closed.

I wasn’t sure what to say to him. He wasn’t wrong for feeling that way, but there wasn’t anything I could do to help him. The way he was feeling was why we were here, to begin with.

“You just have to stay strong a little bit longer. I’ll get you there, and then when you are healed, we can worry about our teamwork-“

“Teamwork, Maleki? Stay strong? Do you think that’s what this is really about? I can’t see anything, and I can barely move. I just want to be normal, feel normal for once. I don’t have any strength. There’s no team. It’s just you. And I’m withering away even faster….”

His voice was solemn, and I could sense that he was starting to give up. Miko was tired of relying on me for his continued existence. Could I blame him? I mustered enough strength to place my hand on his chest. “I know, Miko. I know. I’m doing everything I can. Just keep fighting your fight, do everything you can while you have the capability, and I’ll take care of the rest. I won’t stand idle and watch you get worse.”

He sobbed through his closed eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks as he lay on his back against the cold black stone in the green fire-lit chamber. There was nothing more I could do to comfort him; his grief was too large. It’s better to give him time to figure the rest out himself. We operate differently in that manner; he needs time to cool down, and I just need space.