Cerulean Found

Chapter 78 - Is It Make Believe or Something More?

I am alone in the middle of the great blue ocean.

The sky grows ever darker, until it is so black I cannot see an inch in front of my face. A bright yellow-orange light shines in the distance. I squint at the sudden illumination before my eyes.

"Mila! I found them," Josh cries out in a loud whisper. The light shines brighter and more intensely. I squint as I try to figure out where I am and what is going on.

"Oh sorry," the brightness shifts its intense glow to my left. I follow the beam of light. It rests near my clenched hand that is resting on the cool forest ground next to where I am sitting. "I didn't mean to blind you with this," Josh says, as he comes into focus before me.

"I found them," Josh repeats. My heart instantly sinks. Was I too late? Has the damage already been done?

"Did you capture one?" I ask, eager clear in my voice.

"No, not yet. I wanted to come check on you," he says.

Relief sweeps over me. Josh is okay. He hasn't been bitten.

The bright flashlight shines intensely on my hand. I stare at it with a curious intensity. The memories come back instantly. This is the very hand that moments ago Audrey had placed the Booshquid in. The tiny creature couldn't be in there, held captive in my palm. That was all just a dream... wasn't it? It was a vision. Nothing more. But then my mind trailed to that day I was meditating on the patio. I had awoken to find black sand in my hand.

Then I feel it. Something begins to move in my clenched fist. I can feel the cool and almost slimy creature as it attempts to uncoil its tiny body from my grasp.

I move my hand so that it is completely illuminated by Josh's flashlight. I open it slowly, uncurling one finger at a time. I am about to lift my ring finger up when I let out a muffled gasp.

A tiny black head has popped out from behind the remaining digits. The little creature stares at me and then begins to slither out onto the open plateau of the palm of my hand.

"What is that?" Josh asks as he hurries over to me.

I don't say anything. I can't speak. All I can do is lift my hand up to examine the dark colored worm.

"Mila, what is that?" Josh asks again.

"A Booshquid," I answer, as I stare at the strange creature in my hand.

"Say that again."

"A Booshquid. It's a type of worm that lives...."

"That lives at the bottom of the ocean," Josh interjects. My eyes quickly dart up to his. A look of intense skepticism is painted across his face. "I know what it is," he says. "You're kidding though, right?"

"No, why?"

"Well, there's no way that this can be a Booshquid. It's probably just an earthworm," he says matter of factly.

"It is not an earthworm," I reply.

"Wait, there's a way to see. If it is what you think it is, there should be a red dot on its belly. That's where it secretes the juice or anti-venom from."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of people in the islands use Booshquids for the juice they secret. It acts as a sort of anti-venom for most tree frog and snake bites."

Josh lifts the worm up into his hand and turns it over, examining its underside. HIs eyes grow wide with wonder.

"What is it?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.