Putz12 Plus One

THIRTY TWO | THE HATS OF THE HAPLESS

"Long time no see!" The scrawny octoling shook as they lead him out of the goo.

"No squiddin'. You... you look awful, man."

"Here." Pheobe pulled out a pudding pack she had in her pockets and Putz's stomach growled. She tossed it to Octofro, who ripped it open and squeezed it down in a gulp.

"Guess he likes puddin' just as much as me."

"Well, I hope he enjoys it because it was my last pack. Now," She reached into her pocket and looked at a glowing square. The two wondered what it was, but it just looked like an illuminated compass. "But it doesn't matter. We'll be going to the surface."

There was an eldritch air surrounding them. He felt the pressure close in on his chest. "Wait, you said 'we.' I thought it was just me."

She put the object back in her pocket and started walking. Putz grabbed Octofro's arm and they both stepped with difficulty over the goo.

"Yeah, well there's another survivor. So we're all going. No more splitting up. If we don't make it back my sister's gone, for sure."

He remembered how Iza left on her own. She was right. They had to stick together.

"But..."

Kleim's words echoed around in his head. What if his species wasn't accepting? Or truly depraved? And they sure didn't like him, so what made them think they'd ever believe in octolings, anyway? Racism... he remembered a brief section in his history classes. It couldn't be revived, right? Fighting over colors...

"The tunnel doesn't seem too far." She laughed. "Those squidiots may have sculpted their own doom by trying to take us out."

"Pheobe," He stood in front of her, to block the tunnel which may or may not have been behind him. He couldn't tell with all that goo. "Are you sure? What if they don't like your kind, what if--"

She rolled her eyes, and her height intimidated him. "I don't care if they do or don't." She reached down into the putrid goo and made a mask with her fingers. Octofro caught on, and his his shaking hand did the same. "They're not gonna figure it out."

He followed her footsteps, getting an aching feeling of familiarity. It was odd how "Putz instinct" worked, feeling the place you know in your heart before seeing it. And with that thought the object blinked and rang. She pulled it out and he saw what it was: a touchscreen phone from ancient times. His mouth gaped, feeling over the screen before she swatted his hand away.

"Holy... Ancient. I've read of those. I've seen those. But in person? How did you?" He tried touching it but she only further swatted his hand. It easy to believe she was Iza's sister. 

"You don't worry about how I get things. There's a reason I've survived through all of this. The tunnel's here, come on."

They approached a pit of blackness. Nothing was distinguishable anymore. She tilted her head toward some more black. Sure, it was a wall. Still, just goo though.

"What?"

"This is it."

"It just looks like a regular wall to me." Octofro said, Putz nodding in agreement.

"The signal I'm getting disagrees. This is it. This is the tunnel."

"So it's covered in goo, then?"

"Yep."

"I don't get it. How? Do we,"

She took a step in, and started coughing. "Just hold your breath and follow my steps." With a squeamish stomach she pushed her way through the goo, disappearing into the texture.