Under The Sea

Chapter Seven - My Friend

Samuel grew increasingly bored the longer he remained in the cave by hisself. He couldn't imagine how his mother must be faring right now. How she must have suffered when she received the news of the storm.

His chest tightened as tears burned in his eyes. It was all his fault. She had already lost her husband, and now most likely believed her son to be dead. He dried his tears, struggling to compose himself.

His chest tightened in pain, and he immediately thought back to Axel. It was a similar sensation, but with him it was... warm. This felt like his heart was being torn to pieces. Samuel allowed his eyes to search around the cave, seeking may distraction he could find.

His eyes fell to the water, and he remembered earlier when a glint shone in the deep. It couldn't have been Axel or he would have swum up. He pushed himself off the slab, kneeling on the sand against the water's edge. As he peered into the deep abyss, searching for anything in the dark water.

He reached his hand under the surface, the water warm against his skin, a contrast to the cool stone of the cave. He let himself get carried away, moving further and further into the water. Without warning, his body fell past where the sand stopped, submerging him into the cave.

He struggled to orient himself, flashing back to the night of the storm. His side burning as he flailed beneath the surface. He glances around; the cave was dark, but a soft light shone through from above. The illuminated cave walls jutting out to form shelf-like rows. Moving closer, Samuel caught an array of items spread over the slabs... items from the surface.

Samuel was confused as to what he was seeing. Did all of this belong to Axel? Was he trying to get information on the humans? Was he using Samuel to do it?

Samuel hesitated with the thoughts and felt his lungs flex, the lack of oxygen registering throughout his body. He shifted to move when his pant leg caught on something sharp. He pulled and jerked his leg to no avail as the fabric refused to tear.

Samuel was about to panic when he get a strong pair of hands wrap around his waist as a body pushed flush against his back. The warmth radiating off the body burned into his skin as they pulled him to the surface.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Axel asks, annoyed as he surfaced behind Samuel, taking him by the arms and helping him up and to the slab.

"What?" Samuel returned, confused and surprised.

"This is the second time I have to save you from drowning," Axel deadpans, "why did you go into the cave? You're in no condition to swim with your injury."

It had been so long since the last time someone scolded him. His mother had never... ever since his father's death. Samuel believed she was afraid to drive him away by scolding him and losing the only family she had left.

"Sorry," Samuel whispered. "I just wanted to sit in the water. I didn't expect the drop to be so close to the sand."

"It's alright," Axel sighed, taking in Samuel's somber expression, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Samuel returned, refusing to meet his gaze and instead diverting his eyes to the water, catching a sudden blur under the surface. "What was that?"

Samuel hadn't intended to sound as afraid as he did when asking, but he couldn't control it either. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he shuffled back on the slab.

"That's just Finn," Axel sighed. "She followed me here last time, thinking I was in trouble. I should have known I couldn't keep this a secret from her for too long."

"Is something going to happen to me?"

"No!" Axel shot out, holding his hands out and taking a breath, "no, she just wanted to meet you to make sure I'm safe."