The Little Salmonid

Part 7 (End)

Samantha crept into the room where the newlywed couple was sleeping deeply, and the rising sun was only minutes away. The dagger trembled in her hand as she prepared to strike, but Donna mumbled in her sleep and startled her. She prepared to strike again, but before the blade could even touch his skin, Samantha abruptly stopped and gazed at the couple. She reflected on all of the fun memories she made as an Inkling, and only then had she learned to value a life.

"Oh... he looks so happy with her," thought Samantha. "If he's happy, I'm happy, too. I got myself into this, and it ain't fair to hurt him 'cause of it. I gave up everything... for him... but no matter what happens, I'll always love you, Giuseppe. I'll always love you, Pa, Mawmaw, Silver, Saki, Pinky, Coco, and Henna... I'm sorry for leavin' you without saying a word. I hope you can forgive me..."

Samantha gave Giuseppe one last kiss and trembled back onto the deck. She flung the dagger into the ocean, disgusted that she had even considered taking Giuseppe's life. The dagger began to glow until it loudly exploded, waking Giuseppe out of his sleep. The Inkling rubbed his eyes and pried himself off of his sleeping wife. He curiously followed the bloody footsteps to see what the noise was and found blotches of green ink where the dagger had exploded, and Samantha on the edge of the deck, taking one last look at the pink and blue sky.

"Salmonella?" Giuseppe groaned, still half awake.

Samantha hurled herself off of the yacht as she did the dagger, but before her body could hit the water, it dissolved into dark green seafoam. Giuseppe began to panic and rushed to the edge of the deck to look for Samantha, but there was nothing but her clothes and foam on the ocean waves. The little Salmonid was dead; but somehow, her spirit was still lingering.

Samantha found herself peering down at the foam and asked herself, "What happened? I'm still here? And... my voice is back...! And my feet don't hurt anymore! What's going on?"

"You're an Angel of the Sea,'' answered a voice too heavenly to be heard by mortal ears. Samantha turned to the voice and was greeted by a blobfish and a few Octolings with angelic wings and adorned with beautiful robes. They were so light and ethereal that no living being could see them with naked eyes.

"We too died trying to get to the promised land, or, the world above the sea to live among the Inklings," said one of the Octolings. "And we are here to guide you to the next world."

"No Salmonid has loved as purely as you have. Your selflessness and your sacrifice will never be forgotten," added the blobfish. "We welcome you with open arms, little Salmonid."

"But... I tried to kill him."

"Yet you didn't," said another Octoling. "Your love is what made you one of us. You refused to kill the Inkling out of love. No Salmonid has ever done that before."

The little Salmonid was overjoyed, but something unusual began to happen... something that had never happened to her before. She felt her eyeballs leaking and wetting her face.

"Are my eyes... leaking?" she asked. "What's happening?"

"Those are tears," the Octoling answered, drying Samantha's face. "Tears of joy. It's alright... You can cry now, after all that you have been through... Now, come with us. Heaven awaits you, little Salmonid."

And so, the little Salmonid flapped her new wings and followed her fellow angels to heaven. Her family and her beloved Inkling knew not about what had happened to her, but she had attained heaven; and in heaven she peacefully remained among the Angels of the Sea.

The End