UnderWater

Chapter 16

I went back to the dark, empty apartment. Wiggled my feet out of my dark-blue vans, and placed it on the shoe rack near the entrance.

My hands travelled the walls in search of the light switch to flick it on. Afterwards I headed straight to my room for a change of clothes. Changing into a grey sweatpants and a magenta 'v'- neck shirt, I flopped down on the living room's couch. I opened my phone to find a few missed calls from Mikasa, and of course a reply from Levi.

I replied to Levi first, while making my way back to my room in search of my headset.

After finding it in one of my drawers, I plugged it into my phone while making my way back to the couch and started dialing Mikasa's number.

I waited for a few rings before she answered, "Hello?"

"Mika! Sorry I was at the Library with Armin," I said as soon as she answered, its been a while since I heard her voice.

"Ow.. okay, that's rare coming from you.." She said in her usual monotone yet soft voice,

"Haha.. yeah.. I was bored and the bar was still closed, so yeah.." I tried to not half-assedly explain, scratching the back of my neck.

"The bar closed?" She asked, there's a bit of concern in her voice.

"Yeah.. Danchou left for a business trip, it's only until he's back, though." I explained, summarizing it.

I could heard her sigh of relieve from the phone, Then silence filled the line. And coicidently, Levi's reply came in. He said he was still doing some extra work, so we couldn't call tonight. Feeling a little dissapointed, I pouted my mouth a little unconciously.

"Have you eaten?" Mikasa's voice snapped me back to her,

"Huh? Um..Yeah, I did with Armin. Just before going back home, after helping him clean up some sections in the library. Anyway, why did you call sometime ago?" I asked her, remembering the missed calls from her.

"Ah..! I almost forgot. I could come home at the end of the month. Got a few days off." She sounded really happy to be able to come home,

"Great! We'll be making your favorites then! I'll inform Armin, so he could sleep over on that day," I could imagine her smilling at the other end, and that also makes me smile a bit wider.

"Text me the details so I could save it okay? Will you be coming late or early?" I continued with the question, feeling a bit excited.

"I'll be home after work, directly. So, maybe, about eight I'll be home. I'll text you the specific date later." I could hear papers rustling on her end, assuming she was still working.

"Okay,okay.." I said, giving her a small nod, eventhough she couldn't see me.

Then comfortable silence fell on us, I looked over to the window to stare at the star - filled dark sky - fiddling my feet, while checking for a reply from Levi.

Suddenly, I could feel a tension on the silence from the other end of the call.

"Eren..?" Mikasa's voice was unsure. The only reply I make was only a small questioning sound.

"...are you okay?" She asked with an extra carefullness this time, and from her tone, I understood what she meant.

I was silent for a moment, processing the thoughts. " I'm... fine," I answered, hesitating. But I didn't want to make her worry.

Now, she was the one who was silent, I quickly diverted the conversation into another.

I didn't feel like dealing with some emotional shit right now. That's why.. I'm running away just now. I know it too well.

For the sake of diverting my mind from some trigger.

We chatted a bit more, as Mika still needs to deal a few more with things before turning in.

I mentioned about Armin trying to get me to read a book, she sided with him. Saying its good for my knowledge, or at least to keep my mind off of some things. I admitted defeat, and promised to read it later. As I know, they would be bothering me with questions about the book later on.

After we both hung up, I made my way to the bathroom to clean up a bit. Washing up a bit and brushing my teeth. Then texted Levi that I was going to sleep, as I assumed he's still caught up in his work. Then made my way to my room. Flopping down on my bed.

Then the leather covered book caught my eyes.

I sighed, but still got up to bring it over to the bed. Propped myself on the bed, with the journal in my hand. I switched off the lights in the room and flicked on the bedside lamp so I could actually see the content of the book, rather than seeing only nothing in the dark.

I sighed, as I looked at the dark-brown leather covering the book. Feeling the texture, my skin traced it as I opened the cover. It revealed a small, yet neat hand writting in the middle of the first page, saying -Research- . I schruched an eyebrow at it. Still dismissing the little insterest that is starting to build in. I flipped the pages with only written words, and stopped at the ones with drawings or in this case sketches.

The sketches were beautifull, in my opinion. The person who did it, paid their mind to the small details of the object they were sketching. I could feel that the writer were really serious about their 'research'.

They even describe more about their object in specific details. It intrigued me to read more of their's.

For example the sketch of some sort of scale. They even draw the texture and the shape of the scale. Giving off a Mystical feeling just from the drawing itself. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to see and touch the scale with my own fingers. They were described to be in a beautiful metalic blue colour, shinning like pearls under water. So I only assumed it was a fish scale.

There were more drawings on gemstones and a few different types of scales. Then accient stones, caves with carvings of some accient language. I could make a few words of latin from it, but most of them were in a language that I don't recognize.

Being the son of an archeologist and an adventurer-souled mother, I was taught a few languages in my childhood. Well, they caught my interest.

The more pages I go through, the deeper my interest became. But still focused on the sketches I found, rather than long passages. I found myself staring at a particular drawing for more than a few minutes, I didn't even realized it was already late.

It was a drawing of , what it seems like, a large fish's tail. For some reason, the writer only drew the tail. It made me a bit confused, but captivated by how odd and beautifull the drawing is. The vibration of my phone on the bed-side table startled me , so I decided to mark the page and closed the book.

I placed it beside my phone. Then checking for the text from Levi saying Goodnight , before flicking the lamp off, and tugging myself under the warm cover.

And that night for some reasons the vividness of the dream was clearer than the previous ones. But still being in the middle of the beach was soothing as it has always been, even in dreams.

The scenary was still the same as the other ones. A scene that kept on repeating it self over and over again. I had gotten used to it, but every time I dreamt of it, there would be something new. Like, this night, I could breath the salty-ness of the water. And see the stars above twinkles a little.

But the man was still in a blur, with half of his body dipped into the water. His face unrecognizeable. I wanted to come closer to him, as he was calling to me, But I couldn't. My feet just wouldn't move, as if I could only stand there and stare.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed in the dream, yet when I was awakened by my alarm, the sun had risen already. I opened my heavy eye lids, and stretched out in the bed. Then my hand searched the side table for my phone to shut off the noisy alarm.

It wasn't a surprise when Levi had send me a good morning text, just an hour before I woke up. Causing me to a smile - a good way to start the day.