At the Bottom of the Ocean for a Night || Samuel Draco || Alea Aquarius

Chapter 2 Midnight

Sammy slept very badly. They had been back at 4 p.m. and had been able to bake cookies together. Alea and Lennox had then left at 7 p.m. to return to Nelani and Keblarr. Fussel had laid down in front of Sammy's bed. It had been a nice end to the two days Lennox and Alea had spent on the Crucis.

Sammy sat up and turned on his desk lamp. On the small table next to Sammy's bed was his diary, some collectibles from the Ocean Kingdom, some finds from the sea that even the older merfolk didn't know, and an old family photo book. Fussel woke up. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." Fussel made the goat sounds she was known for only a little deeper. She sounded a little annoyed. "I can't sleep. Do you want to play a bit?" Fussel bobbed back and forth a bit. Sammy saw that as yes. "Ok. I'll get some fish quickly."

Sammy snuck past Niki and Ben's room and stopped by the living area. It was all the same as always, just dark. He almost tripped over Fussel's favorite ball. He arrived at the kitchen and took three small fish out of the bucket for Fussel. On the way back to his room, he picked up Fussel's ball.

"So. First tricks, then fish." Sammy looked at Fussel, who was looking longingly at the fish. "Ok, you're allowed to have one." Sammy threw a fish to his seal. Happily, Fussel snapped at the fish and caught it in the air.

Sammy almost threw her a fish for it, but he pulled the ball out instead. "Let's go." Wherever Sammy put the ball, Fussel tried to get in with her nose. She heaved herself diagonally onto Sammy's bed, climbed onto a small stool, and almost knocked over Sammy's table. Sammy threw the second fish to her and watched Fussel happily eat the second fish. Sammy's thoughts overran him again. He sat down next to his bed. "This is it Fussel. Thank you for being here." The last fish was caught by Fussel again without any trick. She laid down on Sammy's legs.

Sammy pulled the pendant off the hook he had attached to his bed especially for it. He looked at the pendant, as he often did when he couldn't fall asleep. Cassaras' bow, a silver thread for Alea, a guitar for Lennox, a ship for Ben, and a clover for Fussel.

He turned the keychain. Tess' harmonica and Hildegard's feather. In addition, for the adventures they had experienced, a pearl, a marble and a fish. Fussel turned on his legs. He started to cuddle her. "Fussel. What am I supposed to do? I'm so confused. This afternoon.... That was so strange. I remember why I didn't want to go. Do you remember when we were in London in the winter? At that time, someone had given me chocolates. We then met in the city and she had tried to kiss me at that time. On the mouth and stuff." Sammy sighed.

Fussel looked at him intently, making soft noises to show Sammy that she was still listening. "At the time, I was too shocked to say or do anything. I didn't tell anyone about it. It would have been strange if they had found out. Today I tried-" He broke off and looked at his watch. "Yesterday I tried to escape this situation, not because I remembered London, but because I just didn't feel like going to the city with her, I think, while Alea and Lennox were with us. But the others had to watch."

He began to tremble. Fussel made goat noises. She tried to calm him down. Sammy pulled his blanket off the bed, but the shaking didn't subside.

"Should we look at the photos again?" Sammy pulled the photo book from his desk. The first photos were with his parents. Sammy had few memories of them, but only good ones. "That's us on the beach of, I think it was Sylt." Sammy showed Fussel the picture of him, Ben, and their mother. Her father had taken the picture.

After a few minutes of looking through the old photo book, Sammy and Fussel came to the photos from 7 years ago when they were out with Alea, Tess and Lennox. "You know Fussel". Sammy paused, reminiscing about Orion and the adventures while looking at the photos, "I miss traveling with everyone."