SEA, SWALLOW ME, remus lupin

aon deug, nightmare or premonition

CHAPTER ELEVEN
nightmare or premonition

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THE SEA IS ERRATIC AROUND HER, slashing against her skin in icy sheets of saltwater. Lightning strikes through the dark clouds and thunder soon follows, blaring across the ocean's surface like a sick fanfare. Horizontal rain splashes into her eyes, almost completely blinding her though there's not much to see — she can't even sense any fish hiding in the reefs beneath her, feeling that chilling reminder of utter isolation in her very bones. Her bare feet slip on the rock that she's marooned on, sharp barnacles opening cuts along her legs and arms. There isn't any other land around for miles, as far as she can tell. When she tries to straighten up and scope the surroundings more clearly, Cove loses her footing and goes spiralling off the rock. Descending further away from salvation.

She chokes as the water overflows into her oesophagus, drowning her slowly. Her nose burns from the sudden sensation of oxygen depletion. The flailing of her limbs only seems to make her sink quicker, unable to form the correct sequence for swimming in her human form. There's something seriously wrong.

She can't swim to save herself. Her limbs won't cooperate, her sealskin nowhere to be seen. Cove hardly needs a crystal ball to tell that her doom is inevitable.

The waves swallow her whole, dragging her even further from the surface and down into the darkness. Her eyes won't adapt to the new underwater environment, stinging to the point it's hard to keep them open. It's not often that she feels completely human, especially not in the deep sea. She doesn't welcome it. Being completely mortal makes her feel like a fish out of water. Despite her vision failing her, a vague outline of something makes itself clear before her as it swims into her view. It takes her a moment to discern what the thing is due to her nose not reacting to its scent, her senses suddenly unresponsive.

There's a seal before her. A curious sound chirps at the back of its throat, flippers gliding in circles to bring itself closer. She can make out a cloak of snowy fur covering its thick blubber, speckled by little stygian spots like an inverted galaxy, or like black freckles upon a pale complexion. No, this isn't just a stranger. She'd recognise that coat anywhere.

She swims closer, fighting against the powerful current to reach the seal.

"Cordy?" Cove tries to call, but her voice is garbled by the water. It washes into her windpipe and she chokes, clawing at her throat helplessly as she sinks further toward the seabed. She frowns at the lack of humanity glittering in Cordelia's round eyes. That side of her has faded — an animalistic instinct to hunt overpowering her. Where Cove's humanity has grown stronger, Cordelia's lack of it has only weakened her to the point of no return.

The seal in Cordelia's skin lunges, sharp rows of pearly teeth gaping as if Cove's her chosen prey. Kindred spirits turned cat and mouse. She flings her arms up in defence as if it'll do anything to save her from the clear fate bestowed upon her, bloodied jaws and all. Searing pain slices down upon her as her flesh is torn to ribbons, those once smiling teeth cutting in close to the bone, the cerulean sea surrounding them tainted by the stain of her own blood.

  Cove screams, her heart pounding in her chest. The phantom pain still lingers on her body as she sits up. Her hands latch onto each of her arms in search of anything amiss, relief washing over her when she feels that they're dry and mostly smooth with the exception of her bandages. A tremor courses through her violently, her entire body shaking like a leaf from the aftershocks.