The Tooth Collector

PART FOUR- Chapter Twenty Two

6 YEARS LATER 

 "Henry's cave."

"What?"

"That's the only place we haven't checked."

"Key word, we. That's the first place you went, it's not like after taking them, Henry randomly decided to bring them all back."

I sighed, knowing deep inside that he was right. Ray, my best friend who I had befriended along my journey a bit ago, was always right. I couldn't name a single instance where the world had proved his overthinking wrong.

For example, he told me as soon as I informed him of my plan that it would take quite a while. Maybe even a whole lifetime. And here I was, no longer a pup but almost done with adolescence and still no further into my ploy then I was when I first started.

"Have we tried the Pacific region?" I asked.

"Yep." Ray replied.

"Southern?"

"Mhm."

"Atlantic?"

"Actually, not yet."

I zoned out, imagining hoards of skeletal bones just waiting to be taken. Waiting to be discovered. If I could get to them, the rest of the mission would be easier than ever. I'd make a few trips, bringing back as many bones as I could to my community. Ex-community.

"Okay, I know that look. Finnley, take a second to think about this. The Atlantic is far. Like, far. May I remind you that we are currently in the Indian ocean." Ray lectured me.

"Aren't we right next to it, then?"

"Have you forgotten the continent between the two?"

"Shoot. How long do you think it'll take?"

"A month, at the least."

I sighed, taking the information in. A whole month to get there, another to get back. At least. Henry was probably already over there, ahead of me, about to take all of the credit.

"Is this our last option?"

"Unless you want to go back to Henry's cave?" Ray responded. He was right. There was no way Henry would randomly return his tooth collection back, especially knowing that I would check there for recently perished megalodons. They had to still exist. There was no way they would simply disappear off of the map.

"When do we leave?"