JELLYFISH

DOOR 015

At first, it didn't hurt. But a part of their mind told them something was missing, something important. And by the bloody limb on the floor next to Kei's body, they could tell immediately what it was. [name] couldn't feel their right arm anymore, in place was this...cold gap.

What was that feeling called again? Where they could feel the absence of a limb that was no longer there?

[name] felt the world spin as their body hit the ground, a heavy thud echoing alongside the muddle of words and footsteps. It was so dizzy, but they could see the blurred figures of people hovering above them. Emil, they could tell by his bearded face, was gripping onto them tight, then Aisha on their left, turning her head to shout at someone, her voice was louder than the rest. It hurt.

Oh, god, it hurt.

Burning, it felt like someone was burning the area below their right shoulder. They squeezed their eyes shut, lips parting as a dry, hoarse groan left their lips, their throat burning. No, they were screaming now, crying. Hot, messy tears ran down their face.

Oz dropped down next to Aisha's right, but Emil was closest to [name]'s injury. He said something quick to Oz, then to Aisha, stopping her in her frantic rage. There was movement, Oz passing Emil something over their head, then tightness enveloped the end of their bleeding appendage.

It hurts.

This couldn't compare to that creature that ripped at their jaw and throat or the teeth and maw of the Anglers and Searchlights. The fact that they were still alive and experiencing this...

No, they didn't want to hurt anymore.

"Stop, stop, stop," [name] sobbed, writhing on the floor when the tightness and heat prickled up their arm, repeating the words as hands came to their shoulders and words were being spoken to them. Those words were somewhat kind and quiet, trying to slow their pace as the pain became worse; white hot pain running up to their spine, down it, and to their toes.

Someone was saying, "medkit," and, "assets.". Another was sobbing, just like [name], crying hysterically over the sound of Aisha's shouts. For only a moment, things became clearer and light.

"Yes, I-, just take it-" Sebastian's voice, most likely. His tone was just as shaken, "they-I didn't mean...I-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU OVER-GROWN FISH!" Aisha, fuming, angry tears running down her face. Vanessa soon came into the picture, hovering over [name]'s body with a horrified expression.

Then, [name]'s head fell back again, dots edging the corners of their vision. Someone grabbed at the front of their diving suit, zipping down and pulling it off their front and shoulders. Everything felt less wet and sticky than before, but everything was still so wrong.

For a moment, everything went quiet, then loud again. Their whole body was sore and hurting, mind screaming to find a solution as strings of gore and nerves hung a bit above where their right elbow should be. The cold of the air stung their exposed flesh, and [name] felt like they could melt when they felt cloth stick hard into what remained of their right arm.

[name] blacked out for felt like hours, floating endlessly in the void. It would've been so much better if they were just shot too rather than getting caught in the crossfire between Kei and Sebastian's triple barrel.

Anger, pure anger began to rise in their mind, but it hurt too damn much to even act on it or move. Or think. [name] just didn't dare move, crying.

If this was the pain they had to endure so that they could move on with everyone, [name] didn't know if they could do it. They were such a hypocrite. They weren't a good person. Not at all. [name] knew they had done, thought, and wished horrible things, so maybe this was someone's way of forcing [name] to repent.