JELLYFISH

ENDING 01: Z-J31

[name] didn't know if it was cold sweat or the anxiousness of what was to come in the future gathering on their shoulders as they swam slowly along the green-lit rocks and to the airlock that awaited the three of them above. Actually, could a human even sweat underwater?

[name] could hear their own breathing through the mask of their suit as they were the first to enter the airlock, the worry that there would be another monster following or some inexplicable event would occur leaving their body in an instant. All they felt now was the heaviness of exhaustion.

Had they really done it? [name] was pretty sure that this was the thought on everybody's minds. Evelyn glanced around warily as she entered the airlock, swimming close to the railing to the right as [name] swam over to the left where the switch was. Emil lingered a bit longer near the gates of the airlock, looking up at the greyish-blue water above, then swam fully inside.

[name] pulled the lever, turning as the thick, metal gates clicked twice and slowly came together, the silver wheels near the lower part of the metal spinning as they sealed the trio in. They flinched, hearing whirrs come from above as the water that they had soon grown so comfortable in slowly drained from top to bottom. The jumpsuit clung to their skin, weighing heavy on their body. It was so uncomfortable, and [name] itched to peel this second layer off.

Water streamed down from the top of [name]'s face in droplets, dripping from their lashes and wetting their dried skin. It was so weird breathing such stale oxygen again, but it beat having such a stuffy mask stuck to their face. Evelyn seemed to share that sentiment too, inhaling loudly as she took off her own, then falling to her knees as she let out a low wail. [name] watched her head lower, Emil stepping to her side and patting her back.

[name] felt their legs waver, something pulling at their body to do the same and help Evelyn; ease her worries like easing their own, but the hum of the water completely draining stopped and [name] turned to the second airlock. On cue, the wheels on that pair spun, and [name] felt an obligation to see this through before anyone else died.

The metal clunked and echoed, pulling open in an agonizingly slow way to the stairs that five of them had walked down before, and now only three walked up. [name] turned to Emil and Evelyn, eyes taking in both their fatigued figures one at a time.

"You guys okay?" They finally asked, their voice a hoarse whisper. [name] turned their head downwards slightly, coughing lightly to clear their throat as heat crept at the corners of their ears. This heat went unnoticed however as the air bit at their skin, the water chilling them to the bone.

"Yeah," Evelyn whispered out first, now on her two feet and clinging tightly to the railing on the side. She slid her hands along it as she made her way closer to the stairs. [name] nodded, eyes darting over to meet Emil's. He was already looking at them though, and they shared a knowing look.

Evelyn hadn't even taken five steps up the stairs when [name] spoke to him, "Emil, I..." Their voice was louder than they had thought it would come out and they bit back their next words.

I'm sorry I didn't help sooner. I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry that I killed someone. What did they want to say in the first place?

Emil exhaled through his nose and stepped forward. He placed a hand on their shoulder, then patted it twice with an old smile, "you don't gotta say anythin' else," he then lifted that hand and used it to smooth back the hairs that clung to his forehead, "honestly... That boy had somethin' comin' for him."

[name] didn't know if Emil's words made them feel any better, and [name] didn't know how much Evelyn was able to see from the shadow of the cave, but they did know that Emil was attempting to try and make them feel better... So they nodded along, a tight smile coming to their lips which fell as they turned their head away.