The Broken Sponge

Sponge Out of Water

This sea of dreams is not what it seems. The real nightmare only shows itself in the eye of a single sponge. He lived in a pineapple under the sea, grew it himself straight from a magic seed. He worked at a restaurant making burgers for a cheapskate of a boss. This life was more than suitable for one person, one sponge. Still although, there was an emptiness. A unsatisfied pit in his yellow stomach. He was lonely.

"Spongebob!" Patrick called from the outside of the lonely soul's fruit abode, "Want to go jellyfishing?" Spongebob was in his living room staring into a blank screen, slumped in his chair crafted out of a life saver, and refined kelp. Startled by his friend's proposition he quickly responded.

"Ye-yes! I'll be right out Patrick!" He grabbed his usual wardrobe and fishing net and headed outside. The sky was bright and the sun brighter that day, it was a great day to practice spongebob's favorite pastime. When they arrived a Jellyfish fields they witnessed a sad scene. Sandy Cheeks, a marine biologist and genius scientist was crying in the field. Patrick was frolicking in the field and oblivious to her dismay. Spongebob had figured he would only make matters worse so he approached the squirrel.

"Sandy, what's wrong?" He asked.

"It's Larry!" she screamed in her hands that were cupped in her face. Larry was dating Sandy very intimately. At least they were. There have been multiple reports of loud noises and screaming coming from sandy's treedome in the last weeks. She turned her head and presented her face which was streaming with tears. Then he saw it, a bruise that of a long claw along the whole left side of her face.

"Oh dear Neptune! What the barnacles has he done to you!" Spongebob exclaimed in a sweat.

"I don't want to talk about it..." she sniffled.

"Sandy, I'm your best friend... you can tell me"

"Okay, I'll tell you spongebob. But you promise you won't tell anyone else!"

"I promise."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart and swear to die." At this point Patrick had gone home on short notice, and Spongebob and Sandy were at the treedome. Sandy had just poured two cups of tea and the smell of the texan blend filled the tree, as well as Spongebob's fish bowl.

"Me and Larry have been going out for a while now, and he has been spending less and less time with me. He keeps staying late at the gym, or so he says. One night he came back spouting bad words such as *Dolphin Noise* and *Dolphin Noise*. He was heavily drunk and asked me to make him a vegan sandwich for his 'pectoral cavities'. I had gotten fed up. Every night he did this. I started making snarky remarks, which soon turned into arguing. Today we were heading to Goo Lagoon through a shortcut he knew through jellyfish fields. We got lost and ended up arguing again, but this time he asked for a sandwich from our picnic basket as he called me a good for nothing *Dolphin Noise*. I threw the sandwich at his face, and he hit me. 'We're done!' he said as he hailed a car full of beach girls and drove off. Now we're here, and I'm broken inside."

It took a good five minutes for Spongebob to process what he was just told. Through this time, sandy had her head down in her arms pouting. Spongebob grew angry, he always knew that Larry was a good for nothing jock who bullied girls he dated. He had always believed that Sandy deserved better. Someone that she could belong to, someone who cared.

"Sandy, this is terrible." Spongebob uttered. He got closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm here for you, don't worry. He won't hurt you again, not on my watch." Sandy looked up wide-eyed and smiled.

"Bwahaahahaha!" She laughed, "As if you could protect me Spongebob."She quickly became sorrow again, "But... Thank you for the concern".

"Even if I can't protect you, I'm here for you regardless, come to me if you ever have any problems okay?" Spongebob asked.