Of The Sea : John Murphy

Wet Dream

Our horse came to a stop and half asleep, I groaned and gripped onto Adrian tighter, fearing that I would fall.

"We're here." He told me.

I nodded and let go of him, swinging a leg over and falling flat on my face as I pummelled off the saddle.

"Watch your step, chief!" Adrian laughed from above.

I grumbled under my breath and laid comfortably on the ground until I was helped up.

"What are we doing here anyways?" He asked.

"I need to know if Anya poisoned them, too." I coughed. "Maybe if they are still well, they could help us, we could join forces."

"But they'll see that you're sick, what if they decide to kill us on the spot when they find out we infected them all and took their prisoner?"

"Then we lie about the sickness and we explain why we did what we did, it's not that hard!"

He put his hands up in surrender at my sudden snappiness and helped me along to the tree in which we stored the clothes we found from the camp.

"Since I'm not infected, I should go in first." Adrian suggested.

I nodded and slumped down by the fence, leaning my head back against it. "Good idea." I panted, having to walk those few hundred metres wore me out completely.

He pushed out the metal cover we used last time and crawled in, returning moments later to pull me through.

"Everyone here is the same." He whispered with my arm over his shoulder.

I frowned and looked around, my head sore from staying awake for so long. "Why would they sicken both of us?"

"Wow, wow!" Someone shouted at us. "Why isn't she in the drop ship with the rest of them?"

I turned my head that mostly hung and whimpered.

"She's only just been sick, I'm taking her in now." My second raised his voice, his accent changing immensely.

"And why are you touching her especially without a mask?"

"He's immune..." I growled, my knees wobbling after every slow step.

"How can you be sure?" They challenged.

"Well do you see blood pouring out of his eyes? Didn't think so..."

I nudged him on gently and we walked up the ramp and into the metal space craft.

"The- Sarah?" An overly familiar voice called.

I turned my head as Adrian sat me down to see a blurred figured walking closer.

"What are you doing here?" The voice whispered as it got closer. "How did this happen?"

The voices began to blur and my vision went white.

"The whole camp is sick." Adrian answered for me. "How are you here?"

My chest was heavy and my breaths shortened, my stomach boiled and my throat burned until I could no longer feel it. Everything was black.

Until it wasn't.

I dreamt of the sea, I dreamt of hiding in the hole with my arms around my son as the ship rocked back and forth in the storm, until suddenly he was slimy and slipping from my grip. I looked down and he was an octopus, sliding out of my hands and slipping across the deck, increasing in size with every inch.

My eyes widened and I screamed out an alert, only my voice could not be heard. I scrambled up to my feet and fell flat on my face, only there was no pain but a weight keeping me pinned to the ground. I looked up and could see that the sea creature was not about to stop growing in size, I had to warn the crew.