Imperfect Love

Part 8

I walk home and see my family huddled together. My mother has her face in her hands, looking weak and tired. My father is pacing around the house with a worried expression. My younger sister is trying to console my father and mother. I feel tears well up in my eyes as I watch my family. Did they suffer the whole time I was absent?

I walk in slowly and my family looks up at me, their eyes widening in shock. Even though at times my family can be strict in terms of our studies, anyone can see that they deeply care for their children. The idea makes me feel guilty as they have taken upon me and my sister's workloads for the village. They work double time in order to satisfy everyone because they want what is best for us.

I go up and we all end up in a group hug. My parents are torn between yelling at me and gushing over me. My sister ends up hugging me which is a big move on her part as she was never really a touchy person.

After our little reunion, I am wrapped in a blanket and I eat a little food before going to sleep in my little corner of our one-roomed house. Even though it is not much, I am still happy to be with my parents. With that thought in mind, I close my eyes and succumb to the darkness.

(Next Day)

Today, I needed to catch up on work. The teachers in my little village are educated, but not "modern-world educated" so I needed to catch up on my own using some textbooks that some merchants brought during their travels. After 3 or so hours of studying, with a little daydreaming, I decide to walk around the village.

As I walk outside, everyone expresses how happy they are that I am back or they are worried. I know they are trying to be nice, but I feel the the fakeness oozing out of their voices. Its ok though. I don't really mind. To be honest, I would also act awkwardly if I were in their shoes.

As I continued to walk through the narrow streets, I catch a glimpse of Tyer. I quickly duck behind a tree. I am going to avoid him for now. I still don't know what to say to him. I am pretty sure he is going to continue to plead for me to accept him and his feelings, but I can't deal with that now. I just got back and I need a little time to myself.

Before I know it, I am heading back to my little ocean rock. Insane right? Well, I suppose I am insane for enjoying the calmness and peacefulness that the ocean brings me. I close my eyes and inhale the salty ocean smell, drifting away from the problems of reality. Away from Tyer. Away from Archis. And even away from own family until it is just me and the ocean.

After a few moments to myself, I decide to head back until I hear a splash coming from the ocean. I turn around, suddenly remembering the Adler, the strange boy who lives in the water. I almost forgot all about him. Wait a second. Adler lives in the ocean and he can even hold his breath for insanely long time underwater. He also was the one who knew where my ocean rock was when he saved me. When I was conscious after the cave, I was back on my ocean rock. Tyer and I weren't the only knew about the ocean rock. But, it still doesn't make sense...Adler is a human right? A human can go that deep in the ocean...?

I am creeped out my own thoughts and think that it is best for me to go home. As I start climbing out, something grabs my waist. I scream for my life until something else covers my mouth. As look down and see that tentacles have wrapped around my whole body, my hand binded behind my back. I am scared to look behind me, but I force my head to turn to see what has captured. I almost had a heart attack as I see the same kraken thing from before. I force myself not to black out and instead I try to scream or bite it, but it drags me further into the ocean.

After a few minutes of screaming, my voice begins to fail me. I decide that screaming is not going to get me anywhere. Then, my eyes widen I realize that it can easily kill me with one finger. No, Kaaya. Think logically. If it wanted to kill you, it would have killed you before. Currently, I am in the kraken's hand as it needed its tentacles to maneuver through the water. Its face stares at me as I try to look anywhere but.

We travel through the ocean until we reach a cave. I find out that it is the same cave that I woke up before. We go inside and I am gently placed on the ground. I stand up from the ground, cursing myself for choosing today to wear a dress. The dress stubbornly sticks to my legs and making it heavier because of the soaked water on the bottom of it.

"W-what do you want with me?" I try to sound brave, but I end up sounding like a coward. I mentally curse my lack of confrontal experience. If someone bullied, Tyer always took care of them for me. Now that I think about, he never said how. I look up at the kraken, expecting it to gobble me at any moment. It just tilts its head sideways as if it confused and then to my utter shock and poor heart, it speaks.

"Kaaya. Do you remember me?" I don't think I have seen or befriended a kraken before. I shake my head. It, no...it's voice indicates that it is a he. His voice...I remember...Adler!?

"Adler?? Is that you?" I almost faint again when he nods his head. I back away from him. He is actually a monster. I should have known he wasn't human. As I back away from him, Adler seems to get annoyed.

"Why are you getting away from me? You know I didn't bring you all the way here to let you escape." His voice is deathly calm, like one wrong move on my part and things wouldn't end well. I shiver in fear at the many different ways he could kill me.

Adler then nods at something he may have thought and quickly shrinks down to his "human" size. I gasp in shock. D-did he just..? As if reading my thoughts, Adler nods.

"Yes, I have to forms. I could transfer from my kraken to human form and vice versa. Please don't run away from me. I don't want you to be scared." He says gently, holding out his hand.

I try not to cower away from, but it takes almost all my self control. I shakily reach for his hand and he gently seats us along the cave wall, looking out at the ocean. I just realize that he doesn't even have legs...he has tentacles! That is probably why he never came out of the water when we first met. I try not jolt away from him, but I end up tensing which he, unfortunately, notices.

"Kaaya, darling. It is ok. Please, I am begging you not to be scared. I will answer any questions that you have. I just want you to be comfortable around me. Take your time to adjust to me and speak when you're ready." Adler tells me softly.

For a few minutes, we sit there quietly. I look out to the ocean, trying to calm myself. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Adler eyes wandering all over my face, never pausing his intense examination of me. I almost forgot that my hand is still intertwined in his. I didn't take it out because, one, I was too scared to do anything. And two, as embarrassed to admit, his hand warmed up my cold, shaking hands. Looking at our intertwined hands once more, I clear my throat, ready to start asking him questions.