SABIS the SURVIVOR

Chapter 3: Return to the Surface

Chapter 3: Return to the Surface

Under the salt and mineral-rich water, Ravis' mucous membranes started to burn similar to when his exposed skin would accidentally rub up against some stray lichen formation on his OverStrata explorations; the acid in those lichens could "burn ya."

He kept his mouth and eyes tightly shut and squeezed his anal sphincter with the stubborn attitude of a two-year-old, but even with that, he still felt a mild stinging at the crack of his eyelids and in his perineum. So he fluttered his legs to reach the surface as soon as he could.

Breaking the briny surface, he noted the stone clanging still resonating, searched for his belongings which should have remained afloat, and called out for his friend.

"Ah, there you are," he quipped as he breast-stroked to his bundle in the calm sea. "F.M. Where are you?"

Ravis moved deliberately so as not to make waves that might splash in his eyes. Making it ashore, he wiped away the salty film that clung to his skin. Still no Flavius.

"Geez F.M., this is no time to play around. We are going to miss the games."

As he panned the shoreline for his friend, he spotted a figure lying half in and half out of the water─it was F.M.

"F.M.! What's going on?"

"I'm hurt, you lucky Mother Earther! Come over here and help me."

Placing his two forearms in F.M.'s armpits, Ravis heaved his friend clear from the salty sea.

"I think I broke my right leg when I hit the bottom. It throbs and I feel dizzy."

Ravis looked skyward to avoid the sight of F.M.'s twisted lower leg. One brief glance already had his insides churning and his heart racing. He began to perspire. While he stared at the pale yellow light that filled the canopy of this moist and humid conservation area, his thoughts plummeted to the depths of the briny sea that had injured his friend. Then sinking even deeper into his mind's recesses, he heard his Father's voice and saw his Mother's pained facial expression.

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It had been a long steam cycle of school followed by warrior instruction before Ravis crept back to his home cave. Mother and he supped together on stuber soup and snails. After washing their clay bowls, plates and utensils, he flopped into his hammock for some shut-eye. After a while, he heard father arrive home with a loud clank of a pewter mug that he likely stole from the UnderStrata Bone Collector's 'boys night out' meeting. Father slammed the mug on Ravis' door-frame to announce his arrival. Father stuck his face (Ravis referred to it as 'a face only Mother Earth could love') up against Ravis' left ear and slurred his inebriated demands in a low and menacing tone.

"I'm home now, so geddup and f-fix me suh-food."

Ravis wanted to vomit from his father's stench that filled his nostrils and room with the reek of someone who had pooped himself.

"Come on Daddya, I was sleeping. Can't you make your own food this time?"

"Ravis, you useless snail, if you're not up by the count of tha-ree, then I'll make you wish that you weren't born!"

Acting on impulse more than anything else, he hopped out of his hammock and pushed father out of his room. A moment later, while wishing that his father would contract the warrior affliction, he heard his mother scream.

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F.M. flicked at his friend's face a few drops of the briny stew that had become wedged into his ear canals.

"Here you go. Have some stew as a snack. Now get off your duff and get some help!"

Ravis woke from his dissociative state, knelt down on the gravel shore, lifted F.M.'s wiry frame onto his back, gathered his belongings and warned his friend to:

"Hold on. We are in this to win. No one is gonna get in our way!"