There was nothing more he could do for the girl, nothing more he could do for anybody. Not even himself. He was closer to doom than before, the water level proved that. Just thirty seconds from asphyxiation, he fought back the panic and turned to comfort his dolphin. But Salty wasn’t concerned for himself, and he calmed as he realized that Kyle was calming. Besides, the animal could breathe air.

  There had always been space, pockets of air high above, for the dolphin’s blowhole. And so it was actually more comfortable for the creature, rather than less, since he barely had to rise to get at it. But when the water ran out, they would both be doomed. It was only a matter of time.

  Then something changed. A heaviness in the water, like a long breath being drawn beneath him. Pressure shifted—just a little, but enough to make his ears pop. Salty twitched, clicking low and sharp, the kind of sonar Kyle recognized as a warning. The dolphin’s body stiffened beside him.

  Then the tremors struck. Although he was still in tread, and couldn’t actually feel the ground move, he could see the humans stumbling about, and knew it was severe. His own imminent peril didn’t allow for him to help, only to feel his own sense of dread rise to an even higher intensity. They, too, were suddenly in grave danger. And nobody could help any of them now.

  Through the foam of the sloshing water, he saw a final flash of horrified human eyes. Then, darkness. Not absence-of-light darkness, but dust-thick, breath-stealing dark. Kyle heard Salty thrash, felt the ripple, then nothing. The collapse had severed them not only from rescue—but from each other.

  The merboy began to sicken as the water sloshed, his insides churning almost as much as the whirlpool surrounding him. What little water was left to survive in was now a deadly tempest in itself.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He couldn’t breathe for long, but it wouldn’t do to be smashed against the side either. So he treaded center as best he could, pointing both sides against the middle.

  Breathe. Stay afloat. Tread. Breathe. Stay afloat. Tread.

  The supports buckled and the ceiling crashed down, forming a barrier between the tank glass and the remaining humans who could have helped them. And with that, the light dimmed markedly as well.

  This is what the dark before death feels like, he thought.

  A flicker of an image came in—a languid, deeply purposeful swim beside Calistya. But not Calistya as she was now. The old, familiar human he’d become so fascinated with. He could feel the warmth of her laughter despite the machinated distortions, the pulse of connection even through her covered up skin. Unnatural though she appeared compared to now, she was somehow natural either way. A true sea-spirit in whatever form.

  A moment later, the image vanished. Like light swallowed by The Deep.

  He fought against the urge to reach out. She deserved peace. Nor to his Solarian family, either. There was nothing they could do. He didn’t want to frighten them or force them to prematurely grieve.

  Something bumped his side. Startled and disoriented, he lashed out with a backward kick, almost striking his friend, who’d somehow made his way through the wreckage to return to his side.

  He touched the melon of his dolphin friend and clicked lovingly. No longer in a panic, the dolphin seemed to be resonating with the boy in his resignation. Salty brushed against him, one last nudge. Not panic. Not fear. Just presence. They were with each other, no matter what came next.

  When the last of the water slipped past his gills, Kyle was ready. Not knowing what else to do, he went inward, reflecting on how precious this had all been and how sad he was to be departing just when the true miracles were coming.

  He held as best he could, his breathing systems shutting down, dizzy.

  Confusion. No humans. No glass. Blackness falling. Mind sleeping.

  Clicking of his friend. The inner tube feeling of the belly.

  He was ready. He let go.

  He gulped hard, opened his mouth in a silent scream... and breathed in a long, warm pull of air.