“Aaaah!”

Kin flailed backwards as the thing that smiled drew itself up to its full height. Unobscured by debris and walls, Kin could now fully take in how big it was. How disgustingly large.

It was a full eighteen metres from coiled tail to head, its grin stretched across a head that couldn’t be less than two metres high. The black orb embedded in its head glinted in the eerie beam of Kin’s flashlight, the twinkling reflection giving the ghastly illusion that it was staring maliciously.

Oh yes, you are the first half-thing I have ever seen. Not one of us, but not entirely none of us either. You’re stuck in the middle, stuck in the centre, hanging, h a n g i n g--

“What does that mean?” Kin involuntarily cried out. “What are you saying?”

“Less talk, Kin. I think this one wants to eat you.”

Fwsh

The thing’s huge, three-clawed arm came shooting towards Kin, narrowly missing him and throwing up huge currents of water that buffeted his small frame, throwing him into something cold and hard. Kin yelled into his rebreather as he flipped end over end and slammed to a halt, his back injury flaring up again. He tried to kick, but his legs simply spasmed uselessly, sending white-hot spears into his spine.

Oh no, not this--not right now--

Come back, half-thing. You are interesting. You are new. I want to know all about you, I want to--

The arm again. This time Kin’s wetsuit split and dark blood jetted out into the water.

“AAAAAGH!” Kin reeled backwards. It got me, oh Go, it got me, it got me, it’s got me

The thing that smiled observed the boy writhing in the water, a dark cloud gradually forming around him as Kin grasped at his injured leg, hand slipped on the blood, grasped again, the added pressure causing blood to spurt out even faster.

“Ah, Mion, help me, help--hurk!” Kin retched and barely avoided another mess inside his rebreather. He flailed his arms and legs widely, the uncoordinated movement not moving him anywhere.

You are bleeding. That’s no good--I can’t see you now.

Shall we have a game of hide-and-seek?

Kin smashed his head against something and felt the bones of his skull grind together. Black spots bloomed in his vision as the thing that smiled took mighty swings and his general location, dissipating the screen of smoky-looking blood that obscured him from its view.

Shock is induced when the human body haemorrhages more than 20 percent of its total blood amount. 30-40 percent will cause symptoms of confusion and disorientation. Upwards of 55 percent is fatal. Something learnt in school, useless right now--useless for survival--

Kin shook his head. Why am I thinking of that? Why now?

Found you.

Kin was buffeted by a huge tail swipe, six metres of sinuous flesh connecting with him and driving him backwards. The water absorbed most of his kinetic energy, but the force displaced into his stomach had done its job.

Too much. Too much. Kin’s entire body sang with pain, prickly and hot, as his mind threatened to shut down under the immense pressure. Mion noticed it too, as his heart rate nearly halved and his brain waves began fluctuating dangerously.

“Kin, no, don’t pass out, stay awake…!”

So this is all you can do, half-thing. That was...disappointing. Well, you will make for a decent meal, that’s for sure. Your fear--

What? Why--

Kin stretched out his arm lazily. What am I doing now?

His back hurt.

The blood from his leg pumped steadily into the water.

Are you not afraid?

Kin slowly pushed off the ground, his legs shaking with the effort.

Well, meat is meat, I suppose--AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The thing that smiled lurched back, twisting in the water.

WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO YOU SHIT WHAT THE HELL DID YOU

“Aaaagh!” Kin doubled over as a blinding pain ate into his stomach. Forget his back, forget his leg, his intestines were being pulled out with a white-hot knife, ten thousand nails were being driven into his abdomen. He felt a warmth in his legs, which twitched spasmodically.

Then the pain went, as suddenly as it had come.

When the tears had faded from Kin’s eyes, he realised that his abdomen was unscathed. No wound. No nails. No guts.

And the thing that smiled was thrashing around, its grotesque claws clasped around itself.

“Quick, Kin, run! Get somewhere small where it can’t follow you!”

Kin turned and swam for his life, his injured leg screaming with agony. Still he continued to move with inhuman resolve, forward--forward--

Survive. Live.

You can’t fight it. So run.

Even if it’s cowardly. Even if you’re scared.

Live.

Kin managed to cram himself between several pieces of debris. It wouldn’t afford any protection, not in the least, but it would hide him, and if he was found he was probably dead anyway.

You’ll regret that, half-thing. I don’t know what you did, but I will kill you now.

Hiding, are you? Well, no matter. Sooner or later, your fear-musk will betray you.

Kin pulled himself into a fetal position and tried to control his shaking as he heard the thing that smiled pulling itself up and swimming around, sending waves in every direction.

Don’t think. Don’t breathe. Don’t feel. Empty yourself.

Throw it all away. Discard everything to live.

No matter what. Survive.