Chapter 8: Exploring The Cave

Aaron's POV
"Remind me again, why did you refuse to let Lucinda help us up?" I ask.

"Because, I don't want to waste her magic. Do you know how much energy it would take for her to get me out because of being a mermaid?" Aphmau demands.

"How would you know?" I ask.

"Have you seen, the amount of water I drink in a day? Merpeople are not meant to he out of water. We all spend enough magical energy just to keep us in a human form. That just increases the amount of water we need." She sighs, as we wander down the cave.

It's frustrating, but I understand where she's coming from so I don't blame her. Magical creatures do tend to spend energy on keeping a human form, if they bother.

Aphmau starts coughing suddenly, stopping. I pat her on the back lightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine," she says, once she stops coughing, "I just need some water."

I pull my water bottle out of my bag and give it to her. She drains it all quickly.

"Oops... sorry." She mumbles, handing it back to me.

"Don't worry about it." I reply, giving her a small smile. She smiles back, looking much better, and we continue going down the cave.

After a while, we enter a large clearing. It looks like some kind of bunkers. We both look around in wonder.

"What the..." I mumble.

"It's... a military bunker." Aphmau realizes.

She's right. One wall is lined with an assortment of guns, the wall left to it had a table with medical supplies strewn across, all faded, torn and moldy. The other two were lined with bunkers. Two of which looked recently used.

I pointed the used ones out to Aphmau.

"But, this place must be years old. It can't be in use." She mumbles.

"Well, I don't see a way out, so..." I shrug at her.

"Uh, right there?" Aphmau points at a water pit it's filled with murky water.

"First of all, I can't breath underwater Aph. Second, the water is disgusting. How are you going to swim in it?" I say, crossing my arms.

"Currently, it's the only way out. I can make an air bubble for you, and the list it'll do to me is get me sick." She replies, mimicking my expression and pose.

We end up arguing for a couple minutes what to do, when someone interrupts us.

"Hey!"

We turn. Aphmau squeaks and hides behind me.

"Who are you?!"

I glare at the person, growling quietly.

Until I register what they look like.

Two girls, both blond, the taller one with long braided hair and the other with a shorter ponytail. They both have magenta eyes, and the taller girl is hiding slightly behind the other.

They don't look older then 10, maybe 11.

The girl in front is holding a knife, dirty and blunt, and wearing a pink hoodie covered in dirt. Her pants look like they were formally pink sweatpants, but the rest were torn off at the knees, and the remains are covered in dirt.

The girl behind her has a faded purple hoodie, and dirt covered lavender leggings. Her right sleeve has a large cut down the side, and she's holding it as if she's been wounded.

I stop glaring and stand up straight.

"Answer my question!" The front girl exclaims.

"They're... just kids..." Aphmau murmurs.

I raise my hands.

"Calm down Kid," I start, "I-"

SHING!

The knife she was holding sprouts right next to my ear, and something warm and wet starts flowing from it.

Blood.

Aphmau gasps.

The girl who threw it was shaking. She's terrified, they both are.

"My name is Aaron," I say, ignoring the knife, "and the potato is Aphmau."

"Is this really the time to be making fun of my height?" Aph asks, glaring up at me.

"There is never not a time to be making fun of your height Sweetheart," I reply, "because just like you, life is short."

"We have other problems." She hisses, glaring at me.

The purple girl coughed, "Uh... w-what do you want?..."

"Right now? Uh, to get out of this cave." I reply.

"Why are you here in the first place?" The girl in front demands.

"We fell down. What are your names?" Aphmau asks.

"Why should we tell you?" She retorts, crossing her arms.

Good question.

"Can you at least let us go?" I ask.

"The only other way out is through the water. It's too dirty to see anything, and too long for anyone to hold their breath. Your stuck here. Just like us. Give me a good reason to not kill you." She replies.

"Uh..."

"Exactly." She sighs, and looks down. The girl behind her walks over, and removes the knife from beside us gingerly, before giving it back to her friend.

"If you can't give us a good reason..." she trials off.

"We have to."