Eldritch Lover: Part Two (special preview)

I went back to the tank room, finding that the creature was excitedly watching. It followed my movements again, coming to meet me as I stood at my usual spot. It pressed its hands to the glass, tapping over and over as I tried to think. I came close, meeting their palms.

I motioned to the black, red, and blue marker from last night. “Did you reach out to me last night? Touch the blue if you did.”

Their palm slid onto the blue.

I kept my eyes upon its palm. “Touch blue if you were trying to tell me something.”

It pulled its hand away then placed it back upon blue.

“Touch red if your side still hurts.”

They extended their left arm out again then pointed their finger at me.

I shook my head. “I don’t...I’m not hurt. I’m asking you.” I touched my side. It didn’t hurt as badly as it did this morning, but it was a bit tender. Did it use me to heal? The creature placed their palm back over blue.

“What is it doing?” A researcher below asked.

It was a crazy idea, but I could test it now. “Its trying again.” I looked up at the creature and I kept my mind directed at it. I kept my thoughts to myself, I said nothing. I just sort of felt them, like all my lost thoughts. Could it hear me? Or was it feeling me? I placed each question inside a color in my head. Red felt hot. Blue felt cold. If it could hear my thoughts, it would hear red and pick red. If it was empathic, it would feel the cold and choose blue.

“Ms. Cleary?” They asked behind me.

The creatures hand slid over the blue and pressed hard against it.

“Nothing concrete,” I murmured. “But I think the creature is empathic. I’ll need to do a few more tests to be certain.” I placed my hand over the blue and was shocked to find it felt freezing cold to the touch and the glass began to fog over.

“I need more markers!” I shouted over my shoulder. “Lots of colors too! I’ve gotta make a mood ring.”

Once I received the markers I needed, I made a wheel of them on the front of the tank. I had grown tired of calling it ‘the creature’ so I decided to name him Hans, after the author of the Little Mermaid. Hans seemed to respond to their new name well when I thought about it. Even when I was discussing things with Dr. Yora, Hans would come to the front of the tank as if been called.

The color wheel upon the tank served as a way to communicate better with Hans, but still, all they could do was respond to me. I couldn’t respond to them. If I wanted to fully understand Hans and what they were, I needed to be able to touch them. If only to see if that would bring about an open channel. Dr. Yora was still hesitant though, but she was impressed with the color wheel.

There’s also the dreams. I don’t know how it’s accomplished, but Hans is able to get things across to me through my dreams. But much like at the tank, it’s one sided. I can’t quite hear them. They reach out, so I know they want to tell me something. They are desperate to speak it, but we have no means to do that.

I wake one evening after such a dream. I feel wet all over, but I am bone dry to the touch. I leave my room, finding it is extremely late. The halls are quiet and when I come to the tank room I am shocked that no one is there.

Don’t count your chickens, I thought to myself as I crossed the floor. Someone could show up soon. I came upon the tank, seeing Hans was floating near the top. Their hands were out of the water, touching upon the metal mesh. They sensed me thinking about them and came down through the water towards me, happily clapping their palms to the glass.

I approached, smiling at them as their body shimmied and danced about in the water. “Where is everyone? How long have you been alone? Tap once for long, twice for short.”

Hans tapped once they then swam over to the ladder.