Cursing and pissed beyond being pissed, I grabbed onto the edges of the tub and pulled myself out of the water and slid onto the ground taking care to keep as much as I could in my lungs. I would not go suffocating again. The agony it had caused was still fresh enough for me to squirm at the thought. As I slithered my way forward, trying as much as I could to push myself forward using my tail to help deal with the strain on my arms. I winced ever so slightly every time I felt some liquid leak from my gills and onto my body. It was the water that kept me breathing god damnit!
As I went about the house, trying to get to my destination, I didn’t fail to notice the havoc and grime I had slathered all over the place on my way to the tub. Blood and feathers were spread in long lines, covered in some sort of sticky slime. I winced at the thought of having to pass through one of them to get outdoors. I breathed in deeply, glad I had understood the water-in-lung trick. I shuddered at the thought of going back with the burn I had felt on the way in.
My scales were drying fast though and I could start feeling the itch again. I hurried along, scraping my tail against the tiles. I could only look at the door that would bring me closer to the phone. I’d call Tom, he’d be able to help me, be it for food or transport. He’d chide me for being so thoughtless, but he was my brother after all. He’d come around.
I passed through the door, sliding through the bloody trail I had created earlier on. I didn’t let myself think much upon it as I felt the cool evening breeze against my face. I stopped on the spot when my gaze reached the basin. I hadn’t noticed it when I was there since I was in the middle of it but I could now see the aftermath of the pelican’s explosion : a bloody flower had bloomed, coloring the water and surrounding grass red. Tripes, liver and other organs I’d rather not think about were scattered around and I shivered, trying as best I could not to dry retch.
The phone. I had to reach the phone. I couldn’t let myself be distracted. My tail was starting to feel the burn already as it complained against me using it in such a manner. I ground my teeth and continued forward, ignoring my body’s protests, ignoring the disgust I felt seeing the exploded bird, ignoring the horrid smell. There was only the phone and I, nothing else.
Time stretched endlessly as I pulled and pushed myself forward. I was breathing heavily by the time I got to arm’s reach of the small device and I could feel the need to change my lung-water. I stretched myself on my belly, every movement was difficult as I grabbed the phone and turned it over, wiping the grime away. The screen was black. I dropped my head against the dirt.The battery was dead.
Shit.