Listen to the Water | FULL SERIES | Wattys 2022 Shortlist | ✔

(22) Blood Trail

I eventually lie down in the mud, though I'm still so shaken, I'm sure I'll never fall asleep. My body proves me wrong. Maybe it's the pressure doing its thing, but my not-infrequent nightmares of sharks take a break. I don't wake once all night.

... All day.

Rashi help me, this backwards cycle will be the death of me.

I wake up again feeling as weak as I did when I lay down. I'm hungry.

Seiko is probably hungry. They haven't moved, or removed their face from my chest, since we landed here. And hey, while I'm at it, Itta is probably hungry too, though he's either still asleep or meditating. He's been asleep for a long time. Maybe the Sami-Kels' song yesterday did something to him? I sit on my shaking hand to keep myself from poking him to make sure he's still alive. Then I realize there's an easier way to do this, and light that hand instead. Still breathing. The stars on his tail are still lit, too, if very dim, which should have been my first cue. The gash on his ribs has stopped bleeding.

Why am I doing this?

I extinguish my hand-light and thank Rashi for the distraction as Seiko stirs. Their little hands sign sleepily; something to do with food.

"I don't have any," I sign back. "But the tribe is going to find us, and they'll bring food."

That is currently a lie, but I consider myself a good liar. Especially when it's dark enough out to hide my face.

Seiko huddles down again. I sit in the mud and rock them gently, waiting for any sign of help. It's probably midday when the faint tickle of sound runs fingers up my tail. I recognize the long notes of the Kel-calling song immediately.

Itta starts awake when I shake him. He looks disoriented for a few heartbeats, then catches wind of the song and struggles up onto his elbows. He sings back. There's a pause, then a flash in the distance. I return it.

The ragged group of tribe Kels swarms us with an efficiency that lifts a huge mass from my shoulders. Guards are posted, and part of me melts in relief as Taiki appears in front of me, earnest, asking if Seiko and I are okay. I'm okay. Seiko is okay. Satomi is fretting in the back; she's okay. We're all okay. Itta nearly collapses when Sachi shoves through the crowd to his side. He cries out when his boyfriend tries to move him, though. Another Kel steps in, and together she and Sachi turn Itta over.

My hand goes to my mouth, and I shift to block Seiko's view. Itta was lying on his stomach for a reason. A deep slash runs down two-thirds of his tail, gaping wide and stained with blood-caked silt. Why did he tell me he was okay? Or point to the cut on his side when he talked about a blood trail? I pan back over the last day and find my answer: he's been in shock since we landed here. He probably didn't even feel it.

The Kels are already in motion. Itta closes his eyes and returns Sachi's tight grip on his hand as he's laid down, a dozen hands on his body and tail. The healing song is familiar to me the same way a dream might be when you have it twice but can't quite remember the first iteration. I don't taste it this time. The colour returns to Itta's face as it progresses. When the Kels finally finish and pull back, I'm stunned to see that the ghastly wound has been reduced to an angry-looking scar. Itta looks more tired than any of the singers. Clearly the healing song drains its singers less when there are more of them.

With Itta out of danger, Sachi's gaze finally lifts. He searches the crowd for the longest time, until he spots me lurking in the shadows. He stares blankly at Seiko, then locks eyes with me. His are narrowed slightly, like he's found his snack stash pillaged and suspects it was my doing. To be fair, if this was my village, it probably would have been. I usually have Naina to take the fall for me, though.