I took a deep breath, held it, and dropped in after him. Fear coursed through my body, only overpowered by the cold. I could feel my heartbeat, a rapid thump-thump-thump, and some sort of distant gurgling, popping noise. Dagger swam in the water before me, the camera clutched below one hand, swimming with one arm but still making good progress. I followed.

I tried to embody calm, even as my body screamed to return to our safe haven box. Each movement away from the box and towards the center platform forced the low lying panic to grow. In another situation, I might have marveled at the sheer size of the water tank, the branchlike plants on the bottom, or the swarms of colorful fish that flitted between them. Instead, I focused on the center platform and swimming towards it as fast as I could.

When we reached the center platform I examined the tools laid out on the circular area with borderline panic. I refused to waste a precious moment to see how far our safe haven box lay in the distance. With jerky movements, I grabbed a spear on the platform and then made my way to the very center of the platform, hoping and praying there was some sort of control panel connected to the chain. The same branch-like plant that I'd seen on the bottom grew over the chain, but this one was a deep, rust red.

Then I saw it, maybe six feet above the platform, connected to the chain: the control box.

I swam closer. The opening was made for a key, but I didn't have time to pick it. Instead I lifted the blunt spear and slammed it into the box. It bent but didn't open, the solid metal mocking me. Bloody Beast! I reached out to the red plant for leverage.

A silent scream tore out of my mouth when I did—the plant burned like fire.

I slammed my mouth shut. My lungs seared, my heart beat against my eyes, but I couldn't return to our box until I saw what was inside this control panel. With the next thrust the panel burst open. My brain barely seemed to work at this point, but I forced myself to look inside and take a mental picture. Then I dropped the spear, kicked off the panel and turned.

Our safe haven box was so far away it looked hazy.

No! That's impossible!

I could see all the other boxes in a circle around us, with two dark forms in each. All so, so far away.

Terror clawed at my lungs as I frantically swam back to our box. It felt like I moved at half the speed, the distance twice as long. Black pushed in at the edges of my vision. I'd forgotten to see if Dagger even followed. If the beast tore me apart now it would be welcome. My legs and arms moved with jerky, wild movements. I could see the box, but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. A hand was muffling my senses, burying me alive.

Everything was fading.

Our box was so close.

Darkness was pushing in.

I wasn't going to make it.

My head broke the surface as I shuddered and choked coughing up water and struggling to breathe. Dagger burst up beside me. Together we both clung to the side of the box, breathing hard, neither of us climbing inside. He hauled the camera up and inside the box, where it sputtered and thrashed before us.

"You okay?" he finally said. I didn't have the energy or breath to respond, just nodding. He heaved himself inside and dragged me in after him.

"That plant... it burned..." I lifted my flesh hand, marked with an angry red rash.

"It's fire coral," he said, staring down at my palm. "I didn't realize what it was till we got closer, or I would have warned you."

The cold, unmoving glass pressed against my cheek as I closed my eyes, focusing on breathing and not how the hell my partner even knew what fire coral was.

"You okay?" he repeated.

My metal arm flexed and tightened, the unchanged strength there almost enough to mask the fear that tightened my gut. "Thought I wasn't going to make it."

He glanced back out into the darkness. "So, does your secret plan have a second part?"

"Yes." God help us.

"Care to explain?"

"No." If I said it out loud, I'd talk myself out of it. I forced myself to breathe deeper. "Catch your breath. If this works, we aren't coming back."

"And if it doesn't?"

I met his gaze, the darkness there reflected in mine. "Live in the Beast. Die in the Beast."

His eyes hardened, but then he nodded. I turned my attention to my arm, and opened the tiny compartment that held all the tools that didn't attach as fingers. I ran through everything I would need to do. On land, with full lungs, it would be easy enough. But underwater? Well Yaneli, I guess it's time to see if I'm as good as you were. I forced myself to slow my breathing further, mirroring the stillness and control Yaneli had once worn like a cloak. The water continued to creep upwards, reaching to our knees, high enough that Dagger had to hold the camera up out of the water to keep it from swimming away.

"You ready?" I finally said.

Our eyes met, and he surprised me with a faint, mocking smile. "Ready when you are, partner."

His words caught me off guard: no one but Yaneli or Xyla had ever called me partner. I sent up a silent prayer that this wouldn't be the first and last time. Then I took five of the deepest breaths I ever had, held the last, and dropped back into the cold water.

This time I didn't admire the scene. I simply swam, trusting that if the monster came, it would kill me quickly. 

(Well, they are working together, so that's a good sign, right? Any thoughts on what Z is up to? 

As always, thanks so much for reading and being here. You guys are the absolute best!

-H.J.)