LJ Idol, Season 9, Week 4 - “Nobody can ride your back if your back's not bent”
Kara lay on an inflatable raft, far enough out into the ocean that she could no longer see land. The canopy overhead let through just enough solar rays that her body welcomed the soft ocean breeze. Lying there, she almost looked like a dreaming dog - muscles twitched involuntarily in time with her thoughts. But her thoughts weren't in some unconscious dreamland. They were fathoms below her, touring the ocean floor.
'Kaaaaaara,' Eekeele called in her singsong voice, 'what are we looking for today?'
'Fish, Eekie. The big brains want to know if there are fish living in the new reef.'
A picture of the newly planted reef built up in her head until Eekeele squealed her delight. 'Hide and seek! Fun!'
The pair swam to the new reef and searched for new fish, talking all the while.
'What do you like to eat Eekie?' Silly subject, of course, but Kara was running out of things to talk about.
'Fish. Little fish. Big fish. Oily fish. Fish with legs. Oh, and the fish you bring me!' Eekeele thought for a moment, 'Why? What do you eat, Kara?'
'Well, I like fish too. Sushi is delicious. But I like it cooked sometimes instead of raw.' She sent a picture of cooked fish and a memory of a taste along the connection and felt rather than saw the shudder that ran through Eekeele's body.
'Yuck! Why would you do such a thing to delicious fish?'
Kara laughed. 'It's delicious that way too. And I'm not sure I could eat it quite the way you do.'
Eekeele demonstrated by nosing a fish out of a hiding place and swallowing it whole. 'Mmmmfishsssgoood.'
'Don't talk with your mouth full, Eekie!' Kara had to smile despite herself. Eekeele was like a 5 year old sometimes.
Eekeele surfaced next to the raft, and let out the breath she had been holding. Spray from her blowhole pelted Kara, making her sit up in shock.
“Eekie!” Kara shrieked, “That was cold!”
“K-k-k-k-kaaaaaara,” giggled Eekeele, as she tail-walked out of Kara's reach. The giggle was inside Kara's head as well as in her ears.
“You are a trickster!”
'Did good. Want treat!' insisted Eekeele.
'You were digging up your own treats down there, you silly girl,” protested Kara.
'Don't taste like your treats. Don't know where you get those, but like them. Like them lots!' Eekeele slid up the inflatable ramp and looked at Kara with a grin. 'Pleeeeease?'
'You get a treat when I'm done making my report. And don't splash!” Kara warned.
Back down into the depths they went, Kara riding along in Eekeele's head with half of her brain, and drawing the fish they saw back up on the raft with the other half. The trick of split attention wasn't hard, but it did take some time to perfect. She couldn't have done it at all if Eekeele hadn't let her in willingly. Finally, Kara shivered and looked up to notice the sun going down.
'That's enough Eekie. Come get your treat. Go find your friends and have a good sleep. We can play again tomorrow.'
Eekeele watched as Kara peeled the transmitters off her temples and placed them carefully in her pocket. Then opened wide in a grin as Kara tossed her a double handful of King Crab meat. Let the 'big brains' gripe about the expense. She knew it was her friendship with Eekeele, and the King Crab, that kept 'Keele coming back to do their research for them.
“See you tomorrow Eekie!”
Eekeelie's reply was lost in the sound of the motor starting up to take Kara back to land. The brains would be happy with the report, 3 new species of fish had taken up habitat in the new artificial reef. And more fish was good. Not just for the ecology, but for her friend too.