FMS Episode One 20 (Patreon)

“Chihaya, you think you can you swim now?”

"I-I think so."

Thanks to the brief rest within the air pocket, Chihaya felt her body had recovered considerably.

I should probably remember the way back to the front deck, she thought.  And it would be less of an effort to swim up than down. But then, Chihaya remembered something as she touched her forehead with her hand. Something important was missing.

"Oh, my goggles…"

She couldn’t help not saying it out loud. In the mess hall, she must have inadvertently taken off the goggles from her head after they were flooded and became useless. But now she was heading back, she might lose her way again with no goggles because of the darkness and the blurred vision. The thought of going back down into the dark water without them, with the salt stinging in her eyes, sent a subtle chill down Chihaya’s spine. She winced, as her cousin sat and watched.