The next day, the storm had finally passed, and for that, I was glad. The water turns horrid cold when storms torment our waters. I swam from my cave, and made my way back to the central area. I surveyed there area, and say that though the storm above was fierce, little to nothing was damaged in our home. I swam to the council building and went inside. The same group of dolphins waited for me.

            "Oh sir, good morning sir did you rest well sir?" the black dolphin asked me.

            Well it was until you called me sir three times in one sentence…

            "Yes I slep… I mean rested quite well." It is always odd when I am asked this question, for dolphins so not actually sleep, yet I do.

"That's good to hear sir. Would you like the morning reports now?" he asked.

"Yes, fine." Might as well get this DONE…

"Yes sir. Well the storm did minimal damage to the homes and buildings of the pod sir. There were only two injuries from the storm."

"Two?" I swished my tail in irritation. The black one gulped.

"Yes… sir. One was a child who went to catch a fish to close to the surface and was tossed by a wave. The other was a elder who tried to... uhm.. Relive his childhood by tail walking in the storm. Both were minimal injuries sir." He seemed almost terrified to tell me this.

"I see. Well accidents happen, no need to be concerned." I stated calmly. The black one sighed in relief. Just then a spotted dolphin swam in the room. He appeared to be in a hurry.

"Sir! Sir!!" He swam circles around me until finally stopping on front of me.

"What is it?" I said flatly, in no mood for games.

"I was just on my way in from the north, and I swam past many humans things! I believe it was from a moat?" he half said, half asked.

"A boat?!" I yelped suddenly. Images of the boat and human family from the night before swam through my mind. No, please not that… please…

"Yes sir, but destroyed sir! Pieces of wood and strange humans things everywhere! Also, I sensed human blood in the water! As well as sharks!" He looked at me, an expression of fear and eagerness. I looked at him, and as I did, the rest of the group looked at me with mixed emotions. I believe all the color drained from my face right then, as they looked at me with worry.

"Sir are you alright?" the black one asked.

"Where….how far from here?" I whispered. The spotted one looked at me in surprise.

"About… about 25 miles from here sir, but the wreckage spread for a good few miles. I swam through as fast as I could, but I saw no humans." He replied quickly. I looked at him; I knew this one was one of the fastest in the pod. I calculated the time and distance it would take to reach the wreckage, and without another word I tore out of the council building like a shot. The other dolphins called for me, asking to know why I was leaving and to where, but I did not care to answer. I swam as fast as my flippers could take me towards the north, my mind screaming the entire time.

NO! By the almighty PLEASE do not let it be them! Not my friends please! Please let the spotted one be wrong!

Soon I began to see pieces of wood floating in the water. I slowed down and began to inspect the pieces of wood, and a sense of dread flooded my body. Many of the pieces were small, but they steadily got larger and larger. I also began to notice many human objects. Many things that were made of a thing called 'plastic'. I smelled the objects, they smelled familiar.

NO! I cannot believe this! I will not believe this! This was not them! It could not have been! It is impossible!  I clicked out sonar, and when it returned I saw an object ahead of me. Swimming up to it to get a visual, I found it was the same object that the father has pointed at me the day before. No…oh please…I began to click rapidly, sending sonar in all directions. All I just back was junk after junk after junk, then my nose smelled blood. I swam and clicked in that direction, getting closer and closer. Then I came to a sudden stop as a new smell entered my nose. SHARKS…

I proceeded with the utmost of caution, but the scent was hours old. I was so focused on the smell, I failed to see an object in front of me until I literally bumped into it. I stopped and pulled back and looked at the object. Then, I screamed.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

The object in front of me was a human arm, which had been forcibly ripped from its body. The arm belonged to a male human, as it was quite large and bulky. I let out a squeal and recoiled from it as it bobbed in the water. It defiantly had a shark scent upon it. I shuddered looking at it. Death by shark is one of the most gruesome fates known to dolphin.

Suddenly my mind started to scream at me. The girl! The girl where is she!? Could she have been devoured by a shark!? No! It cannot be! Please do not let it be so! I looked around in panic, then dove and swam deep into the depths. I turned, and shot upwards, flying high in the sky. I looked at the area above the surface. Nothing but water and debris! WHERE IS THE GIRL!? I splashed down into the water and repeated the process, jumping high into the air to catch a brief view from the air. I began to move towards the direction the wind had brought the debris, leaping into the air to look as much as I could. Oh what I would give for WINGS right now! I clicked and sent out sonar rapidly, hoping for any glimpse of the girl. Then, I saw it. A small round object, floating in the water. I dove down and swam as fast as I could to it, then stopped next to it. It looked like a human boat but was very small, and made of the strange 'plastic' humans create. I poked my head out of the water and chattered at this object. It only bobbed up and down with the waves. Then I jumped up and did a tail walk beside it, looking within.

THE GIRL!!!!! I yelled. I landed down back in the water. The girl was within this little boat! But what she alive?! I swam to it and poked the boat, and my nose bounced off of its surface. I began to chatter and click, hoping the girl within would hear. But she did not stir. I chattered and clicked and made as much noise as I could, but panic and desperation began to overtake me.

Oh please… do not be dead… wake up! Please move and wake up!

I was one the verge of giving up when the boat moved. I froze and watched, as the young girl sat up in the boat and looked around, rubbing her eyes. She looked like a little whale to me, which was odd, because she was so tiny before. However I took note that she was covered in a thick fake material, which I presumed was to keep her warm.

"Mommy…? Daddy…..?" she squeaked, looking around. "Mommy! Daddy!" *the looks around at the wreckage and started to scream for her parents. Her distraught voice was agonizing to hear. Then I heard her gasp loudly and fall silent. I looked to the direction as she, and my eyes widened.

DAMN YOU ECCO! I cursed myself. She had found the floating arm! I should have gotten rid of that, the poor girl did not need to see that! The girl lied back down in the boat and began to wail and cry. The sound tore me apart inside. Oh how I wished I could cry alongside her. How I wished I could comfort this poor child. I listened to her sobs, and finally I could take no more, I had to get her away from this place. I swam up and grabbed the vines that were attached to this boat, and I began to pull it away. The sudden movement cause her to snap out of her crying spell and she leaned over the edge and looked at me.

"You…" she whispered. I looked at her face; it was soaked with her own tears. The look in her face almost caused me to wail in sadness for her. I looked up with her, and the only thing I could say was,

"I am sorry…"

"Dolphin… my mommy and daddy…. Are they…. Are they dead?" She asked me quietly.

Oh please… do not ask me that! How can I answer you!? I do not wish you pain but my answer will cause you much pain! I looked at her silently for a moment, before I finally spoke. "Yes they are…. I am so sorry…" I honestly could not tell if she understood or not, but more tears flowed from her eyes and she sobbed. I looked at her with immense sadness before floating up against the boat. I kicked my tail and lifted myself up close to her, hoping that perhaps I could somehow sooth her. She slowly reached out and began to pet my beak and head, tears flowing freely from her eyes. She reached down and held me awkwardly; and while normally such a thing I would not allow, I merely held myself up for her to hold and touch me.

After awhile, she stopped holding me and sat back in the boat. She looked at me.

"Will I die out here? I'm all alone now… and I am so hungry…"

I clicked at her and dove under the water. A moment later I surfaced, a bright blue fish in my mouth. She looked at me with relief, for she had thought I left her. I swam close and dropped the fish into the boat. She looked at it, unsure.

"Thank you… but… I can't eat this… it's not even cooked…" she whimpered silently.

Of course Ecco you fool! Humans cook food with fire! They do not eat raw animals as we do! I looked at her with guilt.

"It's okay.. Don't be sad dolphin, you were only trying to help me… thanks…" She looked at the fish again, then after a moment of hesitation, she began to pluck its scales from its body. I watched quietly, fascinated by this. After she pulled the scales off, she began to pull the fish apart. Obviously disgusted by the act, she stopped and turned away, but her hunger got the better of her and she continued. After disposing of much of the fish, what humans believe are the 'waste' parts, she began to eat the rest of the fish. At first I thought she was going to die right then and there, the look on her face was that of utter disgust. However her hunger won, and she finished the whole fish.

"That was really, really bad." She chuckled. I clicked happily, she had made a joke! "I guess you always eat fish like that huh?" I clicked back at her and she giggled again, then she sighed sadly. "What will I do now? I can't survive out here… I need to get home… but mommy and daddy were the only family I had…and I don't know what direction to go…" she began to sniff and whimper.

I could not bear this anymore, it was agonizing. I latched onto the vine and started to pull the boat as fast as I could.