Luca stared out at the gulf near the Marcovaldos' property for about twenty minutes before coming to a decision. He was going back for Alberto, no matter how evil he was now. You don't just give up on a summer of friendship like that.
Plunging into the frigid waters, it wasn't long until Luca swam into his first field of whirlpools. He dodged them, searching for his friend.
"No no… no no no no no."
That voice. Luca waded a little farther, finally coming across Alberto pacing beneath a buoy, grunting frustratedly and flinging his hands about. "Alberto?"
Alberto turned, his eyes wide and yellow and panicked. "Luca." He thrust his webbed hands forward, seemingly trying to stop the growing whirlpools, but it wasn't working. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing? You have to stop this."
"That's what I'm trying to do! I can't!"
"W-what do you mean?"
"I mean I can't! I don't know what's happening!"
"Calm down," Luca said slowly. The more upset Alberto got, the bigger the whirlpools seemed to be getting. But at least he was back… "I don't understand. How are you doing this?"
"I don't know!" Alberto said. He ducked as the buoy got sucked into the vortex between them, spitting out into the side of a giant rock and shattering it. "Luca, get away from me right now. I mean it. You shouldn't be here."
"No, I'm not leaving you."
"Luca! I'm serious! You need to go now."
"No!"
Alberto's eyes glowed red as he dispassionately sent a large current Luca's way. Flipping and flopping, Luca whooshed so fast he saw stars and got dizzy and water rushed in and out of his nose, which didn't even happen to sea monsters. Then he saw black.
Well, this feeling inside kept eating at me
I was losing a friend
I had to know why
. . .
