Eleanor wondered which direction to swim.
Helmeted head bobbing, she felt like a sinking lure in this vast, endless ocean. She looked up, an immense, gradual wave lifting her, and she saw the sun. Sunlight gave her hope, and even though she float alone in the ocean, why should she give up? The Big Daddy doll she left in her helmet rolled over, his tiny arm touching her cheek. Eleanor smiled.
"Oh, it will take more than the ocean to stop me, Father. But thank you for being by my shoulder."
Thoughts about that strange dream rushed through her mind. It was quite the mystery, but there was no time to worry about that now.
The lass thought, and thought hard. After several seconds of nervousness, something in her mind clicked. She did not know what it was, but although dead, Father's mind left a trail that Eleanor could sense. Feint fragments of the bond between Eleanor and Father, and the bond between her and the Little Sisters, would lead her back to the lifeboat! She sighed with relief. Lunging herself forth and kicking her legs, Eleanor swam like a dolphin across the waves.
Swimming while facedown, Eleanor's beaming green visor peered into the abyss below her, and the abyss stared back. She grew up at the bottom of the ocean, why would she have thalassophobia? She could not see much, but the darkness reminded her of Rapture. She suddenly felt a little sadness.
"Rapture... Hunh. I think I will miss that place...a little."
Ms. Lamb swam on and on. She rather enjoyed swimming atop the ocean, feeling like a free fish, and the sensation of being lifted by waves was quite heavenly. The oarfish she met earlier must have felt this way all the time!
"Free like a fish in the ocean. Hee-hee!"
Eleanor felt something bump into her from behind, ending her childish fantasies. She gasped and spun around, visor yellow, wondering what happened. Eleanor turned side to side, but could not see anything underwater, and the illumination her beaming visor provided was limited.
"What was that?" She turned around, a pair of black eyes approaching her, skating side to side through the water. The eyes belonged to a porbeagle, and it promptly bit over Eleanor's right glove then thrashed to and fro.
Arm jerking, Eleanor punched her needle-mounted left hand at the shark, but the constant movement made her miss. Though the monstrous teeth failed to pierce her glove, Eleanor's knuckles cracked from the force.
The damn fish was more than eight feet long and easily weighed over three hundred pounds, and compared to it, even a Little Sister was a weak swimmer. She headbutted the damn thing in the nose; the beast let go then circled around Eleanor, one eye always gazing at her. It turned, flicking its tail and extending its jaws to go for another bite.
Obviously, Eleanor could not cast explosive fireballs underwater, but she could utilise telekinesis. She cast a purplish ring of her Plasmid forth, causing water to rush towards the shark and frighten it.
While the purple ring of telekinetic power distracted the shark, Eleanor swam through the ring, which amplified her movement. She lunged her needle at it, the shark turning its head and trying to bite her. Her needle stabbed perhaps two inches into the side of the fish's mouth. Upon feeling sudden, sharp pain, the porbeagle turned around, flicked its tail, and was gone.
Eleanor swam after the beast, but even a she had her top speed. Within seconds, the shark disappeared into the darkness. There was no way Eleanor could catch up to it. She flipped then hovered upright, legs gently kicking. The shark did not return.
"You stay away..."
Eleanor flicked her bitten hand and, without further ado, continued towards the lifeboat.
"Where is she?" a Little Sister chirped, on her hands and knees before the edge of the lifeboat. "Did Eleanor come all the way from the upside-down house... just to swim away like a itsy-bitsy fishy?" She straightened her back and put her little hands on her sides. "Not nice."
Another Little Sister walked by, standing beside her. The two looked at each other.
"She's coming! She would never go away! Right?"
Two more Little Sisters waddled over, bare feet tapping. The four Little Sisters looked at the water attentively—something leapt out, causing the four girls to squeal and cover themselves as water splashed them. Several other little ones saw what happened and giggled.
"Hey! Not funny!" one of the splashed Little Sisters whined.
Eleanor straightened her legs and took her helmet off. She shook her head, hair loosening up.
"Eleanor! Is it really you?" a Little Sister exclaimed, snuggling her fists against her chest and walking on the spot for a second.
"Hah-hah! You're back!"
"Ta-da, just like that!"
"I missed you!"
"I missed you, too!"
"Me three!"
"We all missed you!"
"Big Sister never leaves!"
All the Little Sisters ran around Eleanor as she put her helmet down. The girls cheered, some jumping, a few even crying from relief.
Eleanor smiled and chuckled, moving some of her hair out of her face. She gently stroked a few of the children's heads. They're so cute and beautiful...
"Why am I crying? She's okay!" a weeping Little Sister mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes.
"Did you catch a fishy this time?" one of the Little Sisters asked, jumping up and down.
"Hm? What?" Eleanor asked.
"A fishy! You'd go catch fishies!"
"Guess no fishy this time?"
"Oh? No. No fishy this time. I got into big trouble with...a big fishy," Eleanor admitted, wondering why she had no memory of what happened after her strange vision. How much time had passed?
"But splashy and Eleanor means...fishies?"
"Ugh! You see? I said Eleanor would be better with a cage on her back, to use as a net! I said!"
Eleanor just smiled. The little ones were so cute to watch, and they gave her memories of herself as a child. Eleanor noticed that most of the girls looked up at the sun once in a while, sometimes commenting about sunshine.
"It's like ADAM... Glowing...warm."
"I want sunshines in my belly."
"What does sunshines taste like?"
"Sunshines would taste like...angels!"
Eleanor tittered at the childish discussion. She turned her head and saw Father, still sitting where she had placed him. Eleanor smiled but her eyes went low, heart heavy. She chuckled to herself. Eleanor would have liked to see Mother's face when she awoke and found out she slept against Father's shoulder.
One of the Little Sisters scuttled to Eleanor, looked at Delta, then stared through the glass to see Sofia walking around, thinking to herself.
"Is momma feeling better?" the girl asked, a few other Little Sisters wincing at that word.
"I'll go check," Eleanor replied.
While the children played, Eleanor went inside the lifeboat. Mother slowly walked around aimlessly, in heavy thought, and rather angry. She did not react to Eleanor, even when Eleanor crossed her arms and watched Mother. Was Mother going crazy?
"So... Ireland?" Eleanor asked. She wanted to talk about her dream, the oarfish, and the shark. What a story it would be. Though, Mother clearly did not look like she was in the mood for talking.
"We're almost there," Sofia replied quickly and nonchalantly.
If Mother really loved Eleanor, would she want to talk to her daughter at least a little? Or were her words just part of a continuation of her usual game? Eleanor frowned. She thought about when she told Mother she did not love her. Did she really mean it? Or was she just trying to hurt Mother?
By evening, Ireland awaited the survivors of The Rapture Family from afar. Occasionally, the lifeboat passed fishing boats. Fishermen stopped whatever they did, stood, and wondered what the hell sailed along. The Little Sisters noticed, smiled, and waved at the dumbstruck fishermen.
"They have weird toys," a Little Sister remarked while waving. She saw and heard seagulls. "Oo! Birdie angels! Caw, caw!"
Half the Little Sisters imitated seagulls, some reaching out to them, the birds not wanting to be touched.
Eventually, the lifeboat reached Sligo harbour, which had a lighthouse built in 1908. A river went through the seaport and into the ocean. The harbour was situated in the middle of the seaport, with many buildings around the area. Sligo was not as vast as places like New York or Seattle, rather traditional, featuring mediaeval and Catholic architecture here and there, and mountains off in the distance.
"Beautiful," Eleanor commented, the little ones mesmerised by such alien sights.
Unsurprisingly, a crowd gathered on the piers, beholding the strange vessel that was Sinclair's lifeboat. The Little Sisters got excited and waved, and amongst the crowd were other children, some of whom smiled and waved back.
"Hey, look! Boys!" a Little Sister said, blushing.
"Hah-hah! We made it to rainbows and sunshines land!"
"There's a land called rainbows and sunshines! We'll go there soon with Big Sister!"
"And we'll search the land from tail to top!"
"And if we find no leprechauns, and if I eye no pot o' gold..."
"Perhaps we'll dine on...boxty and blaa!"
While the Little Sisters sang whatever incoherent song they minded up, Sofia disembarked the lifeboat and walked along the pier, not giving a shit about anyone or their attention. She stumbled upon a policeman who came to investigate.
"There's a dead man onboard," was all Sofia said to him.
Eleanor stood back, arms crossed, beholding the scenery unfold. The Little Sisters were getting excited, so eager to see this new world. Eleanor sighed, gaze lowering.
"We made it. I almost can't believe it." Eleanor's shoulders dropped. She turned around. Sadness welled up in her, and she just...stared at Delta.
Father…
He remained where he sat, sitting peacefully.
Eleanor would have loved to be with him right now. How great it would feel, for Father and daughter to finally be free, together, away from Rapture, forever. She imagined herself riding a carousel. She wouldn't care if people thought she was crazy, she would still love to do it.
Eleanor's eyes get warm and moist. She made a slow, deep inhale, then her shoulders and head dropped. "Why didn't you let me save you..." She really did not want to cry, not now, but felt emotions swell.
A Little Sister looked up at Eleanor. Both girls smiled, then the other little ones scuttled around Delta.
"Goodbye, Johnny," a Little Sister said, she and several others nodding. Few by few, the Little Sisters clasped their hands, lowered their heads, and whispered their goodbyes.
"Goodbye, Father," Eleanor whispered last. "Thank you…for everything."
"Amen," the little ones spoke.
Eleanor picked up her helmet, holding it with one arm against her waist. She did not want to leave without Father, but what could she do? Head and shoulders still low, she approached the side of the lifeboat, ready to go down the ladder, but stopped. Eleanor could not help but take one last look at Father…and sighed.
Eleanor overheard the ambulance and a police car. She wondered what to say to the physicians and officers who appeared. She could see the physicians getting medical things ready, and the police officers dealing with the crowds. Eleanor sighed when she saw a news van racing to the scene. She sure did not want to be on the news, or talk to reporters.
"They have peepers up here, too!"
"Smile for the peepers!"
Eleanor smiled at the Little Sisters as they pooled around her.
"Eleanor...now what?" a Little Sister asked, the little ones looking up at Eleanor attentively.
"I know who I am, and we are free. The world is about to change, but in this story... Rapture...was just the beginning," Eleanor replied, then smiled. The girls smiled back, eyes big and curious.
She did not know where Mother went, but Eleanor jumped down to the pier, the children excitedly doing likewise. They ran past Eleanor, grinning, and raced to the other children to play with. As she walked down the pier, Eleanor noticed she had a little extra bounce in her heartbeat, gait, and hip sway.