The water soon consumed the entire submarine, fish quickly swimming out of the way and the colorful reefs soon adding color to the plain floor. Clownfish, surgeonfish, and some other colorful fish swam around the reef. I pressed the gas and continued to dive lower. I pressed the red button, the female voice coming back on and the button glowing.

"How may I be of service traveler?" I blinked a few times and spoke.

"Uh, where is a good place to dive to the deepest depths?"

"Continue heading straight until I say."

I pressed the gas and held still, the submarine passing more reefs and colorful fish. It soon came to an opening, the female voice talking once more. "You may dive. Are there any more questions you are willing to ask?"

"No ma'am." The red button stopped glowing and I pressed forward, the submarine facing downwards. I pressed the gas slightly, the submarine moving slowly into the black.

"Let's see, lights, lights, does it just automatically turn on if it's dark?" I stopped and pressed the red button once more, the female voice speaking.

"How may I be of service traveler?"

"Where do I turn on the lights?"

"Please look above you to the yellow button right here." I looked up, a yellow button blinking.

"Oh. Thank you." The red button turned off once more and I clicked the yellow button.

The lights turned on, the dark abyss glowing in front of me. The bright blue soon disappeared and all that was left to see was the light in front of me and the darkness surrounding me.

The way down seemed endless as the water pressure on the meter increased. The light caught an eel pass by, the long creature quickly swam passed as I continued to dive.

"Is this really where they like to be? I can barely see anything." I dove for another five to ten minutes until I finally saw sand. I turned the lights off and a blue light dimly shined inside.

I looked around, jellyfish and octopi glowing beautifully in the dark. I quickly took out Melody's camera and waited for another glow. Another eel went by slowly and I held the camera up, taking a picture as the entire eel glowed. I looked inside the camera and saw a good snap. Two fish swam by, their spines glowing.

I held the camera once more and waited, taking a snap as another fish joined in, a glowing antenna appearing. I waited and saw the light attract the fish, one getting snatched and eaten. I looked closely at the antenna'd fish, purple eyes looking at me. I quickly took my phone out and turned the lights on, snapping a pic.

I looked at the picture, foggy.

"Damn!" I closed my eyes and rested my head onto the seat, taking a deep breath.

Tap Tap Tap

My eyes shot opened and I was eye-to-eye with an unknown creature, his appearance like a man, but a tail instead of legs.

I couldn't breathe, I was frozen in place, my eyes staring into his.

He tilted his head at me, curious about the submarine, or how I would taste. He placed both of his sharped, webbed hands on the glass and tail moving side to side.

I slightly moved my hand to my phone, his eyes catching my slight movement and expression quickly changing to white eyes, and sharp teeth, his brows furrowing and mouth frowned.

I quickly moved both hands up to my head, his expression changing back to before.

He started to examine me now, looking at my hair and legs. He pointed to his tail and made an X with his arms, his head to the other side. I nodded my head slowly and he mashed his face onto the glass, his eyes shining and his mouth now excited. I moved my head backwards turning it to the side. He began to mouth words and I pressed the red button quickly.

"How may I be of service traveler?"

"Where is the microphone?" I quickly said, looking around.

"It is this purple button right here." A purple button began to blink above me and I quickly pressed it.

"Aka hoocco! Iier cyga bexe aka hoocco ides hyun!"

"Do we have a translation?"

"Scanning... no translation found."

"Damn"

"Hoocco, Dwuaq Yeeq Uquo Eeir?"

I blinked a few times as he continued to speak his language. He placed his thumb on his chin, looking downwards until he pointed up, smiling and motioning his hand to follow him.

He swam forward as I stood still, the submarine not moving. He stopped and looked at me, swimming back and tapping the glass once more, motioning me to follow. I grabbed the wheel and pressed the gas lightly, following the strange creature across the dark abyss into a huge tunnel. He stopped and I removed my foot from the gas pedal.

He looked at me at moved his hands to his eyes, covering them and removing them, pointing at me. I chuckled and covered my eyes with my hands, closing my eyes as well.

After a few minutes I heard a tap on the glass and opened my eyes. Another path had opened and the strange creature swam inside. Does he even know what i could do? He motioned me once more and I followed.

"Footir! Swasutir! Iier foosye hodepa!"

The tunnel was dark, the creature's light guiding him. I tapped on the glass and he looked at me. I cupped my hands like binoculars and pointed down to the bottom of the machine. He quickly shook his head and pointed at his small light.

He stopped as we entered a giant hall dimly lit by anglerfish.

Other creatures who were like him stared at me, watching me and studying me.

I looked on ahead with him and saw the man named "footir" walk further towards us, speaking to him in their language. He grabbed "footir"'s arm and leaded him towards me.
I looked into his eyes, "footir" feeling around the submarine. They were white, just like the original angler fish would have.

"Iier shewa... Doquana hedu uqua uusidew?"

"Ninuwo footir. Iiern shuwoko, hedu doquanoyew. Hedu jeyu ayenudo fanumo awuwe."

"Iier shewa." He cleared his throat. "Human, why have... you come?" My eyes widened as "footir" spoke. I was speechless.
"Have you come... for our aid?"

"...aid?"

"Or have you... come for greed?"

"Listen, I don't really know what this is. I really only came to see creatures, take pictures, and leave after I had time to think." The strange creature I met earlier looked at "footir" confused, who spoke to him.

"Iier dwuake wiyo taed! Tiyun yewtna fraidno footir!"

"Iier dwuake coydo. Yohyu asaro guzaboo taed vorufedaso hedurak jukabe yohyu luedu iteaqu koffa nodaffe." A woman appeared slilently afterwards, trying to not disturb the two males' argument. The strange creature looked away, his back facing me. "My son will... teach you our... language. My daughter... will give you.. this stone to... learn quickly." The daughter looked around for an entrance to the stone, but couldn't find one. She went back to "footir" and whispered to him about the issue.

"Wait wait, I didnt agree to any of this. I don't even know any of you!" "Footir" stared at me with his white eyes.

"How could I... forget? This is... Illushbo, or Ivan... You may call... me footir, or... father." The woman introduced herself.

"Hello, my name is Katyelo, or Katyusha in your language." My brows furrowed once more.

"Wait, how do you know English?" Katyusha glew when I asked the question.

"I started to study it before anyone. I always thought English was a unique language to learn, so I taught father a bit."

"How were you able to study it when you live so far down here?"

"I visit up to the shallows and see a few books by the sand. I usually grab them if they're left there for the night and read it above so the pages wouldn't get ruined." I threw myself back into my seat, hand on head as I tried to understand everything.

"Ok, I know that it's possible for angler fish to arrive above depths, so that's possible."

"How did you know?" I looked at Katyusha, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Ah, well, I don't really think you'll like the answer."

"Please?" I thought of a way to quickly change the subject.

"Maybe later, I have a few questions myself." The shining in Katyusha's eyes dimmed a little as I didn't answer. The creature named Ivan looked at me, glaring. I swallowed. "Uh, my first question is how come the majority of you know English, yet Ivan doesn't speak any?"

"Because the words.. feel weird to my tongue." Ivan spoke up, annoyed now of whatever his father said. "I prefer, my language. Sorufulgrute." Both Katyusha and "Father" looked at him, shaking their heads.

"What'd he say?" I asked, both curious and a bit angry.

"Please do not ask, I do not like to use what you use from above." Katyusha looked down, the light above her head showing a bit of her brown tail. I looked at the odd family for a few minutes, each talking to one another in their language and then Katyusha scolding Ivan for the word he said.

A red button began to flash signalling the voice. I turned the microphone off and pressed the button.

"From where you are at traveler, you should soon be heading back, the gas is running low." I cursed under my breath and pressed the purple microphone button once more.

"...soragret!"

"Uh.. hey." They looked at me once more, Ivan swimming away. "I need to head back up to the surface. The gas in this is running low." Katyusha nodded and whispered what her father didn't know, him nodding as well.

"Let me show you the quickest way out of here..."

"Alfred. Alfred Jones." Katyusha smiled and swam behind me. I turned the wheel, waving to the father once more before exiting the hall. I turned the lights on and saw Katyusha completely.

Her brown tail slowly, but quickly pushing her for my safety, her hair short, but still swaying in the current. She had three tan fins at the end of her tail, each looking as if they could break like a butterfly's wing.

We exited the large cavern and she pointed upwards.

"Just head up here and you'll be up to the above lands."

"Alright, thank you."

"Oh, Alfred?"

"Yes?"

"Can you bring some items from the above land that I can see? Also some way for you to study our language and history the next time you come over?"

"Sure. I'll bring you some books I can find at our library and check them out. They'll be pictures so you don't have to look too hard to read." She smiled and waved goodbye.

"Thank you." I began to drive up towards the surface, fish passing by the lights.

I pressed the blue button and waited for a responce.

"Hey Alfred! You on your way back up?"

"Sure am."

"How was it for your first time deep underwater?"

"If I had the words, I would tell you."

"It must've been somethin'!" We both started to laugh.

"You have no idea."