“What do you mean tomorrow? Joe!”
But then the line disconnects.
He’s gone.
One more thing.
All it takes is one more thing.
And something inside me just fucking snaps.
***
Mack is blowing up my phone, but I’m not responding.
Because now I have new suspicions.
Maybe I’ve caused the threats.
He’s in danger because of me. Danger during a time when he’s most vulnerable. Just days before the portal.
I’m at my computer now. I tap away impatiently until I’m back on the Freemont Aquariumaniacs Forum.
FishKiller1234. Who is he, and where did he go? I type his name in the search bar, but no account comes up.
But his old posts are still there.
I click through them all, blahblahblah, kill all fish monsters, blahblahblah, they walk among us.
Then I see a link. The links to his Facebook group. I click on the link, hoping it’s not actually some kind of hidden virus.
Luckily, it’s not. Instead, it actually brings me to a Facebook group.
Godly People Against the Fish Monsters
The group has tens of thousands of members, which blows my mind. The posts are aggressive in tone.
I don’t want my kids exposed to these fish freaks.
As parents, it’s our moral duty to eliminate all the fish freaks. The children are in danger!
Kill all fish monsters!
A chill runs down my spine. Apparently, the anti-fish-monster brigade is real and growing.
I scroll a little bit until I run into an album showcasing a protest outside what looks like an apartment building. The people are holding signs with many of the same violent phrases.
And then, I freeze in place. A familiar face in one of the pictures.
Dr. Hammer.
Eradicate all Fish Monsters his sign reads.
My mind flashes back to the time I met him at the pizzeria.
I’m not one of these extremists on your forums. I’m not trying to eradicate the fish people. I’m simply offering solutions. A return to proper form. That’s all.
But that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. And I was too stupid to even see it. And now Mack is in danger, no doubt because of my stupid choices. How else could someone find him if not through me? Am I being followed? Has my phone been tapped?
I scroll through the page, and the dates and locations are listed on the side panel for future protests. My nostrils flare when I take in the information.
Just as Joe said, they’ll be here soon. In my town.
I’m trying not to spiral too hard. The absolute self-hatred coursing through my veins isn’t new, but it is renewed.
If I stay away from Mack, then he can escape. As long as no one traces him to me. Someone already has, but there’s only a little bit of time left.
And if I take the pills, I’ll die inside.
If I don’t take the pills, who knows what kind of danger I’ll be in? Who knows the danger I might put others in?
And then . . . and then there’s the portal.
Maybe a better person than I would be brave enough to go. Maybe a better person would jump at the chance to follow the only love they’ll ever have in their entire life.
But I’m not a better person. I’m a coward.
I’m a coward, and my own mother doesn’t even love me. And she won’t love me when I turn. And she won’t love me if I don’t.
