The Tale of a Sump Crab: An Autobiography

[MombasaLionfish]

Reconnection

I continued my pilgrimage to the clam. The isolation began to eat away at my sanity. I grew uncertain if I would ever reunite with the others. I longed to be reunited with Bubbles. As the minutes turned to hours, the memories of her began to crumble, the hunger was taking its place. When I thought all hope was lost, I saw a group of hermit setting up camp not too far away. I sprinted towards them. It was them. We reunited with warm embraces, and they caught me up on their adventures after the clam. Their journeys were much more pleasant than mine. Then they started asking questions about my journey. I told them nothing happened. They pointed out my new shell. I thought of telling them about the young hermit, but I did not want them to know what I had done. The memory brought no remorse, but they could not learn what I had become. It would horrify them.

After recalling our tales, I approached Bubbles. I needed her. As I walked to her, Kevin took her by the arm. I was frozen in my tracks. Salacia explained how they had connected when they thought I was dead. I turned in after that. Tears ran down my cheeks when I heard them return to camp. I turned away so that no one would see them. I laid there awake while the others slept. Then the screaming started. We all awoke to see three bristle worms attacking Kevin. We tried to pull them off of him, but their spine made it impossible to get a good hold on them. We struggled to save him. He called for mercy. The fear in his voice sent shivers down my spine. Then he was silent. One of the worms bit his throat. He let out a final gurgle. We took a step back realizing he was lost. The worms dragged him away. No one slept for the rest of the night. Nothing was safe anymore. Nothing meant anything anymore. The heaven we were exploring had become hell.

The next morning was somber. We did not say a word. I did not know where we were heading. I did not care. The world was numb to me. As the day progressed, it became increasingly obvious that Bubbles and Salacia did not know either. What would happen to us? Were we doomed to wander until we met our demise at the hands of an unknown monster? My thoughts clearly concerned Bubbles and Salacia. Bubbles tried to talk to me saying she thought I was dead, but I did not want to hear it. When we came around a corner, I saw it. The thing that ruined my life. I immediately started climbing towards it. The clam was going to pay. The calls for me went unheard. Nothing could stop me.

When I reached the top, I started tearing at the mantel. I ate none of it. This was for revenge. The beast retracted but I would not relent. It could not escape me. Suddenly I was out of the water. I did not retract into my shell. I was ready for the end.

Then I was back in the water. I floated to the bottom. The ground was softer than sand. I sank two knuckles deep. This world was darker than the one I came from. There were no defining features. Just flat ground for as long as you could see. A deafening whine was inescapable. I wandered this desert, hoping to find anything. Suddenly I was pinned down. I fought back. My claws tore at my attacker but it was stronger than me. Then it stopped. It asked me my name. Confused, I stuttered a reply. My eyes widened as I realized who I was talking to. It was Chiron.

More more more.

 

[Requiemiero]

Agreed, the book is always better than the movie.

Hmmm is our protagonist's name "Monster"? Or some variation of it like "Monstermit"? It does start with an M...

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I’m kinda starting to pick up on some more name clues. Could it be hermcules?

 

[Peach02]

Following along, love the story so far

 

[Requiemiero]

Wait, I'm back again with another name guess before the final chapter.

Is the name simply "Mit"? So he would be Bubble's Mit? (Her Mit)

If I'm being ridiculous I'll blame it on my lack of sleep

 

[swebb]

Agreed, the book is always better than the movie.

Hmmm is our protagonist's name "Monster"? Or some variation of it like "Monstermit"? It does start with an M...

I’m kinda starting to pick up on some more name clues. Could it be hermcules?

Wait, I'm back again with another name guess before the final chapter.

Is the name simply "Mit"? So he would be Bubble's Mit? (Her Mit)

If I'm being ridiculous I'll blame it on my lack of sleep

I did not put enough in for it to be guessed, unfortunately. It's a pun off a celebrYty name if you guys would lYke to keep guessYng. hYnt hYnt

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

Best aquarium erotica ever!

 

[MombasaLionfish]

hYnt hYnt

???

 

[New&no clue]

Omg I feel like you’re telling the saga of my tank. Big Bertha is my giant hermit who leads the rest. Her blood lust and body count is only rivaled by the my cleaner shrimp. Many have urged me to banish Bertha to the sump, but she was my first inhabitants so I look past her evil ways as any mother does with there child.

 

[MrWheelock]

This is epic!

 

[kjbrooks71]

This is fantastic!! I do feel as though I have met these hermits, I too have banished a few creatures to the deafening unending whine..

 

[swebb]

The next episode of the cult hit “Tale of a Sump Crab” comes out to day. Critics have said:

“A Star is born” @LARedstickreefer
“This is awesome” @Katrina71
“Following” @every third comment
“Good for you” my mom

Find out what will happen to M later today in the conclusion of this epic saga.

 

[Malifry97]

The next episode of the cult hit “Tale of a Sump Crab” comes out to day. Critics have said:

“A Star is born” @LARedstickreefer
“This is awesome” @Katrina71
“Following” @every third comment
“Good for you” my mom

Find out what will happen to M later today in the conclusion of this epic saga.

YOOOO IM HYPE!

 

[Requiemiero]

My final guess, Mike Tyson? I have literally no idea what the hynt means but I'll finally have answers tonight!

 

[swebb]

Vitiated

It was nice to see him again. I felt optimistic and safe. He made it clear that this place had no future. Looking around I could see nothing that would say otherwise. It was devoid of all life. Without any substance, we would starve. I asked if he had seen Nereus. He replied that he had been isolated down here since the clam. I was the first sentient being he had seen.

He told me to follow him, he had a way of escape. His destination was impossible to miss. A white tower floating off the ground. It would be the elevator of our escape. As we drew nearer, the sediment thinned. A current pushed us back but we clawed forward. Soon the fine powder that had made up the ground was gone. We stood on the water but we did not sink. The floor had no grip, we used the vermetid snails as ladder rungs to close in on our goal.

We got under the white tube. The current was so strong that I could not hear him, but his gestures made it clear that we had to climb. I reached up to a vermetid snail on the lip and started to pull myself up. He followed shortly behind. The inside of the tube was terrifying. The snails made the inside of the tube look like the mouth of a monster. There were sponges lining the walls, pulsating with the flow in the tank. The strength of the current made the climb unbearable. Eventually, there was a point when there was no obvious handhold. I made the mistake of looking up. As soon as I did my eyes were blasted with dust. Shocked, I let go. I tumbled down the tube and hit the ground below. Chiron climbed back down to check on me. After regaining my composure, we set off again.

We got higher this time. The vermetid snails were thicker, but their shells were old and dead. I could hear them cracking constantly. I knew a single one would not support my whole weight. We climbed much higher than before, but there was no end in sight. Then I heard a crack. The cluster of snails we were both on let go of the wall. As I tumbled down the tube, I felt my arm get snagged. I was trapped there for a second, but before I could think of how to free myself, Chiron’s body collided with me. A sharp pain traveled through my body. My arm was gone. After I recovered from the shock, Chiron wanted to try again. He was adamant that we would quickly meet our end in this desert if we could not escape.

I told him that I could not do it. Without my arm to spread the weight, the snails would never hold me. He nodded and suggested we locate a meal. We stayed close to the pipe, sifting through the powder. In the sediment, I saw a green flash. I thought I had found food, but I unearthed a piece of Nereus. I screamed. What had killed him? Was it hunting us too? Seeing what happened, Chiron comforted me. His strong embrace was the comfort I needed. I thanked him. After a few moments, I asked him to let go. He said nothing. I tried to break free. He would not let go.

Part 2 Coming Soon.

 

[New&no clue]

Awww man I hate that I can’t binge this. The anticipation is killing me.

 

[Charles4400]

Hey when does Part II come out? Don't leave us hanging!!!

 

[swebb]

Soon, it is harder than I thought to wrap everything up. It will be posted soon though!

 

[Charles4400]

Loving this btw, waiting for Disney/Pixar to buy your rights!

 

[swebb]

I pushed at his arms, but he was much stronger than me. I tried to reason with him, but he just kept mumbling that he was too scared to die. His starvation had made him mad. Nereus must have met the fate that was about to greet me. I had no idea how to break free. I took a chance and left my shell. He had not seen it coming and did not react in time to grab me. I broke a vermetid shell off of the ground. The fight would still not be in my favor. I ran away. He gave chase, but could not keep up with his shell. I managed to hide in the detritus. I watched him search. There was no possibility of both of us surviving.

I waited for the cover of the night. I left my hiding place for a pile of detritus that he had already searched. I waited for him to fall asleep. I drifted off before he did, but when I awoke, he lay passed out not too far from where I was hiding. I crept upon him. I drove the shell through his head. My only friend was gone. I was overcome with nothingness. I spent the rest of the day walking, hoping for a practical way out. I saw another tube. It was far away but maybe this one could be my escape. When I arrived, I saw how different this one was. The tube was connected to a large grey box that pulled the water in. I tried to find a way in but the opening was covered in a grate too small for me to climb through. I grabbed a vermetid shell and started trying to chip the grate away. I did not make any progress. I realized I could never make it back.

In my frustration, I attacked the pump more and more rashly. Then my shell broke. Part of it got sucked into the box. It made a rumbling sound and the pull of the water temporarily slowed. I had an epiphany. I could not make it home, but I could destroy the world through this box. I gathered a pile of vermetid shells. I was going to stop this box if it was the last thing I did. After that I ended up here, recounting my story. I will not return to this wall again. Let it be known that I, Marprawn Pynch, spat God’s face so that I could reunite with my love.