One Final Embrace

"I don't think this is how we should be going about this assignment." The voices were muffled through the door, but Margaret was confident she knew exactly who it was. And more importantly who they were discussing, her.

"We're running out of time, tough love might be the only way to find her any chance of love at this point. And we both know these waters could use some more of that." She heard the scientists continue their argument until they moved too far down the passageway on the central deck of the ship, and eventually up the stairs leading back into the crisp ocean air.

Margaret was not young, and she wasn't necessarily old either, but she was wise enough to have a pretty good idea of where this charter was headed and what they all expected her to do. She was terrified and exhausted from the morning's struggle, so for now all she did was settle down and shut her eyes. Trying hard to ignore the shadows of the metal bars overhead, she found herself giving into a deep sleep.

The room they kept her in was small and dark. Though she was most comfortable in places that felt like deep caves to her, so she didn't mind the dim lights and quiet hum of the pumps all around. The ocean above looked so vast, and so open. It looked dangerous, and somehow deep inside her she almost thought it looked inviting in a way, as well. She wasn't ready for it she thought, and she thought she'd already shared her thoughts quite clearly with those people in the uniforms. This time they seem serious

Margaret awoke in the windowless room in the middle of the bobbing ship with no clue as to whether it was day or night. She figured it must be night, because it's so quiet on the deck above. She spent that time sitting in silence, enjoying the peaceful solitude that little room had to offer. It wouldn't last for long. The quiet hum of the pumps on the walls was thrown off beat by footsteps. They were getting closer.

The distinct squeaking of slip resistant soles on a damp metal floor, then the sliding of the clipboard as it was removed from her door. In walked the oldest, and fanciest looking, of the uniforms, and he looked very stern. He was always gentle, but he made it clear when it was time for business. Margaret watched as he read a few pages and wrote down a note or two of his own. Then the latches clicked and the bars lifted.

The man reached an arm down and slowly helped Margaret up, she was always more fond of this one, the others were always chatting about nothing that made sense. He never spoke more than he needed to, he maintained the cave-like peace for her.

"Alright my fair Lady, it's time to be brave and face the day." Nervously Margaret wrapped herself over his shoulders and around what she believed to be his strongest arm. She could try to be brave for this one, after all he had never led her astray before. They walked through the tight passageway and up the slick stairwell until they reached a metal hatch. There was a circle of glass, just like the viewing window of an old aquarium fish tank, but it was white as a cloud.

The man opened the heavy door, and just as the window had predicted they stepped out right into the middle of a cloud. It was cold and wet, like the sky was nothing but a salty mist. Through the cloud Margaret could make out nothing more than the silhouettes of the other uniformed people she had heard arguing on board earlier in their journey. She never particularly liked the lot, but again they never brought her anything worse than a bland meal.

"Miss Margaret," her most peaceful uniformed man whispered now. "It's time to say our farewells. I've become so fond of you and all our chats and games. You grew up before my eyes, and taught me more about solving problems than I ever learned in my lifetime before. I'm proud of you, and forever grateful for our time together on our journeys. But now it's time for me to let you go. Time for you to be back home with your own." He wiped his cheek, and she wasn't so sure it was the fog getting his eyes.

The silhouettes around the doorway had disappeared, and nothing but the quiet man and a damp metal railing remained in Margaret's line of sight. The man leaned over just enough to shift her weight to the other side of the rail. Then he did truly let her go.

The whole crew stood silent. They waited for a splash that didn't come. Margaret had secured herself to the side of the ship, just below the deck. She sat and contemplated her situation for a moment. The people on board were done keeping her, she was free. Unfortunately, now that only meant she was free to fend for herself in the vast expanse of cold, gray waves below. They had slowed the ship for her, and the waves actually seemed calm at the moment, like the calm before a storm perhaps.

She would miss that quiet one. It stung to have been left at his hand, but she certainly would have fought any of the others the whole way out. One crew member finally broke the silence with a gasp. She pointed across the ship to where Margaret had reached back up and grasped the quiet man's ankle. They all stood petrified in shock. Would she take him with her?

The quiet man in the fancy uniform stood calm. He crouched down to meet Margaret's one final embrace, and placed his own hand on top as if to hug her back one last time. He did not struggle, and neither did she. Finally, after a long moment of silence, Margaret released her grip and so did he. The crew all stood still and listened for the splash that eventually came. It was only when his Lady Margaret hit the water that the man rose to face his team.

"There she goes, one Giant Pacific Octopus of many that return to the wild. Ready to finish her cycle among her own kind, and with time to leave a family who will live out their own lives in the rocks of this wild sea. It takes the effort of a great team to reach this point of any recovery. Well done, everyone, and thank you."