(Title) ClydeTheInteleon: Chapter 1
(Author) RachelTheFictionkin
(Date) Tuesday, January 12th, 2021
(Content Warning) Blood, Gore, Bullying, Near-Drowning Situation, Hydrophobia/Aquaphobia

I found myself at the pool area in my old high school. I did not know how I got there. I finished high school years ago and was at present in my late twenties. Was I in some sort of a dream that I was unsure about? It is possible I entered a weird limbo reality. Uncertainty and the like would easily spook anyone but was completely voided from my mind. The pool glistened with the reflection of the lighting fixtures. The chlorination of the water whiffed towards my nose leaving a weirdly pungent scent. It was such a familiar smell. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed being around large bodies of water, even though I was petrified of the concept of swimming. I never learned how to do it and had incidents where I almost drowned during my childhood. Nevertheless, I marveled at the body of water before me, mesmerized at it. As if time itself stopped and I forgotten to figure out why I was here in the first place.

Soon a series of laughter echoed in my vicinity. It caught me off guard a bit as I quickly looked behind me expecting faces of the sound to appear. A handful of people of mixed races, different sexes and ages began to flood in, all going pass me as if I was merely a ghost. Three girls that looked to be at least eighteen years of age or older stopped in front of me. The middle individual's default smile quickly transformed into a scowl as she examined my figure. I knew I was obese. It did not help that the clothes granted to me in this situation were ones I got from a thrift store. They tightly concealed my curvatures but I wasn't ashamed of my physical appearance. Although, I could tell that the girls did not like it one bit.

Girl: "Why aren't you in the pool? Can't you swim?"

The one girl asked extending her arm towards the pool behind me where some people are already immersed in."

Rachel: "Uhh..."

I was unsure as to what to say. I could've told them that I did not know why or how I got here. But the likeliness of them having any sort of believability to my situation was limited.

Girl: "You can't swim? It's not that hard. Just get in the water."

Rachel: "But..."

Before long the three girls promptly began to chant, "Can't swim! Can't swim! Can't swim!" Followed by a group of people on the bleachers beside chuckling and chanting along in rhythm. "Can't swim!" Can't swim!" "Can't swim!"

The three began pushing me around as I wiggled trying to get free.

Rachel: "Stop!"

I yelled but their chants just got louder, piercing my eardrums as I began losing my balance. My bare feet slipped and sloshed on the moistened slate floor beneath me and soon I was pushed overboard into the pool. My back broke the tension on the surface as I sank like a rock. I fluttered my hands and kicked my legs eagerly trying to maintain surface level but it was if something was hauling me further and farther below with every attempt. I kept my eyes closed tight and my cheeks like balloons preventing water from entering my lungs as best as I could. I was terrified. I didn't want to die. Water rapidly entered my ears clouding out the sounds of laughter that was emitting on the surface.

With my eyes closed, I began to picture the crowd of people laughing at me, not trying to help at all. I repeated to myself that this was all just a dream and I would snap out of it any minute. I was starting to feel faint from the little oxygen that was left stored in my encapsulating cheeks. I would have to open my mouth soon. And soon water will permeate my lungs drowning me. What was about to happen upon the surface level would be the deciding fate of my soon to be demise.

Something tall, slender, cloaked in shadows appeared among the crowd. No one gave notice as the figure advanced its way over to the three girls by the rim of the pool. It yanked one of them by the hair and dragged her down to the ground. It quickly reached its other arm over her head and gouged out her eyes with its black fingertips. She screamed at the top of her lungs as everyone else took notice and scattered in fear, getting out of the pool and running out the room. The detached eyeballs bounced on the solid floor as they rolled into the pool leaving a trail of brightly colored vital fluid.

Girl: "AHHH!!!!" *Sobs*

The girl whos eyes were scooped out stumbled to get her footing as she covered her sockets. Unable to see as red seeped out of the crevises of her fingers. She bumped into the perpetrator only to then rush past it screaming, "HELP!".

Everyone was gone, and the lively atmosphere grew still. The creature leapt nimbly into the school's pool darting deep down towards my body. I could sense the animal approach me. It extended its arms around my physique as I reached out to secure a hold upon its body. I felt myself being lifted up to the pool's surface. Waterlogged and drenched I was gently placed upon the cold slate flooring as I coughed taking in large amounts of necessary oxygen to maintain consciousness.

After disposing the water from my face, I opened my eager eyes to discover what rescued me. Frontwards was a blue reptile roughly over six feet in height. It strikingly resembled that of a veiled chameleon or possibly a basilisk lizard. It stood on two, three-toed, agile feet. The reptilian had a thin, yellow crest that waved on the top of its head draping over its back as some sort of cape. The creature possessed a long and sylphlike blue tail that complemented the rest of its anatomy. It had black, human-like hands, and a white diamond-shaped motif could be seen on the being's torso.

Rachel: "Clyde?"

He benignly smiled offering a reassuring hand to help me up. Clyde is a pocket monster, pokémon for short. An inteleon. To put it bluntly, he's a murderous reptilian with a Scottish accent. Clyde was also one of my soulbonds. Like an imaginary friend. I had an interpersonal relationship with him that took place in my mindscape rather than external physical reality because of his origin.

Clyde: "Hello Rachel, are you ok?"

Rachel: "Clyde... I must be in a dream then." I whispered to myself.

Clyde: "Huh?"

Rachel: "I mean... I'm alright. Thank you for saving me."

Clyde: "You seem bewildered. First time bein' face to face with me huh?"

Like the rest of my soulbonds, I have never actually met Clyde on the same level of tangibility before. I don't ever recall having a dream with him in it either.

Rachel: "This is a dream right?"

Clyde: "I can't tell if this is a dream or not. One minute I was at home and then the next I found myself in this sort of parallel reality. I sensed your distress signal and came to help. Right after I took care of a... craving."

Clyde pointed to the blood trail by us leading to the pool.

Rachel: "You killed someone?" I asked not surprised.

Clyde looked at his hand as he flexed his fingers and smiled.

Clyde: "Well, let's say they got away without their vision. You could say I craved to get a quick kill in just like your beloved Zack."

Rachel: "...Zack!"

Like a lightbulb going off, the familiar name Zack triggered fond memories locked within my mind. Zack was another soulbond. A serial killer and my significant other. I'd always have dreams where he was present. Zack would typically be causing a violent disruption, damaging property and killing people. A total savage animal that I'd look up to for his naughty behavior, being envious and wanting to be just like him without a worry in the world. Therefore naturally, I would be ecstatic and wondering where Zack might be if he was in the same dilemma as us.

Rachel: "Zack! Is he here?!"

Clyde was taken back a bit with my sudden urgency to locate Zack.

Clyde: "I haven't seen Zack around. But if you want, I can help you look for him. We may even be able to find a way out of this world."

Rachel: "Yes please, thanks."

Clyde: "But you might want to go change your clothes. You're sopping wet. I saw locker rooms behind me. There might be some dry clothes there for you to change into... Don't worry, I won't look."

Clyde extended his nictitating membranes over his eyes as he locked onto mine. He retained the most intense expression after completing his previous sentence. His final words and towering physique sent a chill up my spine. I could only ponder what was going on in his mind right now.

Rachel: "W-well..."

Clyde: "Huh? Just go change. Don't worry about me."

I quickly rushed behind Clyde to find the changing room he mentioned, entering the guy's locker room since clothes for men fit me better than women's. Flicking on the lights, I found a pair of black shorts and a black tee shirt on a nearby wooden bench. Perfectly folded up as if they were placed there just for me. Switching attire I could tell that the new clothes fitted perfectly on my body. I disposed my drenched ones in a red trash bin by the door. I walked out noticing Clyde leaning against a wall by the entrance forming water bubbles with his index fingers. He took notice of my newly dry appearance and smiled.

Clyde: "Ready?" He asked placing a hand on my shoulder.

Rachel: "Yes."

We made our way out through the double doors wondering what awaited us beyond.