Part IV

The following day– right as the sun surmounted the steepest summit in the sky, without so much as a single stray cloud in sight– Fish finally enacted his long-overdue plan; while Cat patrolled and prowled the waters in her usual fashion, Fish conspicuously concealed himself amongst a scarce patch of coral, one that lay directly in the middle of the route that Cat typically tread. Even though the mere thought of seeing Cat sent a shiver up his spine, he nevertheless stayed steadfast and anxiously awaited her arrival. 

“My, my, my,” Cat purred, tracing her tongue over her pointed fangs. “Have you been hiding from me all this time, my dear Fish?” She chuckled, a low rumble emanating from the depths of her chest. "No matter. I am not offended. They do say the best things come to those who wait."

For hours upon hours, the two zigzagged across the ocean in a fast, fierce pursuit. It was the swiftest that Fish had ever swam, his vision blinded and blurred from the near-constant stream of bubbles that the pair kicked up in their wake. His fins flitted and fluttered from side-to-side as he evaded the calculated maneuvers of Cat, who simply tittered with amusement each time Fish managed to somehow successfully slip from her grasp. Still, despite the trickling creep of exhaustion threatening to sink him, Fish nonetheless pressed on. Once his cove came into view, he ducked inside, burrowing himself at the furthermost corner.