Reality Shattered into A Million Pieces (Sci-Fi)

Chapter 3--"Check-Up Time!"

"Tick-tock. Tick-tock...Ding!"

Some large electronic speakers were hung above a tree everywhere near the waters, this is, however, the first they ever sounded. A glorious, soothing music was played across speakers throughout the lands.

Oh...oh, wow I- It's- it's beautiful...gorgeous! I should check out where it's played!

My tail wagged according to my sudden interest piqued by this unexpected event that happened to occur on this special day. Without a second thought, I dropped my snack, a batch of corals, and swam with speed. This time, it's for pure curiosity.

"Hey! Little one, wait up!" IOBIO seemed to have been calling for me to return, but, who would've been able to hear him when she's drowning in huge waves of excitement?

As I swam, the music was nearer, and nearer, and nearer It was directly at that lady's hand! 

I jumped out and waddled towards the lady.

Huh? Is that the same lady with a strange purple aesthetic seen some days ago? She changed into a light violet coat, with streaks of fur embroidered onto the collar and sleeves, making it seem more of a casual wear than her old outfit. Her gold glasses, which I first expected to be completely dull black, reflected the rays of the light, shining like amber ore. Well, it is certainly a change, most of us just wore what we could find on the ocean bed, really.

I stared at myself, only to be greeted with a sense of disappointment. My plain white t-shirt is a large contrast to what the woman was covered in.

The weird-looking, yet familiar lady held a yellow coloured bell, with some wooden handle shaped as a stick for her to grasp onto. This bell looked different, it wasn't the bell hung on a lighthouse, nor was it as big as a piece of coral I tried eating not long ago, it was made to be held in one's hand perfectly. And the woman with her unchanged dyed-dark purple hair stood there, her expression cold, matching the breeze as ever.

How strange, what is she doing here? Isn't this our territory and sea?

She stared off into the far distance, ignoring all the creatures that were causing a ruckus where she stood. A group of seahorse-like teens stretched their arms and chased each other, their hair dancing around as they circled about palm trees, their noses in the air as they all cackled. Her dull eyes hinted nothing of her current mood, that flick of purple under the pupils weren't visible from this distance.

She seemed to be waiting for something, and it surely can't be those creature's attention, that's for sure.

Not long after the climax of the background music from the speakers, she shook her bell, and out came an erupting, irritating noise. It echoed around the whole area, ringing, ringing and more ringing. Her hand continuously shook it, as if she wasn't even the slightest bothered that it was painfully loud. Its noise is similar to that of throwing bombs at your eardrums, and exploding them in your ears non-stop, until you hear nothing from the impact.

Eek. Wha- what is this?! Ugh...it sounds so loudly in my head. It's despairing, terribly dreadful... Stop it! Please, can she stop it already...

Through the small gap of ny eyelids that were almost shut, I caught a momentary glimpse of that woman. She was, no doubt, observing us creatures, her menacing glare shifting and scanning various corners of the surroundings. She spotted me, and quickly placed the bell on her hand back behind her back, manually stopping it.

...It finally ended...Thank the waters!

The sound gradually stopped ringing as it left my memory, bit by bit. My ears are working properly again! Phew...I let go of my ears, which were now red from how my palms were clenched air-tight onto them.