42 - 13 - Esophagus Swim

<Rachel, it's okay!> Cassie's voice in my head. <You're falling down Marco's esophagus ->

<Oh, gross!>

<You should hit in a few seconds,> Cassie continued. <Don't panic, we're coming after you.>

(...)

Oh, man. What else would be in your stomach? Half-digested food mixed with some sort of stomach juice. I didn't even like thinking about the stuff much less -

KER-PLASH!

I went under!

Submerged into a pitch-black sea.

My elephant body started to sink. And then I realized the fluid surrounding me was strangely hot. My leathery skin began to itch. To burn!

Air!

I flailed my big back legs. Rose higher.

I hit something soft with my head. Something that gave under the impact and sprang back.

The side of Marco's stomach? Or the top?

My lungs were burning!

Was there air inside a stomach? Good question. And not one I had an answer to. I had to find the opening I'd fallen through! Somehow get back up . . .

Morph! I told myself.

No time!

I needed air now!

I tried to see above me. Too dark!

Air . . .

I needed air . . .

And then, through the panic, like a vision, came an image from the Discovery Channel. An elephant . . . swimming.

I let the elephant brain bubble up. My massive legs kicked. Slowly, I started to rise, I reached my trunk high, up toward where I thought the air should be.

Yes!

I broke the surface. Sucked air in through my trunk, filling my lungs. Ahhh . . .

Rotten, stinking air. Glorious.

Whoever says TV isn't worthwhile isn't watching the right shows.

I looked around, dazed and disoriented. My weak elephant eyes more useless than before. But the sounds! Overwhelming sounds. Sloshing. Bubbling. Far away, that low thump thump. Also - voices!