//------------------------------//
// crystaline skull 
// Story: A Dreamless World 
// by SilverHoof1 
//------------------------------//

"I was never good at murder mystery, so of course that's what we have to do to fix this problem," Bio grumbled a few minutes later, the three of them having left the shop to try and fix this mess. Bio wasn't sure what to think of the shop keeper's tale, in honesty she had a hard time believing how a single murder could cause so much. By a biological standpoint, his blood would have drained into the ocean - assuming death was from a stab or cut - then circulated out. She could understand the psychological effects on the people, but the sea? It wasn't a living thing, it couldn't have problems like this. For some reason, the concept that the sea couldn't be personified struck her as ironic but she couldn't quite place it.
"Well, where should we start? Asking the townsfolk is out of the question and it's not like a body stick around for hundreds of years and on top of that the shopkeeper made it sound like the ocean should be our last resort,"
"Oh I'm behind avoiding the sea, it feels like it's watching us and I don't like it," Selena commented, turning away from the black waves that tore at the sand of the beach. Bio had to agree, the sea seemed like a bad starting point. You just don't start with your last resort, it's too twisted.  It's supposed to be the last resort for a reason. "Well, if there is some sort of magic pollution it would make sense if there was a sign where it started, so even if the body isn't still there may be some residual energy," Bio theorized, gesturing with her hand towards the water's edge. 
"Yeah I guess so, but you better be careful not to draw attention from the townsfolk, there are a couple around the water's edge,"
Selena and Bio nodded, then the three started forwards at a relatively quick pace. As the group approached the water phantasmal images began to creep along the edges of their vision, putting them on edge. Bio saw out of the corner of her eye the horror that had killed her, but when she whipped her head around to see all that was left was the upside toothy grin, blood dripping onto the sand. Pomella's vision was obscured as she seemed to see only mushrooms as if they were trying to push themselves through her eyes while the roots found a hold in her nose. She gasped for breath, only to find the alien sensation had vanished. 
The two glanced at Selena who seemed to be experiencing similar discomfort, arms wrapped tightly around her stomach with downcast eyes. The sooner they got away from this sea the better, and they weren't even going into it. A few minutes later, Pomella whistled softly to get their attention, and the two looked up to see a blackened patch of sand. It came more into focus as they got closer, a closer inspection revealing the sand had somehow hardened into a blackened glass. Selena reached down to brush her fingers along the side only to draw them back in a sudden motion, covering her mouth to smother the yelp of pain. 
The interior of the glass was so fractured that the cracks seemed to be apart of the glass, and it seemed as if there was not a single spot where you could avoid a cut. The glass had an indentation in it, and as Bio leaned in closer it almost looked like... 
"There was a body here, I think we've reached our destination," she murmured softly, racking her brain to figure out how this was possible. Selena clutched her finger which turned out to be bleeding slightly, but despite her efforts, a single drop of blood fell from the tip of her finger onto the black glass. To their surprise though, the moment the red droplet touched its surface it rippled and opened, resembling a skeletal maw. The mouth opened wide as the blood fell into the hole it had created, before slamming shut and seeming to swallow fervently. "more.... more blood.... give me more..." the mouth moned, and the glass rippled as the hollow seemed to fill. 
The glass pooled together, its rough surface audibly scratching and groaning as it pressed together to take shape. The body indentation in the glass was quickly filled, and slowly with the sound of glass shattering a figure sat up. It was skeletal, empty sockets staring at the blood on Selena's finger with intense hunger, as if it had been starved for weeks on end. It reached one arm toward her slowly, and Bio quickly stepped in front, hand mutating without thought to form a scaled hand just tough enough to not be scratched. But much to her surprise, the glass skeleton did not try to grab Selena.
The skeleton cupped its hands together, wrenching its sockets on her face instead. "May I please have more blood... I'm starved..."
"You can have some of mine," Bio cut in without really thinking, having been caught by surprise. If anything she had expected it to be some crude undead, what kind of skeleton ever asked for food? The skeleton considered for a moment, then as Bio's hand went back to normal it took its pointer finger and carefully scraped it along her palm. Bio did her best not to flinch, instead clenching her fingers down to draw out more blood which fell into its hands with a soft 'plop... plop... plop' sound. One it had enough to have trouble holding in one hand it shoved the blood into its mouth, the red liquid falling through its chest cavity and vanishing into thin air. 
The three took a step back as the skeleton began to glow, its socket's illuminating with a red light and the glass that made up its body reflecting shimmering red light through its channels, looking incredibly similar to veins. "Thank you... my name is Samuel, and I believe I'm what you're looking for," he stated calmly, red eyes turning to each of us. 
"Wait, are you the boy who was murdered?" Selena asked, surprise evident on her face. The skeleton nodded, seeming solemn despite the lack of facial features. 
"Indeed, my foolishness plagued this sea and with it corrupted the very town I had loved so much... as a spirit unable to leave this glass, I watched the events that followed my death transpires, and it has left me quite..." he glanced down to his chest, seeming sad. "Hollow..."
Pomella visibly held back a laugh at the unintentional joke, trying to be serious. "So wait, what killed you, Samuel?" Selena questioned softly, genuine curiosity crossing her face. 
" The sea had told me a tale of the great treasure that lay at its depths, and the miracles that befell those who reached those treasures... I had been young and naive and thought for hearing such a tale I deserved that treasure," the teeth grated together as the skull smiled sadly. "The sea bed was not deep at the time you see, and I had been a good swimmer and reached the treasure... but after that point things are hazy, and I can't remember how I exactly died but I know it was due to my own foolishness,"
"Of course, because it wouldn't be a murder mystery if you get the whole story from one person," Bio groaned, tilting her head back to look into the dark sky. Even worse, it sounded like to continue and figure what happened they would have to go into the sea. The last resort was becoming a reality, and considering the illusions that had haunted them on the walk here, she could only imagine what was possible in the actual water. For that matter, what monstrosities did the water hold?
"So... does this mean we have to go into the water?" Pomella asked softly, glaring daggers at the dark water. "I can't say the idea is exactly pleasant, but if its what must be done..." 
"Sadly I believe so, I can give us gills but it wi - "
"Gills won't work, the ocean is too... choked," Samuel cut her off softly, skull tilted slightly. 
"What do you mean choked? It's water if anything is supposed to be choked its whatever goes into the sea," Pomella complained, stomping over to the water and let it lap at her shoes. She shivered visibly as the water touched her shoes and she shuffled back, seeming surprised. "It's so cold... cold as the grave,"
"The grave isn't that cold actually, there isn't any temperature on the other side really," Bio commented, despite her comment remembering something about blue flames. Pomella, the carefree nature she held this morning drowned in exhaustion and horror, simply glowered at Biovera. "Hush you," she snapped, then plunged into a hand into the sea with light filling the palm of her hand. The second her hand was submerged in the water though, the light snuffed out in the dark waters as she jumped back with a shriek. The sudden motion pulled something back with her hand, and something black followed with a splash. 
The black sea seemed to cackle as the object hit the ground with a wet 'fwump', the head of a fish staring blankly up into the sky as Pomella violently shook her hand, dislodging two giant leeches that had latched themselves to the flesh of her hand. Then the fish head twitched, eyes beginning to rapidly circle in their sockets as its mouth gaped open. The head was alive - or more accurately, it was reanimated. 
"That's what the ocean is choked with..." Selena whispered under her breath, eyes wide in horror. "It's choked with death,"
Samuel nodded solemnly, then gestured toward one of the nearby larger houses, the only discerning feature being the streaks of red paint - or at least, what she hoped was red paint - that adorned the door and walls. "There is a spirit that lives there... I have never spoken to him, being tied to this glass tomb, but the townsfolk have referred to him as 'the man in the wall', there is even a sub cult for this guy... he may know a way for you all to go safely into the water but it's not guaranteed..."
"Any lead is useful right now, thank you, Samuel," Selena responded softly, giving the skeleton a slightly strained smile. 
"Getting in there shouldn't be too hard, I can just -" Bio was cut off as he shook his skull. "He won't speak to your kind, he only deals with normal people..." Samuel interrupted softly, almost as if he was apologizing. "The only one of you three that would have a chance of talking to him is her..." with that statement he gestured to Selena with a single boney finger. The color drained from her face as the implications settled in, fervently shaking her head. 
"I-I can't! If I do it I'll mess up, and and - " she babbled, waving her arms in front of her as if warding off evil. Bio rested her hand on Selena's shoulder, pushing down just a bit to get her attention. "You'll do fine, just be careful in there..." Bio murmured softly, nodding ever so slightly. Selena nodded back hesitantly, then after a second to cool her nerves she headed up to the house, fear making her heart want to beat itself out of her chest. If she messed this up, this town would forever be a horror show.