Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Searching 4 Al
Delilah screamed as Al tumbled into the waves. She was too shocked to react. But her partner wasn't. Julius dove into the ocean. His head disappeared as a giant wave swept over the submarine, knocking Delilah to her knees.
"Julius!" she cried.
Julius surfaced some distance away and blew out a mouthful of seawater. He had Al in one arm, swimming like a life-guard saving a drowning swimmer. Even though Julius would not admit it, Al could tell he was having difficulty swimming the the rough waters. Al closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. There was no way he would be responsible for Julius' death. Al pulled away from the boy he considered to be a son.
"You gotta let be go, man!" Al shouted above the roar of the wind. "You'll never make it with me holding you back!"
Julius did not stop swimming. "No way! I can't let you drown!"
"We'll both drown if you don't let me go!" Al countered.
"I don't care!"
Al knew exactly what to say. "What about Delilah, man?"
Julius slowed. Al was right; they couldn't both die and leave Delilah alone ...
"Julius, man, I'll be fine!"
Julius shook water - or were they tears? - from his eyes. "But ... No, you won't! There's nowhere to go, and you swim like a rock!"
The Big Man chuckled, then became serious. "Julius, I will not let you die, man!"
When Julius hesitated, Al took the liberty of hitting him none to gently on the back of his head. The blow stunned Julius, and pushed Al away from him. Julius opened his mouth to yell, but a wave swept over his head. The same wave washed Al out of sight.
Julius was underwater. The wave had filled his nose and mouth with the salty liquid and pushed him under. It was so peaceful in the underwater world, compared to the storm outside. Julius was sinking lower and lower. He hadn't the strength to move, nor the incentive. He had failed his boss. Al was gone, there was no bringing him back ... unless Scarlett had saved him. Yes, that was what had happened. But now Julius was drowning. He was never going to see Delilah again ...
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Suddenly, Julius was on top of something with someone hovering over him. Air shot down his throat. Someone pressed on his stomach. Once. Twice -
His eyes blinked rapidly as he turned on his side and was sick into the waves. He heard a gasp of relief, and then was pulled close to something warm. It was then Julius realized he was freezing.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" a familiar voice sobbed.
Delilah ...
She was trying hard not to cry as she held Julius close to her. "Oh, Jules, I thought I'd never see you again! I thought you'd left me! When I saw you go under ... I just froze up. It was Scarlett who pulled you out."
"Where's Al?" Julius rasped. His voice sounded far away, and his throat stung.
Delilah tensed up. She began sobbing softly. "You did the best you could, Julius ... You tried ..."
Julius went limp in Delilah's arms. No ... not Al ... not the man who had been like a father to him. He couldn't be ... he wasn't really ...
... Gone?
"Julius!" she cried.
Julius surfaced some distance away and blew out a mouthful of seawater. He had Al in one arm, swimming like a life-guard saving a drowning swimmer. Even though Julius would not admit it, Al could tell he was having difficulty swimming the the rough waters. Al closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. There was no way he would be responsible for Julius' death. Al pulled away from the boy he considered to be a son.
"You gotta let be go, man!" Al shouted above the roar of the wind. "You'll never make it with me holding you back!"
Julius did not stop swimming. "No way! I can't let you drown!"
"We'll both drown if you don't let me go!" Al countered.
"I don't care!"
Al knew exactly what to say. "What about Delilah, man?"
Julius slowed. Al was right; they couldn't both die and leave Delilah alone ...
"Julius, man, I'll be fine!"
Julius shook water - or were they tears? - from his eyes. "But ... No, you won't! There's nowhere to go, and you swim like a rock!"
The Big Man chuckled, then became serious. "Julius, I will not let you die, man!"
When Julius hesitated, Al took the liberty of hitting him none to gently on the back of his head. The blow stunned Julius, and pushed Al away from him. Julius opened his mouth to yell, but a wave swept over his head. The same wave washed Al out of sight.
Julius was underwater. The wave had filled his nose and mouth with the salty liquid and pushed him under. It was so peaceful in the underwater world, compared to the storm outside. Julius was sinking lower and lower. He hadn't the strength to move, nor the incentive. He had failed his boss. Al was gone, there was no bringing him back ... unless Scarlett had saved him. Yes, that was what had happened. But now Julius was drowning. He was never going to see Delilah again ...
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Suddenly, Julius was on top of something with someone hovering over him. Air shot down his throat. Someone pressed on his stomach. Once. Twice -
His eyes blinked rapidly as he turned on his side and was sick into the waves. He heard a gasp of relief, and then was pulled close to something warm. It was then Julius realized he was freezing.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" a familiar voice sobbed.
Delilah ...
She was trying hard not to cry as she held Julius close to her. "Oh, Jules, I thought I'd never see you again! I thought you'd left me! When I saw you go under ... I just froze up. It was Scarlett who pulled you out."
"Where's Al?" Julius rasped. His voice sounded far away, and his throat stung.
Delilah tensed up. She began sobbing softly. "You did the best you could, Julius ... You tried ..."
Julius went limp in Delilah's arms. No ... not Al ... not the man who had been like a father to him. He couldn't be ... he wasn't really ...
... Gone?
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