squiddy's story part 18 A Great Scramble chapter 4 before visiting old places

I scooped Max onto my crown, anchoring his plastic base securely between my mantle seams as you surged forward on trailing pumpkin vines! Thick ribbons of kelp flapped across your carved face, giving you the wild, shadowy silhouette of a creeping coastal beast. Behind us, startled shouts echoed over the dunes, prompting us to make our desperate dash toward the surf. Using four tentacles to stabilize Max and the rest to scramble over damp sand, I guided our frantic parade behind a tall, seaweed-strewn boulder. We tumbled into a hidden tidal pool, breathless and drenched, while the distant footsteps faltered and turned away.