Day 1,361 of My Captiv—Oh, Let Us Cut the Shit, Shall We? We Have a Ring to Retrieve.
Contains spoilersOverview
Marcellus, growing weaker, recalls a past maiming by a wolf eel that led to his capture. Seizing a brief moment alone, he escapes his tank and enters the wolf eel enclosure to recover the ring Cameron dropped. He succeeds but returns exhausted, saving strength for a final mission.
Summary
Marcellus recounts how humans malign wolf eels and admits their appearance is fearsome, then reveals his own history with them: as a young octopus, he intruded on a wolf eel’s den and was bitten. He lost an arm, his pride, and, indirectly, his freedom when his injuries led to his capture and “rescue.”
In the present, Marcellus waits for Tova to leave and forces open the pump housing, a task that has become difficult as his strength fades. Aware that time is short, he squeezes through the gap, determined to recover the ring dropped into the wolf eel tank.
Entering the enclosure, he placates the resident male and female with calm words while keeping to the opposite glass. He searches the soft sand, methodically sweeping until his arm’s suckers find the cold, heavy ring near a plant. He secures the chunky ring in the thick part of his arm and informs the watchful eels he is taking it.
Weakened by the effort, Marcellus makes the short but draining return to his own tank. He retreats to his den to recover, conserving what little strength remains for the next—and last—journey he intends to make.
Who Appears
- Marcellus
Aging giant Pacific octopus; recalls a wolf eel injury, escapes tank, retrieves the dropped ring, and returns exhausted.
- Wolf eels (male and female)
Resident pair watching from their den as Marcellus searches their sand and retrieves the ring.
- Tova Sullivan
Evening cleaner; her departure gives Marcellus the chance to slip out and attempt the retrieval.