Megalodon Riptide

by Watts, Russ

  “Wow. Here I am trying to crack jokes and you just insult me.” I rolled my eyes mockingly. “And just when I was starting to like you too.”

  “Oh yeah? Got any more dad jokes, Uncle Luke?”

  “Prepare yourself.” I desperately thought and then it popped into my head. “Ready? Why did the crab cross the road?”

  Ava looked at me expectantly and pursed her lips. “To find the chicken? No… oh, I don’t know.”

  “To get to the other tide.”

  Ava began to laugh again and raised her hands to her face.

  “No more, please,” she muttered through her laughter.

  I reached out and grabbed one of her arms. I lowered it so I could see her face. “You know you do that every time you laugh, right?”

  Ava said nothing. Her eyes locked on mine and she twisted her arm free from me. Then, to my surprise, she leant toward me and gently kissed me. Her lips locked with mine for only a brief moment but her soft lips were even more amazing than I had thought. I wanted that first kiss to never end. I wanted to talk to her all day, but she pulled away.

  “Thanks, Luke. For trying to cheer me up. For listening. For—”

  “Luke?”

  Startled, I turned to see Pippa in the doorway to the galley. “When you can find the time, perhaps you can grace us with your presence? Chelsea isn’t feeling well and I’m guessing from the speed we’re going that we’re heading somewhere with an intent?”

  “Sorry, I was just coming to see you when—”

  “I can see.”

  Pippa turned and headed back to the bunkroom we shared. The look on her face told me that I was in serious trouble.

  Ava jumped up. “I should be out there helping.” She raced out of the galley and up the steps.

  “Ava?” I went to follow her and then stopped. I couldn’t go, not with Pippa like that. Looking up at the daylight behind Ava, I wanted to go too, but I knew I couldn’t. “Wait,” I said, “Pippa is just worried about—”

  “It’s fine, Luke. I have to work.”

  Ava hurried away and out of the cabin quickly, turning away so I couldn’t see her face. I had no idea if she was hurt or angry or just plain embarrassed. I went back to the galley, gathering my thoughts before I went to see my sister. She couldn’t have come in at a worse time. I faced the window and looked out at the ocean. Sometimes Pippa acted as if she was my mother. I knew I had a responsibility to her and Chelsea, but why should I feel as if I had done something wrong? What right did she have to make me feel guilty? And besides, what could I do? There was nothing to organize, nothing to do except wait. The ocean was a vast expanse ahead of us, the clouds looming over the horizon like empty threats. We had nothing to do but wait.

  CHAPTER 9

  “I don’t want to hear anymore,” hissed Pippa. “I thought this might be a fresh start for all of us, Luke. I don’t want to hear about pirates and sharks, and God knows what else is out here.”

  “Would you rather I lie to you? Isn’t it best that you know what we’re facing?”

  After Ava left me, I ventured into our bunkroom to face the music. I found Chelsea lying on her bunk, her face pale and drawn. Before I could even ask how she was doing Pippa dragged me back into the galley so we could talk without disturbing Chelsea.

  “And now we’re off to this Kath woman who we don’t even know, despite the warning from the other boat. Why, Luke?”

  “Look, Jonah knows her and wants to know if she’s okay. It’s his boat. I can’t tell him to turn around. Well, I could but he wouldn’t listen. I tried to warn him away but he wasn’t interested. Lance is also there, apparently.”

  “Lance?”

  “Ava’s brother. She wants to see him.”

  Pippa shook her head and gave me a glare that was usually reserved for times when I was in Trouble with a capital T. “So, that’s what this is about. Ava. I should’ve guessed.”

  “No, she’s got nothing to do with this.” If it wasn’t for the fact we were confined to a small boat with nowhere to go I would’ve left. At least back in the apartment when we argued we each had our own rooms to retreat to. Even other rooms that had no one occupying them could be used. Here, there was no escape. Pippa’s wrath would follow me around everywhere.

  Pippa pointed to the corridor we had just left. “Luke, your niece is across the hall in there sick, half-scared to death. In case you hadn’t noticed half the country is under water and we have no home. Do you really think I intend to live on this boat for the rest of my life? That I would bring Chelsea up on this trawler?”

  She spat out the last word as if it was a prison cell. Pippa sighed and slumped down on a seat. When she said Chelsea was scared to death she was only partially correct. Pippa was too, not that she would ever admit it. I could see that the situation was getting to her. It was stressful living like this and I had fooled myself into thinking we would be okay. We weren’t fishermen. We’d lived in a city all our lives. What did we know about living on a boat? I thought things would just work themselves out, but Pippa had other ideas. She was angry, yet hurt too. I opened my mouth to apologize, to try and explain, but she instantly shut me down dismissively.

  “I don’t want to hear it anymore, Luke. Why don’t you run along to Jonah and Ava? You fit right in. You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? Didn’t take long for you to move on. I guess I should’ve known you wanted out of the apartment. Well, you got your way. Well done. You can drop me and Chelsea off at the first port we come to.”

  I slammed my hand down on the table and the cutlery left aside clattered together. I tried to keep my voice down, but it was impossible to think clearly. “You have no right, Pippa. I’ve stuck by you since you got yourself knocked up with Chelsea. You don’t have bragging rights just because she’s your child. You think this is easy for me? You think I want things to be this way? All I’ve ever done is try and do what is best for you and her. I’m not looking for a thank you, but the least you can do is give me the fucking respect I deserve. I haven’t abandoned you. I’m right here. I’m trying to figure out what is best for all of us.”

  Pippa raised her face and smirked. “And kissing Ava helps us how?”

  “Oh my God, I can’t do this. Are you serious?” I reeled away from her sighing. The galley offered no way out. The room rocked from side to side and anything not locked down rattled and banged together. My head was buzzing with anger at my sister. I felt like I just couldn’t get through to her. “You’ve always been like mom,” I said, “but you’re not actually her, you know? Ava has nothing to do with you, or what’s going on here. You’re not losing me, Pippa, and neither is Chelsea. We’re a family. Bitch at me all you want, but that will never change. Jesus, I can’t believe you. Just because you fucked up your life you seem to think I can’t have one either.”

  Pippa got up and walked across the room to me slowly. Her brown eyes looked at me with sadness and then suddenly she slapped me across the face. The sting on my cheek was a justifiable rebuke. I knew I had said too much.

  “Chelsea is my life,” said Pippa quietly. “You didn’t have to stick around. You want to blame me for being trapped in New York, try again. You were so scared of living you took the easy option. Sure, Uncle Luke was nice to have around. But it was all a bit pathetic. You hung around like a bad smell until it was too late. You missed out on doing anything for yourself or making a life of your own. I have a daughter. What do you have?”

  As Pippa’s eyes welled up with tears I stumbled back. She had never spoken to me like this. We had spent so much time together, living in the same apartment, and she had never mentioned how she’d felt once. Did she really resent what I’d done, staying to help her? I wanted to shout and scream at her, to tell her she was wrong, that she was only saying this in the heat of the moment, but deep down I knew that she was right. Maybe I had been scared to go out there on my own.

  “So, that’s that.” Pippa sat back down and looked at me. “Anything to add, Uncle Luk
e?”

  I was burning with rage, yet I couldn’t walk away. We had said too much. It was just the situation we had found ourselves in, the small confines of the galley forcing us to confront everything that had been bottled up for so many years. I’d had enough of arguing. I’d had enough of everything.

  “You win,” I said calmly, rubbing my sore cheek. “You win.” I exhaled loudly. “Whatever you want, Pippa. You want off this boat, we’ll do it as soon as we reach land. You want me to stay or go, that’s up to you. You have to do what’s best for Chelsea. I can’t do this anymore. We’re like an old married couple. What are we doing, here? I love you, but I can’t do this anymore.”

  I broke eye contact from Pippa and walked to the door. I needed some fresh air. The swaying of the boat was making me feel sick. I had to be up on deck where I could see the sky. I couldn’t look at Pippa anymore.

  “I know you don’t like this, Pippa, but the truth is we have to deal with reality. You and Chelsea are on this trawler until we find something better. There’s a good chance we’re sailing right toward danger. Mckade is a pirate and if we find him we could be in trouble. I can’t stop Jonah and I’m not going to try. There could be other trouble too. I know you don’t want to hear about the sharks or the Megalodons, but you can’t bury your head in the sand.”

  “Megalodon. What a weird name,” said Chelsea from behind me.

  I jumped and Chelsea brushed past me to sit by her mother.

  “Where did that even come from?” Chelsea caught her mother’s withering gaze. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but hear you.” Chelsea yawned. “If you’re going to argue on this boat then you’ve got to expect someone’s going to overhear you. Privacy is about as easy to find on this boat as Wi-fi.”

  “How are you?” asked Pippa. Instantly she was back in maternal mode, fussing over Chelsea and feeling her forehead. I was pleased to see that she looked a little better. She was at least up on her feet again. I wasn’t used to seeing Chelsea knocked down like that.

  “I’m fine,” said Chelsea, trying to bat away Pippa’s advances. “I just had to lie down. My head was beginning to spin and trust me, fish does not taste any better on the way up than it does on the way down.”

  “Pizza tonight?” I joked.

  “I’ll pay if you fetch it,” replied Chelsea.

  “I think you should go lie back down,” said Pippa ignoring me. “Your skin feels kinda clammy, and you shouldn’t be up and about on an empty stomach. Let me fix you something and I’ll bring it in. I’m sure we can find something here to eat that isn’t fish.” Pippa reached for the tins stacked above her, held in place by a length of bungee cord.

  “Tuna. Figures.” Pippa put it back as Chelsea broke out laughing.

  “Forget it, mom, I’m not hungry anyway. And quit stalling. I asked you a question.”

  Pippa glared at me and I felt myself shrinking under her stare. It was hardly my fault that Chelsea had overheard us arguing. Well, it was at least a shared effort. Pippa couldn’t lay everything on me, as much as she wanted to.

  “And don’t blame Uncle Luke. If he hadn’t agreed to the deal with Jonah we’d be dead, at the bottom of the ocean like our apartment.”

  I stifled a grin and waited for Pippa to answer.

  “What do you want to know, Chelsea?” asked Pippa reluctantly. “I forgot. Does it really matter?”

  Chelsea rolled her eyes. “The Megalodons? What gives? I heard you talking about sharks. What are they?”

  I looked at Pippa who glanced back at me nervously.

  “A shark,” I explained. “The Megalodon is an ancient beast that eats other sharks. It’s—”

  “It’s a legend,” muttered Pippa. “People with over-active imaginations spreading rumors.”

  It was my turn to glare. Chelsea was mature enough to handle the truth. “Just because you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

  “Does it matter?” huffed Pippa. “We avoid sharks no matter how big they are, right? Megalodons or Great Whites or any kind of shark. It is what it is. If it’s even real, then there’s no point dwelling on it. It’s just another creature trying to live in this world like—”

  “Like us?” I scoffed. “I don’t think so. It’s nothing like any other creature on this planet. I saw it, Pippa. I swear, I saw it.”

  A barrage of noise hit us from above and then I heard the staircase creaking. Footsteps pounded the wooden steps quickly and I looked into the corridor.

  “Up top, come on,” said Manny breathlessly. “You’re not going to believe it.”

  Before I could question him, he turned and ran back upstairs. “Maybe you should wait here,” I said, looking at Chelsea.

  “Get real. I’m not staying cooped up in here while all the action takes place elsewhere.”

  Pippa shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t make much difference. But if you feel sick again you tell me, Chelsea.”

  I suspected Pippa wasn’t done with me, but I was pleased Manny had interrupted us. Arguing with my sister wasn’t how I wanted to spend the day and I’m sure Chelsea didn’t want to listen to us. As I carefully made my way up to the cabin I wondered what had got Manny so excited. Perhaps we had found land or reached Jonah’s friend Kath. If there was somewhere dry and safe to live, it might be good for Pippa. I think she needed to know there was more to life than this.

  The waves were still crashing into the hull when I made it out onto deck, and the sky was as murky as old dishwater. Jonah had throttled down the engine to a respectable speed and stayed in the wheelhouse while the rest of the crew were stood with Manny on the starboard side of the boat. Ava was sandwiched between Weir and Gills so I decided it was best to leave things alone for now. I approached Manny.

  “See it? Over there?” Manny extended an arm and pointed toward shore. There was land, although there was nothing to get excited about. A small rise out of the ocean that stretched for a few miles before sinking back beneath the water. The land looked barren, just patchy soil with a few thin trees. The buildings were sparse and empty. Even from this distance I could see there was nothing there, nobody to talk to, nothing that would draw the attention of the crew.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Manny sidestepped me and put a protective arm around Chelsea. “You feeling better?”

  Chelsea nodded. “Sure. But what’s got you worked up? I can’t see anything. Unless there’s an invisible movie theatre on that sorry excuse for land.”

  “I see it,” said Pippa. “I see them.”

  Manny handed me the binoculars. “Exactly. It’s not the land. Apparently, that’s the start of a cove. We can’t get much closer or we risk grounding ourselves. Jonah told me he saw a yacht get too close once and they hit some rocks. It’s pretty treacherous around here.”

  “So, if we’re not stopping, then why are we here?” I raised the binoculars to my eyes. “What do you see, Pippa?”

  I felt hands tenderly turn my head and I swiveled to where I was being directed.

  “Look in the water,” said a soft voice in my ear. “Forget the land. About twenty feet offshore.”

  I knew it was Ava. I said nothing but followed her directions. Soon I found what had everyone captivated.

  “What are they?” I asked.

  “Orcas,” replied Ava. “A large pod if I’m not mistaken. I counted at least seven different ones, but it’s hard to tell precisely how many there are. They’re close to shore and it looks like there’s a calf with them.”

  Gripping the binoculars, I found myself drawn in, amazed at what I was seeing. Several of the whale’s fins broke the surface and I could spot their black and white skin slipping through the water. They were swimming slowly, lazily, as if unsure of where to go.

  “Do they usually swim so close to shore?” I heard Chelsea ask.

  I handed the binoculars back to Manny.

  “Not too sure about that,” replied Ava. “We figure either they’re lost or they’re looking for shelter for
the little one. Jonah thinks the weather is going to get worse before it gets better. I just think it’s pretty cool to see them at all. I’ve never seen one before.”

  “Orcas are killers, aren’t they? Killer whales?” Pippa leant over the grab-rail and stared at them despondently. “Is it wise to be so close? Won’t they resent our presence? What if they attack us or—”

  “They won’t, not with the calf. As long as we keep our distance they’ll be fine and so will we.” I looked at Ava. Her eyes were sparkling with wonder, looking out at the pod of whales. I wondered if she felt as awkward about our kiss as I did, but now was not the time to bring it up.

  “Resident whale expert, are we?” Pippa looked over her shoulder at Ava. “What were you before joining the crew? Marine biologist?”

  I thought I detected sarcasm in Pippa’s tone but if Ava did then she hid it well.

  “Hardly. I wanted to be a song-writer. I’m not much of a singer but I liked writing music. Not much call for that these days.”

  Pippa looked back at the ocean. “So, you don’t actually know anything about these creatures? I think we should spend less time whale-watching and day-dreaming, and more time actually finding—”

  The pod of whales suddenly seemed to turn into a flurry of activity. The ocean around the orcas began to turn white as they thrashed and splashed around. I felt nervous energy punch me in the gut as I watched. It was surreal. They had been calmly swimming along the coast and then suddenly they were panicked.

  “What’s all the commotion?” asked Chelsea. “What’s..?”

  Right beside the pod a huge plume of water suddenly gushed into the air like a geyser. It was as if the ocean had exploded and I saw a shape in the water that made me cower in terror. The monster attacked silently. There was no roar, no cry or bellow of rage. The shark flew out of the water, its snout smacking one of the orcas clean out of the sea. The orca was large, almost as large as the Tukino, but the shark was bigger. Much bigger.

  “Oh no!” yelled Ava, grabbing my forearm.