by Watts, Russ
“Luke!”
It was Ava. I clawed my way to a standing position next to the A-frame. Some of the metal holding it in place had buckled, bolts and screws becoming loose as the pressure on the boat twisted it beyond its natural means. Ava and Estelle were clinging to a safety rail. They were safe for now, but the boat was on such an angle that I was concerned we would tip over. Weir was still in the wheelhouse whilst Gills was next to him on his knees, trying to get back to his feet. The door swung wildly as Manny tried to hold onto it.
“Weir, what’s going on? Get us righted!” I shouted to him, and then suddenly the boat tipped back toward the horizon, correcting itself. We hit the water with such force that I was knocked off my feet again and a huge wave washed over the deck. I saw Jonah’s body slide past me but I was powerless to stop it. The blanket caught on something and revealed his decimated body which continued sliding down the deck. Jonah was out of my reach and the last I saw of him disappeared into the rough water.
“Hold on!”
Weir yelled out as the boat was tossed around on the rough water and I desperately fought to hold onto the netting. I dug my hands into it, knowing it was all that would keep me aboard the boat. Another wave crashed over us, swamping the deck and forcing me to hold my breath. The foamy white water receded from the deck removing any trace of the blood from Jonah, and I looked for what we had crashed into. I saw no rocks in the ocean, no other boats, nothing that we might have crashed into; a little way off in the distance I noticed the water churning and then a dark shape appeared above the surface. It rose up out of the water silently, a huge fin, swimming toward the boat. I instantly thought of Pippa and Chelsea trapped below deck. If the shark took a giant bite out of the hull they would inevitably be in the most danger. If the lower compartments flooded they would be drowned instantly.
“Weir, get us moving.” I had no option but to let go of the net. I extricated myself from it quickly so that I could make my way to him. The boat was rocking back and forth, but the engine was still turning over. We were moving slowly, too slowly to escape the shark. If we didn’t get moving, it would take us down like it had the dinghy. “The shark – over there!” I yelled.
With both hands on a safety rail I began to pull myself along the boat toward Weir. I reached a rusted bollard and managed to get a few feet closer to Ava and Estelle before the shark hit us. I don’t know if Weir heard me or saw it, but we turned too late. The shark rammed into the side of the boat and sent a shuddering jolt through the whole of the trawler. Its massive head struck us on the port, near the stern, and the boat was propelled forward through the crashing waves. I kept my hands on the rail as the Tukino was hurtled through the water and I prayed that the shark hadn’t just torn a hole in us. Ava and Estelle screamed, and I reached for them. They were beyond my reach. I stretched a hand out desperately for Ava but she was too far away. If I let go of the rail I knew I would lose my footing and end up in the ocean. We had no choice but to ride it out.
With the rain and rising wind whipping my face I turned to see the shark circling around for another go. Its huge body defied belief. It reminded me of a whale, sliding silently just beneath the surface, preparing for another strike. Even if our boat was still intact I didn’t think we would be able to cope with another blow. The giant monster was going to take us down. It glided like an eel, obviously completely at ease in the water. It had plenty of enemies, but none that could match it. It was the king of this world now. There was no doubt in my mind that the Megalodon was the new master of the seas.
“Luke?”
I felt cold fingers grope for mine and turned away from the terrifying beast to find Ava had crept forward to me. Her eyes searched mine for answers, but I had none to give. We were stranded, bereft of hope and destined for a horrible death. What could I say?
“Ava.” I had nothing else to offer. There was no point in lying, in telling her that it would be okay. It wouldn’t. We were going down, as simple as that. The shark was going to win. When I opened my mouth, the rain swept in and I felt the urge to scream. I could see the shark out of the corner of my eye. It was charging back toward us now, slicing a deadly path through the ocean to its target: us.
“Ava.” I smiled and looked into her beautiful eyes. She said nothing in return. I don’t know if it was tears or rain falling down her face. I wished we had met long ago, long before this horrible situation. I squeezed her hand and waited for the impact that would kill us all. The cold rain soaked through to my skin and goosebumps rippled my flesh. I had no doubt it would be the last thing I felt, and took solace from the fact that when I died the last thing I would see was Ava’s face.
CHAPTER 14
With a grinding, screeching noise, the Tukino came to a sudden halt. We lurched forward and I lost my grip on Ava. The railing slipped away from me and with it almost my sanity. A tremendous wave broke the bow of the ship cascading us all with bracing water.
“Land,” yelled Weir. “Land!”
I lay breathlessly on the deck, reassuringly solid, waiting for the shark to rise up and swallow us, but it never came. The rain pelted my face and my bare feet struggled for purchase on the deck, but eventually I pulled myself up. I scrambled forward and helped Ava up, with Estelle still clinging to her.
“We’re taking on water,” yelled Gills, running past me. “Get off the boat. Get everyone off.”
I could feel the boat tilting forward, wanting us to follow the deck to the bow. Through the rain I saw it. Land was hardly a fitting description for the slim slice of sand ahead of us. It looked more like a sandbank. There were no trees or plants, no other ships or buildings, and no shelter from the growing tempest that seemed determined to drown us.
“Luke, come on.” Ava tugged on my hand. “Follow Weir.”
My eyes drifted to the wheelhouse and I saw Weir running away, to the front of the ship. He tossed a rope ladder over the side and looked back. His eyes caught mine and for the first time I saw doubt in them; more than that, I saw fear. Something had finally gotten to him. Waving the gun above his head he beckoned us over.
“Go.” I let go of Ava reluctantly and took a step back. “Get yourself and Estelle to that sandbank.”
“No, come with us. Don’t leave me,” pleaded Ava. “We have to get off the ship.”
The Tukino began to list and I wondered how shallow the water was. It had saved us from the shark, but to what end? I had no time to think about it.
“Go. I have to make sure Pippa and Chelsea are okay.”
Turning my back on Ava, I charged up the sloping deck, the whine of the boat’s engine fading as it ceased struggling. I saw Gills yank open the cabin door and I raced to join him.
“Pippa? Chelsea!” As I reached Gills I had a terrible feeling I was too late. I could hear the water below and something splashing around in it.
“We’ll get them.” Gills held the door open for me, and together we ventured down the stairs to the bunks. It was dark down there and as we reached the galley I realized my feet were wet. The water had already come up to my ankles and was rising quickly. I could hear it gushing in, but in the gloom it was impossible to see where.
“The engine’s gone and the fish hold will be flooded by now,” said Gills, as he checked the galley. “Empty.”
“Pippa?” I yelled, frantically kicking my way through the water to the bunks. I left Gills behind me, charging forward to where I had last seen my family. “Chelsea?”
“Luke, in here.”
I heard Pippa’s voice and knew it was bad. It was hard to walk with the boat listing as it was, and I used the walls to pull myself forward. Wading through the now knee-deep water, I found Pippa and Chelsea. They were in the bunkroom where I’d left them, only Pippa was on her knees. It looked as if the room had been turned upside down. Books and bottles floated in the water, the small window had cracked and was leaking water into the room, and worst of all one of the bunks had been ripped from the wall. It lay asunder, stretched acro
ss the tiny room like a barricade.
“Luke, I can’t get her out. I can’t—”
It was then that I noticed Chelsea. Her head was poking above the water that was already up to her shoulders.
“What the hell happened?” asked Pippa, as I sank to my knees.
“We’ve beached,” grunted Gills behind me.
“Chelsea,” I said, “help me push this off you.” I wrapped my hands around the metal bunkbed and pulled. Nothing budged. Pippa was right next to me and pulling, but it was stuck fast.
“I can’t do it,” said Chelsea. “My leg is stuck underneath. I can’t get it out.”
The rising water was freezing cold and my hands were already beginning to turn numb. I could only imagine how Chelsea felt. Taking a huge gulp of air, I dunked my head under the water to look at Chelsea’s leg. I ducked under the bunk to see what the problem was. The metal had buckled and was twisted around her ankle. I tried to pull the bed away, and although it moved an inch I couldn’t get her leg free. I gave it one last tug and then, running out of air, I reluctantly resurfaced.
“Damn thing’s stuck fast.”
“Luke, I can’t… I can’t—”
The water reached Chelsea’s chin and she was panicking. Her wide brown eyes stared at me and I could see a lot of her mother in them. There was no way I was leaving her.
“Fucking thing!” Pippa began to cry as she pulled at the metal, heaving on it with all her might before she lost her grip and fell.
Gills got down on his knees next to me and looked me in the eye. “On three we all pull together. Ready?”
I nodded. “Chelsea, I think we can do it. When you feel it move, you kick your leg out. As hard as you can, okay?”
She was trembling and the water was threatening to submerge her completely, but I knew she would do it. Pippa wrapped her fingers around mine and together we gripped the bunkbed that had Chelsea trapped.
“I love you, Chelsea,” said Pippa through her tears. “Just a second longer, honey.”
“One… two… three!”
The crash was tremendous and for a moment I thought we had pulled the whole wall down. One moment it was there and the next the ocean was all around us. The metal flew from my hands and the room simply blew apart as the Megalodon ripped open the hull of the boat. The snout of the giant shark crashed through the hull and I felt myself being pulled from the boat as the water rapidly flowed in. I heard Pippa scream and then chaos exploded all around me.
The shark’s huge jaws crunched through the hull of the Tukino, its sharp teeth mangling the wreckage, twisting and tearing metal, turning it into jagged confetti. Bracing water rushed in and everything turned upside down. The shark pulled away as the walls caved in, but before the ocean claimed us I noticed a scar above the shark’s left eye. We were swept out of the boat along with the contents of the bunkroom, toward the shark. I felt Pippa grabbing for me, her hand clutching my leg. I saw the bunkbed twist free and Chelsea was freed, only to be pulled out into the ocean too.
A horrible wrenching noise surrounded me as more of our boat was ripped apart. As the saltwater stung my eyes I tried to reach for Pippa but she was pulled away from me. A thick clump of seaweed floated past and I recognized Gills’ green hat tangled up in it. I was upside down, bubbles drifting upward past me, as I was helplessly pulled by the current out into deeper water. My arms and hands groped for the others, but found nothing. It was cold and dark, and as I strained against the forces trying to drag me from safety, I caught a glimpse of the boat. Its front half had hit the sandbank and the whole thing was now taking on water. I saw the shark too, its elongated body gracefully gliding away from the boat only to circle back around. I suddenly realized I was running out of air. The swirling water had calmed a little, but I needed to get to the surface. I managed to force my body upright and looked for Pippa and Chelsea. They were nowhere near me. I couldn’t go without them, but I couldn’t look for them any longer. I needed to breathe.
As I kicked my legs furiously, I saw the shark again. It was swimming right for me, silently and swiftly moving through the icy cold water before it got too shallow for it. Its eyes rolled back as its jaws opened and then it abruptly turned. There was something else in the water, something that had drawn its attention away from me. When I saw the shape of someone in its sight I couldn’t stop myself from calling out to warn them. Pippa or Chelsea were right in its sights. But as the shark clamped its jaws around the person’s flailing arms I realized it was neither of them. It was Gills.
The shark could have devoured him whole but opted to turn him into an appetizer, severing his arm before taking a leg. The Megalodon’s huge serrated teeth scythed through Gills’ bones and snapped him almost in two, the way a lumberjack would split a log with a clean strike from his axe. I kicked my legs faster, desperate for air, desperate to get away from the monster, and desperate to live. I could only imagine the power held within the shark’s muscles and knew I only had seconds before it came for me too. I felt terrible for Gills, but there was nothing I could do. The sea-water in my throat made me want to vomit and the fear in my stomach turned my insides into knots. I had no idea where Pippa and Chelsea were. Had it already taken them?
Blood spurted ferociously from Gills’ limbs. He appeared to be trying to swim away even as his life oozed out of him, but the shark was done playing with its food. I saw the shark roll its head around and swallow him whole. Gills was dead. There was nothing left of him, just a dark patch of blood in the ocean that would soon dissipate into nothing. I clawed my way to the surface, barely able to contain my fear. How long would it be before I felt the shark snap its jaws around my legs or just bite me in half? How long would it take to die inside that foul monster? If it swallowed me whole would I die instantly, or suffocate inside its belly full of body parts and dead sea-creatures?
As my head broke free I spewed out the water burning my throat and sucked in fresh air. I coughed and coughed, feeling as though I was drowning, all too aware that the shark was somewhere behind me.
“This way!”
With the incessant rain blinding me I swam toward the voice. I swam away from the shark, putting my faith in the hope that Gills was enough to satiate the beast.
“Hurry, Luke. Hurry!”
It was Pippa’s voice. I couldn’t see her, but I could hear the urgency in her voice. Whilst I was pleased to know she was safe, the fact that she was telling me to hurry told me I wasn’t out of danger yet. Stupidly, I glanced behind me. The shark’s towering fin was right behind me and I could practically feel its teeth nipping at my heels. My arms felt like lead weights but I pushed on, not daring to look back, not daring to think or hope or pray. I focused on Pippa’s voice, swimming as hard as I could against the ocean that kept trying to suck me back.
Suddenly my fingers struck something solid and I felt a piece of metal beneath me. My knees hit it next and then my hands dug into sand. I felt hands pulling at me, grasping my body and hauling me out of the water. The sand beneath me sucked at my weary body and I collapsed onto my back once I was free of the ocean. The raindrops hit my face, but I didn’t care. The gray sky was beautiful. After the gloom of the ocean I was grateful I was still alive. I wiggled my toes, counting every one, scarcely able to believe I had made it.
“Chelsea,” I whispered. “Is she..?”
“I’m here. I’m fine.”
Faces crowded above me, looking down at me with concern. I saw Pippa and Chelsea, both crying. I saw Weir look at me with what appeared to be concern. I saw Manny, Estelle and then Ava. I rolled onto my side and heaved up, more water erupting from my throat. I spluttered once more, spitting the last of the ocean from my lungs.
“Don’t try to speak, Luke. Catch your breath.”
I felt Ava’s hand on my back, gently rubbing concentric circles that were both harsh and soft simultaneously. Gritty sand stained my face and biting salt-water snatched at my shivering flesh. I heard a crashing sound, as if something had hit th
e remains of our boat, but had no energy left to turn. Ava said something about resting, and I was sure I heard Manny murmuring over something. Ava’s hand on my back felt good. It felt real and warm, and nothing like the ocean. The ocean was a cold, dark bitter place where a man could get lost. The ocean was a place for monsters and dead men.
“No, leave him be, leave him—”
Ava’s words faded in the rain as Weir’s thick calloused hands grabbed my shoulders. He hauled me over and forced me to stand. My legs were like jelly and offered no resistance. His fair complexion was soured by fear, disguised as hatred and anger. His brutish manner had no effect on me, which probably only irritated him more.
“Where the hell is he?” asked Weir. “Where the hell is Gills?”
The Tukino was stuck fast, half submerged in the sea and half of it stuck on the sandbank. The gray sky whirled around us, the wind galloping like horses sending larger and larger waves into the boat’s hull. It wouldn’t be long before our temporary home would be destroyed completely. The sandbank we stood on seemed to be no more than fifty feet long. Where was Gills? He was where we would all be soon.
“Out there.” I raised an arm and pointed out at the vast, endless ocean. “It got him, Weir. I’m sorry. It ate him up.”
Weir grabbed me by the shoulders and drew me up to him. His blue eyes sparkled in the grayness and when he spoke, little spits of phlegm landed on my face.
“That’s your fault, grease-monkey. This is all your fault. I should’ve—”
A tremendous splash caught my attention and a shape seemed to fly from the ocean up into the air, not far from the final resting place of our boat. A dark shape like a zig-zag coursed through the air, a flash of white and red catching my eye.
“Oh my God,” exclaimed Pippa.
Manny yanked Weir off me. “Christ, Weir, look at it. It’s… it’s—”
The Megalodon jumped clean out of the water and when it returned to its natural home the resultant splash sent a wave over the Tukino that would have dragged us all into the ocean. The shark’s tail suddenly reappeared above the water and slapped down hard on the surface. It was as if the shark wanted us to know who was responsible for our situation, who really was the king of the seas. It might have been frustration at not being able to finish us off, but it felt more like a victory dance, a salute to our naivety and impending doom.