Genesis

Chapter 5: Beneath the Waves

"Erik!" Sarah called for the third time. She watched his deep green eye catch her own and the front spike of his short, dark brown hair turn to her as he heard his name called. Erik, again, turned away from her, ignoring her as he had the previously three times.

It had been nearly a week since Korbin vanished. They had only been friends for a few months, but the trio, she, Korbin and Erik had gotten very close in that time. Never before had Erik been able to place his trust in another person. His character alone had shifted from the bully he once was to someone who would stand up against things like that. Korbin had changed him for the better, but the rage he had was beginning to return.

Erik was letting his grief get the best of him and he had no way to get it out. The football season had just ended; they had played their final game just before Korbin disappeared. The three of them had been lying outside of the coaches house during a party he had been throwing for the football team, to which he invited the cheerleading squad.

Korbin spoke of purpose, and Sarah wondered if he was asking because he was about to go do something stupid. She had not caught it at the time, and she was bitter for it. Had she unknowingly encouraged Korbin to try and be a hero? What would he have tried to do? Was it connected to his disappearance?

His mother, Aliyah, was distraught. They had all been over to Korbin's house multiple times since becoming friends. Aliyah kept asking Sarah if she saw anything. She would have asked Erik too, but he never answered the phone after he found out Korbin was missing.

They had been fine for a day or two, believing Korbin was just sick. But Sarah knew of no time Korbin had ever been sick. He never missed a day of school in his life.

Eastwood was not a coastal city, but it was near it. The oceans had become treacherous the past few days. Had Korbin somehow gone to the ocean and become the first victim of whatever prowled them?

Sarah had so many questions, but so few answers.

The news had been reporting on the appearance of unusual creatures as well as devastating attacks on waterborne vessels within the Pacific Ocean. No one had yet to speculate that the two had any connection to each other, but Sarah had been paying close attention.

The news anchors reported on not only American ships being sunk, but ships from Russia, China, and many other places across the globe in every navy. However, it was not just military vessels that were being hit. Coastal ships were being attacked too. Fishing boats had turned up missing, as has a cruise ship.

Expeditions had been sent out to find them, some returned, others had not. The ones that came back reported massive tears in the ship's hulls. On the smaller boats they reported complete carnage, and no human forms were found in any of them.

Not much has been discovered about the creatures Sarah chose to attribute to the attacks. Only one image had risen out of the chaos, and it was rumored to have been tampered with. The image showed an eel-like creature, blurred by both the water and its speed, zipping by beneath a fishing ship. The man who claimed to have taken it said that the dorsal fin barely brushed up against the base of the hull and tore a hole in it. Luckily he claimed to have been close enough to the shore to get to it before his ship took on too much water. His words were, "the picture was my main priority. I had heard that a new species of fish had been showin' up, and when I seen it, I knew I had to get it back. Do I get my name put to it?"

His name was Harold EggenBurger. No one would name a fish Harry Egg In Burger. It would be the laughing stock of the aquatic kingdom. He just happened to have an unfortunate name.

No other images had yet to surface.

Sarah walked to her locker, picked up her books and then headed to class: History. It was in that class, months ago, where Sarah practically forced Korbin and Erik to get along. She remembered it well.