Flight of the Gazebo

Chapter 20 - The Harsh Sea

With a desperate screech, he surged as high as he could from the water, and got his fingers around the gunwale. He hauled with all his strength, every ounce of energy going into pulling himself up and away from an imminent gut spilling by the fish hurtling towards him. But his strength evaporated and his fingers slipped closer and closer to the gunwales edge.

The fin was getting close. Very close. His legs dangled like bait-worms, as though begging to be shredded and devoured by the creature racing straight at him.

Sobbing with horror, his tears blended with the spray, and it took long seconds to sink in that Nev was above him, pulling on his numb arms.

He cast a glance behind him. A gaping mouth filled with large, sharp teeth broke the surface and rushed in his direction. He screamed and scrabbled his feet against the boat's hull.

Nev saw the fish too and leaned further out to get a better grip on Drome's arms. As he tipped his head forward, the gold chain slid out through his eye socket and plopped into the water. Glinting and sparkling, the jewel encrusted chain sank, only to vanish as the mouth that had been about to take a chunk out of Drome suddenly angled down and swallowed it.

With a mighty heave, Nev dragged Drome aboard the boat. The lycra-clad ex-cyclist coughed and spluttered on his hands and knees, barely believing he was safe. Nev sprang back to the boat's side.

"Bring it back, you bastard!" he yelled.

Drome finished coughing and looked up. "Thanks. I didn't think I was going to make it."

Nev flicked a glance at him. "Where did that damn fish go? It's got my loot! We have to get it back."

Shaking with cold and shock, Drome couldn't get his thoughts in order. "What?"

"We have to find a way to attract it... lure it closer. Then I could hit it on the head with an oar and stun it."

Still half dazed, Drome moved over next to Nev and leaned out to look down into the water. All he could see was the reflection of his yellow helmet on the surface of the water. "It's probably miles away by now."

The surface erupted and a huge fanged mouth surged out of the sea and closed around Drome's helmet. He screamed and held on with all his strength as the fish jerked its head from side to side to dislodge him.

"You did it! Well done! Stay like that!" Nev sprang over and wrenched an oar from the rowlock. He swung it at the fish, missed, and hit Drome across the shoulders. Drome's arms crumpled, and he screamed as his torso slid over the edge in response to the wrenching on his bike helmet.

Nev swung the oar again, and this time smacked the fish on the top of its head.

A spasm shot along its length. Its jaws opened and released Drome. As he squirmed back to safety, the fish rolled belly up and sank. Nev gasped and tried to snag it with the oar, but failed and the creature drifted down out of sight.

Drome dragged himself back into a safer position right in the centre of the boat.

"It's gone!" shouted Nev. "Why didn't you grab it after I stunned it?"

"You're mad! You hit me with the oar! The last thing I could think of was grabbing your fucking fish!"

"Mind your language! It's become shocking since you started associating with those damned pirates. Oh! Now you've started me cursing too." He straightened up, glared at Drome, and then slumped onto one of the wooden boards that served as a seat. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. I've lost the gold. I won't be able to pay to get my body back. I'm going to be a skeleton forever. A freak."