Throwing down a heavy pile of nets and other fishing equipment into a messy pile on the dock, I paused and looked out to the sea. The sun was just rising and poured a beautiful yellow glow onto the glittering blue ocean. The warm glow of the sun was met with a gentle cooling breeze. Leaning on the side of the dock I took a deep breath of the crisp morning air mixed with the salty sea air. For a little while you could just feel a little slice of paradise. Not that you could call Amity Island 'Paradise' anytime recently.
The Island was, in no subtle terms, dying. People always used to speak of the rough years after those infamous Shark attacks back in the 70's like they we're some distant forgotten time. For a couple of years you might have believed it. The tourists came flooding back, people spent money, rich folk spent millions building big, ugly, second homes with sea views. People forgot about fishing and spent their money building overpriced coffee shops and exclusive night clubs.
Of course once all the money had been pissed away and no one could afford to live here anymore the whole stupid dream came crashing down. Now it was an island full of boarded up homes, empty beaches and lost hopes. The mayor rattled on and on about some pipe dream about discovering oil off the coast, but he was full of it. Camera crews that used to come here to point at places where people were tragically killed by some giant fish now game to gawk at decent people being thrown from their homes because there was no money to pay the rent. Amity Island, always just a freak show to the outside world.
'Hey, Phill! Are we going fishing or are you gonna' paint a pretty picture of the view?' A voice shouted, snapping me back from the day dream.
'Sorry Todd, I was miles away...' I scooped up the fishing gear and tossed it down onto thesmall fishing boat tied to the dock beside me. Todd grinned and picked up the pile of netting to detangle.
'I was worried you were about to fall asleep on me there skip! Not used to going out this early!' Todd knew I hated being called 'Skipper' so naturally he just shortened it to the even more annoying 'Skip'. 'Then I thought you'd spotted the Ghost of old Quinn on the horizon'.
I snorted, hopping down to join him. 'Don't tell me you still believe in all that crap. Just a handy way of keeping kids out of the sea till its safe. Or are you worried that ghost of some crazy old seadog will come to carry us off to hell for being at sea before breakfast?' Todd laughed and shook his head.
'Come on Skip, you know I never belived in those stupid old stories even when we WERE kids!'.
I laughed loudy. 'Todd, I remember the day I told you that they killed the wrong shark back in 74'. That the real shark was an even bigger one that was just waiting for us to go play in the sea and get chomped up. You wouldn't go near the sea for weeks!' He launched a pile of fishing net at me which I dodged and started up the engine.
'You always we're full of shit back when we we're little!' Todd shouted over the roar of the engine starting. 'Still, if there really WAS a bigger shark to blame it might explain where all the fish went! Otherwise we wouldn't be out here at stupid o'clock...'
'Fish are just clever' I retorted. 'They know there's nothing worth coming to this Island for!' I undid the rope fixing us to the dock and we set off towards the rising sun.
The boat chugged along at a pleasant pace. Bobbing gently on the waves I steered us towards the deeper waters. Todd was right about the fish being in short supply these days. You could blame overfishing but we were two of barely a handful of people left on Amity who bothered to fish anymore. Some people said the Mayors half assed oil drilling scheme was driving them away. Personally I didn't much care WHAT was driving them away, just that they WERE being driven away. Times were hard enough without our pockets being empty too.
Todd finished unravelling the net and began to tie it down to the back of the boat. The largest one we owned. If anything could bring us a result it was that. As he got busy I looked back towards the Island. Some young guy was out for an early morning swim just off the beach. The postcard like view looked good this far out where you couldn't see the boarded up buildings. I turned to give Todd a hand and the two of us fixed the netting into place. Now all we had to do was drive around and hopefully catch a little something.
Todd sat back on the side of the boat with a book whilst I went back to the engine controls. I glanced back at the Island one more time. Same picture perfect view...only...Wait...
'Todd!' I shouted, obvious worry in my voice.
'What is it Skip? You get the net tied in the propeller again?' He shouted back, not even looking up from his book.
'No you idiot, look out there!' I said pointing.
He looked up and shrugged. 'Just the beach Skip, or are you having another long dramatic staring contest with the horizon again?'
'No, there was a guy swimming out there! Not two seconds ago'. Todd stood up and scanned the sea.
'You sure? Did he get back to shore?'
'No chance, he was a long way out...' I could feel Todds sceptical look. 'I'm not stupid Todd! I know what I saw...I'm gonna head over that way, he might be in trouble or something...'
'Woh woh woh...your gonna drag us off course for some guy you only think you saw? It was probably just some floating rubbish or something! We're supposed to be getting a leg over those other bastards going after the last of the fish and your panicked some swimmer really did get got by Quinns ghost?!'
I glared back at him. 'Listen you miserable bastard. I know what I saw! We can take a few minuets off this little expedition to see if someone might be in serious trouble!' Todd sat down in an obvious sulk. Fucker, Todd was a great guy but damn if he didn't need to show a little more worry at times.
I turned the boat to the port side and set off. Scanning the area I'd last seen the swimmer. He might have just gotten tired and sunk...or maybe he'd caught himself on something...Suddenly I saw something.
'THERE!' I yelled out. The swimmer had surfaced. He was defiantly in trouble. Splashing franticly just a little ahead of us.
'Shit! You were right Skip!' Todd undid his jacket getting ready to dive in after him. Something in my gut told me it was a bad idea.
'No Todd, get something to pull him onboard with. If he got caught on something it might trap you too!' He nodded and grabbed a long pole we normally use to push us away from the dock. The man was yelling incoherently as we got closer. I felt even more worried as I saw a flock of seagulls overhead screeching excitedly. That meant he was defiantly injured. We didn't have any serious first aid equipment on board. Hopefully we could get him back to shore if it was serious...
'Grab on!' Todd yelled holding the pole out. The man grabbed on, still yelling and screaming. I joined Todd and yanked him towards us.
'IT TOOK MY LEGS!' The man howled. He was obviously in shock. As we pulled him close we both rushed to the side of the boat, grabbing his arms and pulling him in. I screamed and scrambled back as I saw the man land on the deck with a wet thud.
'FUCK!' Todd yelled! The mans legs were completely missing! Just bellow his thigh there was nothing but some strings of shredded flesh and cracked bone. 'STAY CALM!' Todd yelled again! Wrapping his shirt around the bloody stumps. The man yelled in pain and mercifully passed out.
'PHILL! PULL THE NET UP AND GET US BACK TO SHORE NOW!' I didn't hear him. I covered up my eyes, not wanting to see the horrible sight of the mans legs anymore. Todd ran up and shook me firmly by the scruff of my neck.
'PHILL LISTEN TO ME! WE HAVE TO HELP THIS MAN NOW! GO START THE ENGINE OKAY!' I swallowed hard. I cleared my head for just a moment.
'Okay' I whispered and half crawled towards the controls. Suddenly there was a thud. I felt the boat shake beneath me. We both froze...silently staring at each other...suddenly there was a second, stronger thud. The bottom of the boat groaned. I knew what we we're both thinking, but neither of us dared to speak it...
There was a loud splashing noise next to one side of the boat. A thousand horrible thoughts of something peering out of the water at us filled my mind. Suddenly Todd bolted for me.
'START THE FUCKING ENGINE NOW!' He screamed.
'But...But...the net...' I barely stammered. He knew that if we went back to shore with the net still out we would get caught, stranded, or worse, the boat might rip in two.
'I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE NET, YOU START THAT ENGINE!' He screeched! I nodded franticly and started hammering at the controls, desperate to start it and get us away from this horrible place. I heard Todd behind me hacking at the net ties with a knife. The horrible splashing noise came again, followed by another boat rattling thud. I slammed the boat into life and swung us towards the safety of the island. I spun round to help Todd release the last of the netting, the roar of the engine filling with hope that we would escape.
Suddenly the splash came from directly behind us, exactly where Todd was desperately trying free the boat. I saw it peer out of the sea at us. The huge grey head, those black empty eyes, and worst of all, the large grinning mouth. Rows and rows of sharp teeth lined up like hundreds of shiny knives. Its lips seemed to part and its eyes shrunk a little, like it knew we were watching and was smiling a terrible smile towards us.
'Oh...SHIT!' Todd blurted out, scrambling back as the shark vanished back beneath the waves.
'No no no no no...'I moaned pathetically. 'Its going to get us...going to eat us...were going to die...' I babbled, the horribly picture of the smiling mouth torturing my brain.
Todd reached down and held me 'Skip...SKIP!...PHILL! Its okay, just a few minuets and we'll be at the shore. We're safe in the boat okay?'
Suddenly the front of the boat lurched. 'Holly Shit...Its right underneath us!' Todd yelled. Suddenly there was a crash so hard that the front of the boat actually lifted out of the water for a second. It hit the water again with such force that the horrible sound of cracking wood signalled it had been smashed. The front of the boat began to twist. Another terrible thud from beneath us broke it loose. I backed towards the rear end of the boat, Todd joined me, his own eyes filled with as much panic as my own.
As the front half of the boat disappeared the half we were sat on began to shake...slowly tilting towards the death-trap beneath us. The unconscious man we had rescued slid helplessly towards the water. I tried to reach for him but it was too late. As he touched the surface there was a terrible roar of rushing water. The huge beast emerged, biting down on the body and carrying it off. As I saw the poor man disappear into the horrible mouth I realised the shark was big enough to swallow us whole.
Todd whimpered beside me 'Please go away...' he sobbed. 'You got your food, now go away...please...'. The monster vanished beneath the water once again. I begged it wouldn't come back...Todd held onto the knife he had been freeing the netting with breathing heavily. We both hoped it would vanish again. It was just an animal, as far as it knew it had eaten the prey we had tried to steal and now it would go...surely it would go?...
A terrible lurch made us both scream out. The shark hit the bottom of the boat, tilting us further towards its reach. Todd cried out as he lost his footing, slipping down.
'NO!' I yelled out, grabbing his arm. The chunk of boat slowly climbed up to a vertical position. I tried desperately to cling on and to hold onto Todd. He screamed and I looked down. The shark was waiting at the bottom of the boat for us to fall. The large smile extending into a biting position. Even though its eyes showed nothing, I could feel them staring into me. My arm was becoming weak...I couldn't hold on...It was pointless.
Suddenly Todds grip began to slip. 'NO NO NO!' I yelled to him. He looked up at me...his face filled with so much fear he couldn't even scream. I clawed at his hand trying to hold him but it was no good. He fell towards the waiting mouth...
I turned my head, refusing to watch the beast take my friend. There was a terrible noise of screaming, a horrible wet crunching and finally a loud splash as it disappeared underneath the water with him. I pulled myself up onto the back of the boat. Now sticking up into the air and sinking very slowly. I saw the horrible fin of the shark circling me. In just a few minuets the boat would sink completely and I'd be at its mercy. Tears rolled down my face as I punched the boat beneath me. Todd was dead, and I would soon be too...
As the last of the boat began to vanish my head began to spin. I was delirious with fear. Looking up I was sure that just for a moment I saw a boat in front of me. Not a regular boat...but faint...almost...unreal... The wreckage beneath me sank further. I was now up to my elbows and knees in seawater. The strange ghostly ship appeared before me again, a tall old fisherman stared at me solemnly. The wreckage beneath me vanished, leaving me floating in the water. I felt a rush of water, knowing that something was moving towards me. I closed my eyes, wanting it to be over soon...the last thing I saw was the letters of the ghostly ships name...'ORCA'...