On a crisp Sunday morning, there was a group of three heading down to a small lake nearby. Two of the members were small children, and the third was their father. The eldest son, Rouche, yawned as the walk seemed to drag on. It was still too early for others to be up.
Limera, the youngest daughter, rubbed her eyes of sleep, but kept dozing off as they continued walking; leaning on her brother for support. She, on the other hand, was wondering why even their father decided to come at a time like this. Before branding him as a crazy man, the young girl let it slide. It was, after all, an important day.
Their father, Reed, held three fishing rods in one hand, while carrying a case of bait, and a small bag slung over his shoulder with an extra change of clothes. He had decided on taking them out on a little trip, since he rarely did so. And what better way to do it then to take them out fishing.
Well, that's what he thought. Once they came into view of the pond, they were greeted with the sight of the rising sun. Its orange glow reflecting on the water's surface beautifully, as the water swayed back and forth; causing a rippling effect. A flock of ducks lazily floated, heading nowhere. From where they stood, the siblings spotted the fishing grounds. It was a small, wooden, T shaped pier. Two separate benches were placed on opposite sides of each other.
Arriving at their destination, the young girl felt uneasy about standing on the platform. It wobbled, but that was her fault since all she did was look down. Sticking to her father's side, Reed handed her a rod. The thing was twice her size, but lighter in weight.
Sticking some live bait to the hook, Limera tilted her head. "Daddy, why do you like killing things?" She asked innocently.
Instantly, he stopped what he was doing and just stared off into space, deadpanned. To Rouche, it looked like he was having some kind of flashback. Shaking out of his stupor, Reed ruffled his daughter's hair. "Don't think of it as killing. Think of it as the worm is trying to help you catch a fish." he said.
Limera merely nodded, coaxed by his ideal. Moving to his son, the father attached the same kind of bait to his hook. Tapping the slimy creature with his finger, Rouche grimaced in disgust. "Sometimes, I don't know who's more of an animal. The fish for eating this, or us for using them as prey." he remarked.
Chuckling at this, Reed ruffled his son's hair. Now, the father himself didn't use worms like the rest of them. He had a lure at the end of his line, confusing the small children. Turning towards them, he explained that it was used to catch bigger fish. "The fact that you know a lot about this scares me more than anything." Rouche stated.
"Is daddy a weirdo for liking smelly worms and fishies, brother? Limera chimed in, observing the worms wriggling movements despite it being pierced with a sharp metal object. Sighing, their father casted his line to the water. Copying his actions, the eldest son lacked the strength and experience his father has, and only made it two-fifths of the way. The youngest daughter pulled her arms back, preparing to make hers go further than the rest.
Casting it, she heard the sound of clothes tearing. The line had definitely made it farther than her brother's, but it was at the cost of the hook latching onto the bottom of his tunic.
Smiling nervously, Limera turned to her brother. He wasn't furious, but he was embarrassed. Snickering, the father approached his son. "The good news is, she's possibly done the most damage she could do on this trip. The bad news, it was to you." Scrounging around the bag he had brought, he pulled out a white shirt. It was also Rouche's size, so that was convenient.
Back to fishing, they were all awaiting for a fish to bite onto their hooks. It was a great time killer, seeing as how the sport was just a game of patience. Although that did present a problem. The young girl hated waiting for something to happen. She was bored beyond disbelief.
They had sat there for half an hour, and nothing. Well, she couldn't really say that for everyone, because just as she thought, their father reeled in something. The fish, from her perspective at least, seemed ugly. It was short in length, and had silver scales all over its body. Flailing around wildly in his hand, Reed tossed the creature back into the water.
Amazed by the sight of her father catching one, Limera felt inspired to catch an even bigger one! Focusing on her rod like it was the most important thing in the world, the young girl's intense gaze made her brother giggle.
Feeling something bite on his end, the elder sibling reeled it in. A fish slightly bigger than the one his father caught was caught on the hook. It's belly had silver scales, while the rest was a tarnished brown. "Dad, look! I got one, I got one!" he yelled excitedly, running over to his father to show it off.
"Good job, Rouche. You've sure gotten yourself a fine one." he acknowledged, giving him a pat on the back. Happily running back to his spot next to Limera, Rouche held the cold, scaly animal in his arms..
To make things interesting, Reed decided on making this into a contest. "Now kids, listen up. Whoever catches the largest fish, will be cooked up for dinner." he proclaimed.
Agreeing to his terms, both kids faced the water. Waiting for their poles to bobb. As time flew by, both father and son caught many fish, ranging from small, to large. While the girl on the other hand, well, she wasn't as lucky as the two.
Her bucket was empty, save for Rouche's torn tunic. An hour or so must have passed, and the girl grew weary. She had spent the duration of an hour with her eyes peeled. Nothing ever happened. "Not even a nibble…" she mumbled softly, staring down at her reflection in the water.
Hating to see his sister upset, the boy took the largest fish from his bucket and presented it to her. "Limera, you can have this if you want. I don't really care about if I win or lose." Frowning, the girl felt pathetic for not being able to catch even a single one. "I don't want your stupid fishy!" she yelled, shoving him roughly.
Slipping, the boy fell on his back. At the same time, the fish was set free from his grasp, and swam away. A rush of guilt quickly made it's way to the girl. She felt horrible for doing such a thing, even after he tried helping her.
Scratching the back of his head as he got up, Rouche heard the girl sniffled. She looked up at him with teary blue eyes. "B-Brother, I'm so so very sorry...I didn't mean it, I swear. Please don't hate Limera…" her voice trembled, signaling she was on the verge of tears.
Waving his hand nonchalantly, Rouche brought the girl in for a hug. "Don't cry. I never said I hated you, did I?" he reassured her. Calming down, a small smile appeared on her face.
Sitting back down on the wooden bench, Limera scooted over to her brother's side. Sticking closely to him, she rested her head on his shoulder while her rod lazily drifted on the water.
All of the sudden, she felt a small tug on her pole. Shooting up from her seat, Limera felt the tug once more. "T-There's something biting the thingy! It ate wormy!" she exclaimed, as she tried reeling in whatever it was. The rod soon started jerking violently, physically dragging the girl from her spot. Alarmed by this, her brother wrapped his arms around her waist, and stood his ground.
Whatever had gotten snagged on the hook, was definitely the biggest catch of them all. Using all the strength her arms could muster, she felt the battle going her way. "That's it sweetie! Now, reel it in!" their father cheered, on the edge of his seat.
For a split second, the resistance died down. Fully aware of this, the young girl yanked on the pole. For a moment, all seemed well.
That was until both siblings were unexpectedly pulled into the water's depth.
Reed was at a loss for words. In two seconds flat, they were gone. Bubbles foamed at the top of the lake's surface, something was going to come up any moment now.
Like something out of a book, the kids reappeared on the head of a Leviathan. The giant sea serpent easily towered over everything in its surroundings. Snaking its head around as if swimming, the kids felt like they were riding a giant slide. The erratic movements made them hold on for dear life.
Rouche was screaming in terror; clinging to his sister tightly. He knew these kinds of creatures were ferocious beyond else. Never showing their prey any signs of mercy. And now they were riding one!?
Diving back into the lake, the Leviathan tried to find a way to get the small children off of it. Twisting and turning in the water at quick speeds, the kids were forced to hold their breath until it popped back out again. Showing off the razor sharp rows of fangs, the creature emitted a loud screech; scaring away the wildlife.
Limera only controlled this monster because of the fishing rod she possesed. The hook was stuck in between one of its nostril like slits. Even though they were absolutely drenched in water, she was laughing loudly from it all.
The Leviathan's eyes darted around wildly, before settling down on Reed.
Tossing the two children high in the air, it swallowed them whole.
His heart broke when he saw the scene occur. "Rouche….Limera….." he muttered, sounding defeated. His only kids in the world were gone for good, and he couldn't do a thing about it.
Knocking its head back, the Leviathan spat out the children towards their father. With the help of the serpent, the two crashed into Reed.
"AGAIN, AGAIN!" Limera cheered, jumping for joy. Rouche fell into a giggle fit, and joined in. "COME ON MR. MONSTER, GIVE US ANOTHER RIDE!"
Staring at them with the same deadly look, a small chortle could be heard deep from within its throat. Almost like it laughed along with them. Sinking its head back into the lake, the monster disappeared. The silence soon left.
Life buzzed anew.
While the siblings reminisced about the wild ride, Reed collapsed onto the wooden floor, laughing under his breath. "Kids sure are something else…"
After hours of fishing and fun under the sun, the group had returned home. The kids ran inside to smell something baking. Running off the kitchen, they saw their mother with a cake. On the top of it, were a few words frosted onto it. "Can you two go get your father for me?" she asked sweetly. Nodding, the two headed to the hallway, where they saw their father putting away the fishing gear in a closet. Turning towards the two, he was surprised to see them. "Oh? Do you two need something?"
Both nodding, they each grabbed one of his hands and guided him towards the kitchen door, where they told him to wait. Not wanting to deny them of whatever they were going to do, he waited patiently. Entering the kitchen, the siblings saw their mother holding a small bag of confetti. "Sweetie, can you and your sister hold out your hands?"
Doing as she said, their mother poured a handful of the shiny, shredded materials. Fixing her hair, the woman called her husband in. Walking through the door, he was surprised to see her holding a cake.
Out of nowhere, his kids threw confetti into the air, surprising him. "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!" They all shouted in unison, Rouche and Limera jumping with joy. Tugging on her dress, the young girl looked up at her. "Can I have a slice? Please!" she begged, as did the boy.
Handing them both plates, she served them a piece each. Going to the table to enjoy the dessert, the husband and wife were the only two in the room. "I hope you enjoyed your day, darling." she said.
Scooping up some of the frosting with his fingers, Reed let out a delightful sound. "It doesn't matter as much if I did, or not. All that I care about is if they did."