Scorching, the ship is brightened by the azure sky, reflecting the cobalt complexion of the treacherous waves.
All wearing shorts with flip-flops, the three boys get ready to start fishing.
"Lias are you wearing socks and sandals?" Zayne asked.
"Yeah, something wrong with—"
"Ha! Hey Malik, come look at this!"
Malik chuckled at the sight, as he carries a cooler. Atop the cooler is three fishing rods. He gently lays it down.
Malik stares out, and collects his thoughts.
Its truly a shame, some people never get to witness the vast smell of a salty body of water corroding your sense of self. That's why I like to stare at the water, it calms me . . . more than anything. What I wouldn't give to watch it all from above.
That warm air that soothes every nerve in your body . . . priceless. If you take a dive, that sinking feel . . . like nature's baptism.
"Say guys, what do you think about the ocean, seriously?" Malik abrupted.
"Whole lot of mystery, but I think you see more in it than I do Malik." Zayne responded.
"Its blue, sad in a way, but consoling. However, I don't like how eternal it is. When we die, our bones will rot as the sea dances. Ships sink, people fall, but waves don't. Least that will be evidence we existed don't you think?" Lias commentated.
"I think it's nature's therapy. I enjoy it." Malik's words drifted away.
"Easy for you to say man, you're biased. And land is a much different experience. I miss it." Zayne said.
"What is it like Zayne?"
"Malik, you really don't know what land feels like?"
"No, but I've seen it. Dad didn't want me unloading stuff onto the lands, so he made me watch as my old crew greeted people, grazed the land."
"Has Cap told you why he wont let you out there?" Zayne asked.
Malik responded, "Nope, its odd, but I believe he has reason."
"Soon you'll be able to walk it all you want." Zayne laughed.
Successfully attaching the bait to the rod, he pulled back and shot the line farther than any eyes could catch.
Seagulls gave their high-pitched calls far above the behemoth of a ship.
How ironic. Something as petite as a seagull can soar the skies casually, whilst this ship is bound to sea.
The tiny lights in the sky at night reach out to me with open arms. I hope I can be like the seagulls one day.
Lias gave Zayne a nod, and walked up to Malik.
Placing a hand on Malik's shoulder, "It's predetermined by the realm that one is born in that decides it." He sighs. "People die in this ocean. Brutally. Ordinary people only know land."
He continued, "What you have here should be cherished. After all, its what you want that matters."
Malik glances downward at the judge from below.
Can one decide fate even if they are under you?
"At least I've you two guys." He said.
"Good news for you bro, we ain't goin anywhere!" Zayne shouted.
Suddenly, something bit Zayne's fishing rod. Pulling harder and harder with the force of a lion.
Fighting back, the rod pulled with all its might.
What type of beast could have bitten such a bait?
The line was struggling to stay intact at the matter. Zayne acted quickly. He wrapped the fishing line around the bars of the steel handrail, and pulled with full force.
Lias and Malik huddled around and pulled Zayne back as he pulled the rod closer to himself.
Pulling, pulling, they surely must have overpowered it by now haven't they?
It was getting stronger the more force the three pulled, as if it was playing around for a game of tug of war.
They were slipping forward. The force had decided to take it seriously now. With Lias holding on tight to Zayne's torso, and Malik pulling Zayne's right arm back with all his force, they felt unstoppable.
Oh how resilient they are. Have they learnt nothing from nature?
Inching, Zayne's feet crept closer to handrail, still cling to the hope of capturing it.
"Zayne! Let go, its too strong!" Malik cried as he pulled on his arm.
"I got this! Its gonna get tired eventually!" Zayne screamed.
Their feet crept until-
Snap!
. . .
The metal steel railing had broken in half.
"Zayne!" Malik shouted, with all the air creeping out his lungs.
It was too late.
Splash!
The creature had pulled Zayne and Lias clean off.
Malik's silver pupils dilated, they had felt this before. But when?
The world had frozen.
They're in the f**king ocean! What do I do?
Heart racing, blood boiling, muscles loose. But in Malik's mind, silence; Pure silence. A thought crept.
That water . . . that death trap . . . they'll be eviscerated no doubt.
Rushing rushing, Malik grabbed the emergency flotation ring. Ripped a flare gun and a hunting knife from a nearby box. No hesitation in his eyes.
Something felt off with the knife, like it was heavier than normal, but he persevered regardless.
Without thinking, he leapt.
If I can only do one thing right in my life, I wouldn't be mad if it was this one. Please brothers. Don't fail on me.
Falling—he realized he was submerging.
Into hell.
Splashing, the azure hell grasped his figure like a million piercing wintry hands.
Fighting through that pull, hell had stopped him from pursuing it. Clawing through the merciless waves, he shouts.
The weight of salt and memory flooded into the ocean was coming back, but he ignored it. This is no time for melancholy.
Thinking it was hopeless, he spotted his brothers. Gripping for life on the creature.
Is it a shark? No, it can't be. Its too large.
Facing damnation, he persisted.
I don't care if I die, deaths not important right now, let my brothers be safe . . . Please!
The monster, pale, like an uncanny shark the size of a small building. Its pure charcoal eye opened. Indistinguishable, it was bizarre.
Lias and Zayne clung to the beast. Malik screamed underwater, drowning of noise, but anyone could feel his contempt.
Inching closer, the eye was gazing into him. Condemning.
Instinctively, unsheathing the dagger from a holster, he surged upward like a torpedo.
Breaching, he broke the water's tension, and stabbed the beast in its eye, gouging deep, and twisting as he roared.
It screeched. The apex predator had been wounded. It's screech was a horrid blend of whale-song and avalanches all at once.
Naturally, the beast flailed, shifted the water, backing off the boys. Then whipping its enormous tail to launch the boys near the ship.
The unearthly creature that resembled a shark, had veered, bleeding, and stopped moving.
It had given out.
Malik quickly grabbed his brothers by their collars with scorching arms, kicking the water like a rabid animal.
The ship is so close. So close.
Giving out, everything stopped.
A moment of peace? Don't be rash.
A vibrating, yet soundless thumping beneath the depths of the sea.
Boiling, something was coming, it's heat was rising. A monstrous shadow eclipsed the blinding light from above, with heaps of ecosystem falling off of it.
Why.
Rising, Rising . . . It hadn't halted.
A leviathan.
Its cracked maw opened like the mouth of a dormant volcano.
Its towering above the ship.
Kissing the sky, why does it get to see the lights? If it spoke, I'd ask what it saw up there.
Zayne's eyes went blank in awe. Lias nearly fainted. Malik floated there, in the face of the god that came from below.
"Not again . . ." Malik said in an audibly weak voice.
Reaching for his ankle, he grabbed the flare gun, shaking uncontrollably.
"I'm scared. Its cold, please go. Just go . . ." Malik echoed weakly. He bit off the red flare cap with his teeth, ignited it, sparking.
The flare, please . . . please work . . . somehow.
A red scream of flare from above flew straight into the open throat of the leviathan as it stared in hunger.
Flinching, It hadn't realized what had happened.
Then roared, blowing away the clouds like bubbles, but Malik hadn't flinched.
Desperately, he fired another. And another. And another.
Two had landed into the raging beast's throat again, as it gets angered, It decides to charge Malik.
Then, Malik closes his eyes in acceptance.
All of a sudden—
The last flare had landed into the creatures eye socket. It begins thrashing in pure agony.
Going back to it's intention to eat Malik, It tries to do so. But it slows down, and in obvious pain, It halts.
The leviathan's eyes are lifeless. How?
From below its jaw a noticeable chemical heat was glowing inside of it. Then, its head melted off.
Residue of red flares fell along side the decapitated creature.
The merciless has fallen.
. . .
Slowly falling, it crashed into the ocean with a tidal explosion of true defeat. Racing, the entire crew had raced above to the top layer in silence.
Awestruck. Paralyzed. They were above the three boys like mannequins as they stared in the eyes of death calling to their name.
A noise escaped Kaya's lips. "Oh . . . oh dear." She echoed.
Malik with his face cut, dripping blood from the flare's recoil, with burns on his arms, legs wobbling, head spinning, had dragged his brothers back to the edge of the ship that was broken.
He lays down in exhaustion, and takes notice of the alarmed crew.
"Malik! Are you okay?!" Kaya screamed rushing toward him as she picks him up and lays his head on her lap.
". . ."
Cyrus quickly orders, "Everyone! Get the boys first aid! Amaya, prepare the gauze, and Kamil, check their vitals!" Cyrus gave a worried expression.
He wonders why he never called for them.
Who in the face of that thing wouldn't scream for help?
My son . . . you're naive. But brave. I'll give you that.
This ship would've faltered in the event that it survived.
"Malik . . . my child . . ." He whispered.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He mumbled, as tears escaped his eyes, he remembered a memory that had broken his composure.
He looks up, and "Uncle, is everything okay?" Samir interrupted his thought.
A storm flared in his eye, "Yes Samir, I got dirt in my eye. Hah." Cyrus gave a forced weak laugh as he stared into the sky.
You always stare at the sky, Malik. Saying there's light out there that we cant see.
What do you see son? What do you see . . . are you calling out to him? Your blood?
The bayonet . . .
. . . .