Fish Gods

This story was originally published in "The Kraken Lore" on Medium.

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February 7th — 10:33 A.M.

The net is bulging with struggling fish as it’s lifted over the side of the ship and plopped down on the deck. Quez and Ziva watch on curiously. The ship attendants saw away at the net, ready to collect the catch.

“Looks like sea bass will be on the menu tonight!” The oldest attendant, Hollins, yells out in his gruff voice. “Don’t worry, we’ll try for yellowtail tomorrow for all you sushi lovers!”

Large applause and laughter from the ship’s patrons. Quez and Ziva chuckle at the enthusiasm of the other couples. They scan the crowd. There’s the redheaded couple that boarded just before them. They look like they’re related. There’s the extremely tall couple. The older couple that’s always bickering… and dozens of other couples.

“Not a bad start to a 10-day cruise.” Quez says with a smile.

“Sure. I hope we don’t get sick of fish.” Ziva chuckles.

February 8th — 12:42 A.M.

The storm rocks the boat with immense power. Quez and Ziva have joined the main deck with dozens of others.

“It came on out of nowhere!” Hollins yells.

“This is no normal storm!” Ortiz, a younger ship attendant responds.

The sound of the ship breaking apart beneath them is overwhelming. Pieces of the ship are being ripped away, more and more. Strange clacking and chittering noises are emanating from below in the ocean. Surprisingly, it can be heard over the intensity of the storm.

The ship continues being ripped apart, winds and water swirling about. The ship is now sinking… and rocking… and lurching. Passengers are flipping overboard into the waters below. Quez and Ziva are flung overboard into the dark blue ocean with everyone else.

Over all the screaming and commotion, they hear clacking and chittering. They hear, ripping noises. Clothing being ripped… flesh being ripped, bones being broken. The screams grow more horrific. Quez squints through the stormy air, scanning the dozens of passengers, seeing blue, clawed hands reaching up from the water and tugging people underneath.

“There’s an island over this way!” Ziva screams out.

She swims towards the island. Quez follows. Passengers and ship attendants see the two swimming in determined fashion and follow.

Horrific noises continue behind them. The screams of the passengers grow more and more distant.

Quez and Ziva reach the island and pull themselves onto the beach. They run inland, under the cover of trees. Several people follow. They wait under the shelter of the tall trees as the storm rages on, as the ship sinks in the distance, and as unlucky souls continue to get pulled down into the murky depths of the ocean.

February 8th — 11:20 A.M.

The storm has passed. The island is beautiful in the light of day. But the destruction and despair of the remaining survivors sullies the air.

Quez and Ziva scan the island to see who their companions are. Hollins, the older and bearded ship attendant. Ortiz, the younger ship attendant. Munford, a muscular ship attendant. The redheaded couple.

That’s it.

February 8th — 2:20 P.M.

The group has already circled the entire island in three hours. Hollins, Munford, and Ortiz managed to take some supplies from the ship in steel boxes. Hollins removes materials that he combines together to create two spears. He hands one to Munford and they wade out into the ocean to spear fish. Munford gets one and brings it back to the beach.

He hands the spear off to the redheaded man and begins to prepare the fish for them to eat. The redheaded man joins Hollins in the water. Hollins spears a fish. He brings it back to the beach, leaving the redheaded man alone.

Suddenly, something emerges from under the water. It has the stature of a man, blue amphibian skin, clawed hands, webs between fingers, six and a half feet tall, glowing orbs in the palms of its hands, and razor sharp teeth bared as it attacks the redheaded man.

Ortiz runs into the ocean to save the redheaded man, but two more of the beasts emerge from the ocean and help drag the redheaded man deeper into the water as they feast on him.

He’s gone.

Only traces of his blood left floating atop the ocean water.

February 8th — 11:37 P.M.

The redheaded woman has been weeping nonstop. Everyone is full from their meals of fish and vegetables they found on the island. Ziva didn’t feel right about eating the fish and urged Quez to not eat any. They only eat vegetables and fruits.

Suddenly, a storm hits the island with massive force. Swells splash onto the island, sweep everyone up, and carry the group out towards the beach. Quez and Ziva manage to navigate their way towards a big boulder and latch onto it.

The others do the same, latching onto trees and boulders. The redheaded woman is so distraught that she can’t grab anything and is swept into the ocean. 12 of the blue beasts stand in the ocean. Their hands all point to the sky, the glowing orbs in their palms pulsing. The beasts wave their arms around, pulling them in, and waves of water pull in their direction.

“Are they controlling the storm?!” Ziva screams.

The redheaded woman is swept right into the center of all the beasts. They all jump on her, bite into her, and carry her off into the ocean. The storm dies down as soon as they depart.

February 9th — 9:34 A.M.

“What are those things?” Munford asks.

“Dioses de los peces.” Ortiz responds stoically.

“What’s that?” Quez asks.

“I think… Fish Gods?” Ziva tries to translate.

“Give me one of the flare guns. I’m going to swim for the other island.” Ortiz points to a neighboring island that’s several hundred yards away with a large hill. “I’ll signal for help at the top of the hill.”

The hill looks to be a better spot to shoot the flare gun from. Ortiz takes off swimming in that direction. Quickly. But it doesn’t matter. He only gets 200 feet out before the beasts emerge from the ocean and pull him down.

“There goes that idea.” Hollins says in cold-hearted fashion.

February 9th — 11:12 P.M.

Another storm instantly hits the tiny island. Huge waves crash down on the group as they try to take shelter under tall trees. This time, they’re more prepared. They’re already positioned next to trees and grab on for dear life when the waves hit. Quez and Ziva grip each other’s arms tightly as they’re wrapped around a tree.

Everyone manages to hold on tightly enough. The storm rages on for 25 minutes… and then stops.

February 10th — 10:04 A.M.

The group is on the beach again and Hollins insists they spear fish for food again. Quez and Ziva protest. They say they shouldn’t… these Fish Gods appear to be mad when they kill the fish.

“We need the protein!” Hollins insists.

“I’m pretty sure we can get protein from the vegetables and fruits on the island.” Quez says.

“No, we can’t.” Hollins argues.

Hollins and Munford spend much time in the ocean spearing fish. Quez and Ziva head towards the trees and forage for vegetables and fruits for them all to eat.

Nothing happens to the men fishing. Quez and Ziva refuse to eat any fish, but they share their findings.

February 10th — 11:41 P.M.

Another storm hits, just as bad as the storms before. The group is prepared, latching onto trees and absorbing the beating the waves pound onto them.

The storm goes on for 20 minutes then stops. The storm takes no one tonight.

February 11th — 10:26 A.M.

It’s another day of spear fishing for Hollins and Munford. It’s another day of foraging for food for Quez and Ziva. They tell each other stories from their childhoods in order to take their mind off of things.

February 11th — 11:09 P.M.

Quez and Ziva are arguing with Hollins and Munford about the fact that they’re still fishing. They insist that it’s dangerous and it is angering the Fish Gods.

Hollins and Munford won’t budge. They’re stubborn. They laugh at the term ‘Fish Gods.’

“What else would you call them?!” Quez shouts over the sudden sound of water rushing.

Another storm.

They grab onto their respective trees. The storm is more intense than the last few. The waves pummel them. They dig their fingers into the trees and never let go.

The storm takes no one tonight.

February 12th — 10:19 A.M.

Hollins and Munford spear fish in the ocean. They finish and never see the Fish Gods.

Quez and Ziva still refuse to eat any fish, but they continue to forage for other foods and share them all. They spend more time together, alone. The island is pretty. Their alone time is precious. They cherish their beautiful moments in this horrific situation.

February 12th — 10:30 P.M.

A storm hits… but it hits earlier than usual. The group isn’t prepared. In a mad dash, Quez, Ziva, and Hollins manage to grab onto some trees… but Munford doesn’t have enough time.

He’s swept out into the ocean where the Fish Gods are waiting for him.

February 13th — 9:26 A.M.

Hollins spears fish alone in the ocean. He never sees any Fish Gods.

Quez and Ziva discover several new trees replete with bananas. They take as many as they can carry back to the area where they have been camping out.

February 13th — 11:55 P.M.

The three sit in silence… waiting for a storm to hit. The storm never comes.

February 14th — 10:48 A.M.

Quez and Ziva go back for more bananas. Ziva mentions how she thinks it’s been a week since they last ate fish. She doesn’t miss it like she thought she would. In fact, she’s repulsed by the thought of it.

Quez agrees.

Hollins spears many fish. He sees no signs of the Fish Gods.

“Several days in a row, no signs of the beasts when I was fishing.” Hollins says. “No storm last night. I think we’re in the clear.”

Quez and Ziva disagree. He laughs boisterously. The smell of fish is radiating off his breath. It’s also billowing off his body.

When Hollins falls asleep for a nap, Quez steals the other flare gun from his belongings… just in case they need a weapon.

February 14th — 11:30 P.M.

It’s always quiet before the storm.

It’s eerily silent on the island. Which makes sense because the storm that hits is the biggest of them all.

The three are ready… but it doesn’t matter. The waves are so powerful, they sweep all three of them out of their little clearing… past the beach… into the ocean… where the Fish Gods are waiting with their glowing hands held high.

Instantly, the Fish Gods lower their hands and latch onto Hollins. They devour him in under a minute. Quez and Ziva try to swim back to the beach, but the Fish Gods pop up on all sides, surrounding them. They close in. Quez and Ziva hold each other as the waves swell around them. The Fish Gods sniff them, teeth bared.

The Fish Gods close their mouths all at once. They dip underneath the water and lift up from underneath Quez and Ziva. The Fish Gods grab onto their bodies and begin to carry them along through the ocean.

“What are they doing?” Ziva asks frantically.

Quez has no answers.

They’re carried swiftly through the ocean. The storm ceases and the waves die down. The Fish Gods carry Quez and Ziva to the other island. They leave Quez and Ziva on the beach of the island and swim away, dipping beneath the surface of the now calm ocean waters.

Ziva looks up at the hill in the distance. Quez pulls the flare gun out. They march towards the hill.

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