From the deep

Wrapped around his leg, he kicks out in desperation. This is it, the stories are true. There is a Kraken in the cove, and it has found him! The scream cut short, as his mouth sinks below the waterline. A stream of bubbles emerging from below. Arms and legs flail frantically, the beasts tentacles wrap around him in a lovers embrace, pulling him ever closer.

Eyes wide with terror when face to face with his worst nightmare. Barnacles grow all over giving the appearance of worts and unsightly growths, which should be the last thing he is concerned about, this isn’t a date for goodness sake. Helplessly reaching for his harpoon, a mere gesture of a weapon against the monstrosity before him.

The damage, if it can be called this is a mere pinprick to this beast. Yet, the grip is released and he manages to kick off, away from the body. He swims and offers a silent prayer of thanks for his decision to go with the atomic split fin flippers, giving him the extra speed he needs to get the hell out of dodge. If dodge were an early watery grave.

Shadows above him make him pause before he remembers this is what he is looking for, his boat and he kicks harder, making him go faster. His hand grasps the ladder as his worst nightmare, the sensation of a tentacle sliding around his ankle, working around like a boa constrictor around his calf.

Before reaching his knee, Shaun pulls with all his might on the ladder, turning and aiming the harpoon. He changes his mind at the last minute, taking it in his fist and using as a spear to repeatedly stab and stab, over and over the tentacle. On a few occasions he manages to catch his leg but the adrenaline coursing through his veins means he doesn’t even notice this.

Again the creature pulls away and he catches its eye for the first time, why is he feeling guilty? This monster looks at him as though he is the bad guy.

“Hey, don’t go killing anyone,” Shaun shouts in the general direction of the Kraken and sniggers turning to his captain.

“Hey have you seen The Lost Boys? I sound like one of the Frog brothers from the film.”

His captain, Billy looks bemused.

“Guess you’re not a fan—“

Billy shrugs and turns his music up, as though this is the type of thing he sees every day. It’s not. A wave the height of a London bus freezes Billy, and Shaun, about to ask what’s wrong sees it heading for the boat.

“Grab onto somethi—“ his words cut off as the Kraken rises from the wave. Tentacles spread wide encircling the boat as a lover taking it into their embrace. Billy never manages to grab hold, and is tossed overboard as though a piece of flotsam bobbing along on a stream.

Splintering rips through the air and Shaun finds himself flying through the air whipped up from the boat by a rogue tentacle. He locks eyes with the singular eye of the beast, seeing something, an understanding a shared need to be loved. This creature is looking for more of her kind, she is lonely not a killer, a monster. She won’t stop, because there are no more she is a mutant, a on off. All she has is to maim and destroy while she seeks another of her kind.

This flashes through his mind as he sails through the air, he isn’t wondering what is happening he is wondering what he can do how he can resolve this.

There is no solution, he pulls the pin from his grenade whispering.

“Sorry.”

I hope you like my story and will subscribe to read more. Clicking the heart shows your support, subscribing means you can follow my writing journey. My series, The Order has it's first novel FamiLIES coming out this year. Thank you so much for your support.