Salty Tears

“Say it!”

“NO!”

“Say it, or else!” Tyler had gripped Nigel in a headlock close to the boat’s edge. Nearly choking him blue, Tyler had become accustomed to certain areas of the boat where sound wouldn’t travel as well. Standing just over the desalinator, he’d knew that no matter how loud they yelled that the captain wouldn’t hear them until he rounded the corner.

Pushing on his bully’s arm, Nigel knew how to twist out of it, after having performed it several times during their wrestling practices with his other cabin mates. Remembering Tyler’s foot position, Nigel knew it’d come down to fighting dirty. Kicking at the inside of Tyler’s knee, he knocked the older boy off balance along with a new shock of pain. As Tyler backed up, Nigel squeezed himself free of his tormentor. Angry again at being outsmarted, Tyler rapidly approached the smaller child. Being resourceful to his own pain, Nigel took a defensive strike against his opponent.

Sending a swift kick to his attacker’s groin, Nigel made Tyler crumble in on himself. Hoping to turn away and run, Nigel realized he was caught upon learning that he couldn’t put his leg down to stride away. Tyler held his firm on his grip, seething for revenge.

This month wasn’t easy for Nigel at all. The first time he reported Tyler to the captain for bullying two younger crewmates, Tyler had been given toilet cleaning duty for three days as punishment for administering wet willies and purple nurples. That’s when the torment began.

The worst time was when Tyler had slept on bottom bunk right below Nigel’s hammock. It wasn’t out of friendship or humility, but for sheer torture. In the morning, Nigel had to change his hammock, blankets, and shirt from the sheer amount of blood they were drenched in.

At odd hours of the night, Tyler had stabbed Nigel repeatedly with his pocketknife. To make matters worse, he’d swap bunks with other crewmates twice that evening, including getting three of them to rotate due to faking “captain’s orders.” Tyler even made sure to grab every pocketknife that evening, throwing them overboard the next morning, removing any possible evidence. That morning the whole cabin had been so sleep deprived that most of them passed out doing their chores.

When the captain found Nigel trying to wash his blankets in secrecy out of shame, he peeled the shirt off Nigel’s back as if it were a giant band-aid. After having the young lad shower up, the captain, himself, personally applied rubbing alcohol to hopefully clean up any infected wounds along with a soothing aloe. Nigel had been permitted to rest for two days after that stunt till the color of his complexion returned. The rest of the cabin was made to go without meat in their dishes for those two days as punishment since nobody ‘fessed up to it. Sadly, Nigel had been too afraid to speak against Tyler ever since.

Holding a tight grip onto Nigels’ ankle, Tyler yanked the younger boy closer. Nigel’s head knocked on a metal bar as Tyler continued to pin him, relentlessly taunting him. “You fight like a girl, going for a man’s balls ‘cause you lack honor!”

“You lack honor for fighting somebody that weighs less than two stones than you!”

“I’m not fighting, I’m winning! There’s a difference!”

“Yeah, and the difference is that you’re a fatty!”

“Shut up, Nigel!” Just as Tyler had gotten underneath Nigel’s skin with a knife, Nigel had struck one of Tyler’s nerves with his words.

“The reason why we’re not allowed to eat pork is because of you! You’re fat like a pig!”

“You little-!” Not one to have insults hurled at him, Tyler pinned Nigel’s head down and proceeded to dangle a loogie over his face.

Twisting and turning, trying to get away, Nigel figured his best option was to try to headbutt him. He didn’t care if the spit got on his hair, but he took exception to someone spitting on his face.

Grabbing at his throat, Tyler started choking Nigel, continuing his original taunt. “Say it. Say it! Say it you little shrimp!”

“No! You’re mumm’s a thousand times worse!”

“My mumm’s more important than your mumm is!”

“My mumm actually gives me a love! She hugs me and kisses me! What does your mumm, give you? That’s right, nothing!”

“You’re such a baby, clinging to your mumm! Do you still drink her milk? Is that why you act like such a baby? You’re still drinking mummy’s milk?”

“My mumm worked really hard to get me aboard this ship. All yours did was drop you off!”

“Your mumm had to pay by sitting in a window. She’s only good for her looks. My mumm’s a businesswoman! Say it!”

“You’ say my mumm sits in a window, but your mumm sits on a trophy case! I betchu’ she just a penpusher and letter opener!”

“Come on, say it! Call you’re mumm a mistress! I bet you the only way she got you on this boat was by entertaining the captain!”

“Your dad pays for everything, but the only thing he never does is pay attention to you!” Tyler paused and looked at him, with angry tearful eyes. “I rarely see my dad since he works for the iron navy, but your dad comes home every night and never sees you! At least my dad sends us letters! Yours sends you away to your room!”

Fed up and angry at Nigel’s accusations, Tyler’s chokehold tightened. Pushing away, Nigel placed his elbows on the metal skirting of the ship’s ledge. Barely wiggling, Nigel could feel himself slipping away, yet at the same time he was quickly feeling his consciousness slipping away. Nigel’s words were running on a record in Tyler’s mind, making his tears flow like a leaky faucet. Removing one hand from Nigel’s neck, Tyler released a volley of punches onto the younger boy’s face, breaking Nigel’s nose.

The release of one hand allowed made it easier to breathe. Wiggling away, he started to reach for the bar above him. He was hoping to pull himself out from underneath Tyler. Then, suddenly, Tyler hopped off Nigel, kicking him in the ribs. Tyler’s fury was comparable to that of a hurricane known for sinking ships. Losing his balance, Nigel’s legs followed his back. Tyler grew farther away until Splash!

A few bubbles rose to the surface. Some popped, some didn’t. Tyler seethed in his tears before realizing what he’d done. Making haste, he stormed off to the toilet, to cry his eyes out in privacy. Nigel may not have known much about Tyler, but there was a kernel of truth to what he said, even if it was all fabrication.

Disoriented, shrouded in darkness, unable to breathe, Nigel opened his eyes before opening his nostrils. Seeing the bubbles, he followed them. Clawing his way, despite the soreness he felt in his ribs, he breached the layer with a GASP! Looking at the boat, he screamed at the top of his lungs, “WAIT! HELP ME! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME! CAPTAIN! CAPTRAIN! WAIT!” Desperately trying to swim after the boat he stopped once he realized that nobody was coming for him, as it grew farther and farther away into the distance, till the point he couldn’t hear the engine anymore. “Please,” he started to cry softly, “help me. Won’t somebody help me?”

Treading water, he looked around until he found a green patch. Swimming over, he took hold of a tall stalk of bamboo kelp. Even if the Salt Lake were over five-hundred meters deep, the bamboo would continue to grow up to the surface, even breaching the water. Looking around, he saw a nearby island just off in the distance. Yet, he’d have to made sure to check his surroundings first. Though the fish in here could grow up to five feet, just under six stones in weight, there were other creatures to be worried about.

Before even swimming from kelp stalk to kelp stalk, he buried his face in the water checking for any potential hidden dangers. Only then would he move on. Monkey branching from pole to pole, Nigel pulled himself along until he reached the edge of the underwater forest.

Another forest was just half a pool length’s away, but the crossing section was deep dark waters. He wasn’t worried about the water’s surface. It was what potentially lurked below that terrified him. Though he and the other boys had all swum in a section of the lake themselves that the captain had closed off with nets, Nigel was exposed to the full openness of the Lake.

Feeling something on his hand, he screamed. “Ah!” It was just a giant isopod trying to eat at the juiciest kelp leaves. The best ones were near the top. “Come on, steel yourself. Nobody’s going to save you, but you.” Gulping in his fear, he inhaled a deep breath, freestyling across the dark patch as fast as he could. Looking at the stalks, he didn’t dare to look down. He couldn’t allow his imagination to get the better of him. As he was a mere five meters from the stalks, something frightened him.

Flashing a vibrancy of colors from its dark kelpy green to a mustard yellow and even crimson red, swapping back and forth between the two, a seahorse made its presence known. The beast was frightened that something was moving towards it so quickly whilst it was hunting swarms of krill. Sending off a warning display, it unhooked itself from its kelp stalk, swimming away.

Being frightened himself, Nigel almost gulped a mouthful of water, before choking on his own frightfulness. Though the seahorse was the size of a small pony, he was happy that it wasn’t full grown yet, even if the adults could never predate upon a child of his size.

As a child, just like the rest of his cabin mates, they were all told small children were safe from the jaws of a seahorse. Yet, the dark fable of the new mother stuck with them forever. “She brought her babe to her water steed’s stall. The poor woman forgot that they were carnivorous, even though she’d been feeding it buckets prawns and isopods daily. With the shift of its chameleon eyes and one simply CLICK! The babe was sucked up its snout, instantly crushed by the fused jaw. As quick as he had been born, he had been killed. From the belly of his mother to that of her steed, it was a dark day known to all. Never forget the true nature of the beast you raise, ya’ hear?”

Though seahorses weren’t supposed to threaten him, the stories of seadragons were another thing altogether. Hearing about how entire teams of men would go missing while diving for sunken treasure reminded them not to be greedy. The ones about natives who would collect kelp from their farms and how they would be disappear without any disturbance to the water’s surface sent chills up their spines.

With no desire to remain in the dark waters, Nigel swam over, clinging to a stalk for dear life. Still, not feeling safe enough, he went several meters into the forest to be away from its edges and any potential dragons. Seeing that the island was so close, he debated crossing another patch of dark waters again. However, upon seeing that there was a trail of kelp leading to the island, he decided to go the long way around, sticking to the green path instead of traversing the blue.

Climbing onto shore, he inhaled several deep breaths, removed his clothes save for his undergarments, and proceeded to bask in the sun, drying off. “You’ll catch hypothermia in wet clothes faster than if you were naked.” He recalled the captain’s words. “Do your best to conserve body heat and dry your clothes if you can. If you have a backup pair, don those.”

Brushing off the crusted salt on himself, Nigel went about gathering. Returning to wade in the water, he grabbed a few shortened stalks of bamboo kelp. “You’ll perish of malnutrition first before starvation,” he said to himself. He gathered the leaves for eating and the stalks for collecting fresh water and construction. “Yet first you’ll die of thirst.” Cutting his stalks in half by banging on them with a rock, he laid some concave parts up to collect water. The ones that extended outwards past the smaller stalks, were upside down to collect water vapor, having them drain into the bottom ones. Luckily for him, Nigel found several giant clam shells that made for great rudimentary bowls.

After digging a small fire pit, he turned his attention towards the forest. Sure, the island may have been small, but it was still untraversed. Noticing several mussels growing on the trees, he drew the conclusion that this island flooded. Still, he was glad that at least he had kelp to eat along with “mermaid boogers.” He wouldn’t go hungry tonight. Walking towards the trees he gathered some kindling. Filling his clam shells, he placed them atop of a central rock surrounded by sticks. Striking one rock against the other, he waited for a few sparks to fly and catch. Gently blowing on them, he fed the small embers. “Smoke before fire,” he remembered. “It’s just like the rules of chess.”

Knowing that he should stay close to shore where he could have his smoke signal display to nearby passing boats, he placed his mussels and kelp leaves on the fire as hot mist from the clam shells rose. His freshwater collection was beginning to work. Pulling out a mussel with some charred meat, he bounced it from his hands due to the heat before setting it down on a flat rock between his legs. Swiftly opening it, he blew some air, cooling it down, before eating his first cooked mussel. He cooked razor clams, cockles, and goose necks all the time with his mom, but this was a first for him. Normally they’d have a few potatoes with a bit of cream to make a nice chowder. Yet, there was something quaint about his little campfire meal. It was sort of rewarding.

...

“Where the hell’s Nigel!” The captain roared. Two cabin mates shook their heads, their friend’s whereabouts being unknown. “Well, who was the last person to see him?!”

“Not me!” Spoke Daniel.

“Nor I,” said Nathaniel.

“I saw Tyler walk after him,” said Emanuel.

“He knows where he is!” They all spoke together.

The captain grumbled, gritting his teeth. “All of you! Gather the rest of your crewmates and stay in my brig! Don’t walk outside either, use the hallways to traverse across the boat. We’re in dragons’ territory.”

They raised their hands to their foreheads, saluting him, “Sir!”

Storming out of his office, his coat’s arms billowed at his sides. “When I get my hands on those two, I’ll make them wish they’d spill their guts earlier so badly that they won’t be able to stomach solid food for a week.”

Walking past the sleeping quarters, he hadn’t found hide nor hair of them, except for an untucked bed which he hastily made. “Brats don’t even have the decency. Who raised them?” Just as he continued walking down the hallway, he heard sniffling from the other side of a door. “It’s probably one of them. I hope Nigel’s not hiding more injuries from me again.”

Rapping on the door, he said, “Who’s in there? Answer now. Captain’s orders.” The crying continued, “I said, who’s in there? Answer NOW! Captain’s ORDERS!”

Opening with a metallic squeak, swinging open, the door revealed Tyler. His eyes were red and puffy as if he’d just traversed a dust storm, rubbing his eyes profusely.

The captain sighed, “Tyler…” he lowered his voice, “what’s got you so upset lad?”

The boy sniffled, wiping his face. “Me and Nigel-, Me and Nigel-,” as much as he wanted to lie, he knew that’d only make things worse. He’d rather be punished for what he did, than to be punished for embellishing what he did not. “Me and Nigel were fighting! I called his mummy a window lady and he said my daddy doesn’t care about me.” The boy bawled his eyes out.

The captain sighed, “There, there lad.” He patted the kid’s back. “Now, who started it first?”

Tyler sniffed, “I did.”

“Why would you go and call his mummy a window lady? Even if it were true, you wouldn’t somebody calling your mom that even if she was.”

“I- I- I don’t know…” He broke down crying. “Why’d he go and say those things about my dad though?”

“Well, are they true or not?” Tyler cried even harder. “Shhh, shhh, shhh, Tyler, look at me. Look at me, lad.” The boy obeyed his orders, “Even if what Nigel said about your pops is true, Nigel’s never met your father. He doesn’t know what kind of caliber of man your dad is.”

“I’m sorry captain… I really am.”

“It’s alright now. Can you tell me where Nigel is?”

Tyler’s lip quivered. “That’s the thing. I- I-, I kicked him overboard!” The color left the captains face quicker than milk from a cow’s teat could be squeezed into a pail. He went so pale one would’ve mistaken him for a specter.

“Egads Lad! How long have we been sailing since he’s been overboard?!” He vehemently placed his hands on Tyler’s shoulders, shaking him a bit.

“This happened at eleven, sir.”

“It’s forty past seven! I’m turning this ship around! Grab your pillow and blankets from your quarters. Meet with the others in my office, pronto!”

“Sir! Yes, Sir!” Tyler saluted him.

Making haste, the captain was off towards the wheelhouse. “Gods please be good. Please let this lad still be alive and well.” Turning the boat around, checking his compass, he set course.

...

Nigel hadn’t spied any boats. Only a few other small islands remained in the distance. Though this may have been a lake, it resembled more of an archipelago. Afraid that his fire would go out soon, he went and gathered more sticks.

Though not seemingly eerie, the forest called to his curiosity. He planned on walking in one straight line, facing the same way. Since the sun was on his right, he knew that he’d need it to be on his left on the way out. The island may have appeared small, the forest would prove otherwise.

The further he walked in the more astounded he was by the number of mussels on the trees. If anything, Nigel hoped to find an olive tree. Several plantations lined the coast along with the fisheries, but if he could find an olive tree here it’d be another great addition to his current diet. Dazing off, thinking about food, he was caught off guard when something shiny caught his eye.

Shimmering green, blue, purple, and even gold, Nigel saw the hide of a great beast. Hiding behind a tree, he gingerly peered his head from around the corner. Silently opening his mouth, he was as much in shock and awe as he was in terror.

His captain’s words rang aloud in his head, “Though they live most of their lives underwater, seadragons have fins that act more like claws. Making them capable of traversing across land as easy as it is for eels to slither across rocks.” Thinking the beast were dead, he was surprised upon seeing its body move with a splash of water coming from its gills. “Seadragons have been known to stay on land for several days. Using an adapted swim bladder, they push water over their gills to extract oxygen from the air. Though they prefer salt water, fresh water will do in a pinch.”

Not feeling comfortable with his position, Nigel started walking around towards the creature’s backside. He would want to put himself between the creature and several trees for evasion purposes. As he was rounding the beast’s head, he noticed its eye staring right at him, “Seadragons, just like a fish, don’t have eyelids. They can stare at you indefinitely.” Nearly stopping dead in his tracks, Nigel picked up his lead burdened legs, dashing behind a nearby tree. “Just because their eyes are always open, doesn’t mean they’re awake though.” Moving quietly, Nigel decided that he’d be better off continuing his travel. Thinking that the tight corners of the trees would protect him. Nearing its stomach, he saw its eye shift position to keep him in view.

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK!

Nigel nearly emptied himself from the dragon’s call reverberating in his chest. Staying back behind a tree, he saw the dragon try to move its neck to keep him in view. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why would you come here in the first place?” Then the dragon tried pushing itself up using its pectoral fins. Running away, Nigel moved towards its tail end. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed that the behemoth, though struggling, hadn’t moved at all. Stopping, he paused to analyze and noticed it was trapped. The dragon was pinned beneath a fallen tree.

Almost a week had gone by since the captain made all the boys wear their life jackets one treacherous day. It was monsoon season. The waters had risen by at least a good two meters, flooding the islands. Yet, Nigel couldn’t figure out why the seadragon had chosen to come ashore with the possibility of being stranded on land. Only when he looked closer did he see the reason why.

“He’s pregnant!” Or at least as pregnant as a seadragon could get. Unlike their seahorse cousins the seadragons carried their eggs outside of their bodies along the length of their bellies and tails. While they were ashore at the docks, the captain had even delivered well over five score of healthy brood from one of his pedigree stallions. It was the one time that the kids didn’t fear the creatures.

Seeing the offspring swirl around as sun rays shone in their red egg sacs, Nigel was mesmerized. It was as if he’d encountered an entire treasure trove. Then Nigel, noticed something. There were a few ruptured sacs. Though the offspring were of decent size, there wouldn’t be larger than a pup, posing no threat to him. Yet, with so many yolk sacs that have seemingly popped, where were the babies? Could they be nearby; or had they followed the scent of saltwater, returning to the lake, unlike their father?

Whilst pondering, a sound struck out to him. It was a strumming noise like that of a xylophone being played. Two notes repeating each other. As the sounds closed in proximity, Nigel sought a safe place to hide. Spying a decayed log on the ground next to the dragon, Nigel ducked for cover.

Hearing the seadragon huff its gills, Nigel finally saw the source of its agitation. Nigel held his breath, covering his mouth, heart almost lurching out of his chest, Nigel bared witness to one of the most gruesome creatures to ever inhabit the forest. Anomalocaris, prey that predated upon steeds and dragons alike. Though smaller than both, their appearance is more terrifying. Their barbed teeth are always at the ready, a circular mouth made for breaking through armor (even that of a dragon’s exoskeleton), and their chitin armor evolved over the years into light strands resembling the bird feathers. Unlike dragons, they absorbed oxygen readily.

Circling the dragon’s hindquarters, the giant feathery shellfish played its little tune, as its chitin feathers along its armor strung notes with every flap of its feathery frills. Landing on the dragon’s back, raising its frontal appendages in the air, it lashed down at one of the dragon’s eggs, bursting an offspring from its sack. Spitting out amniotic fluid from its gills, clicking rapidly, the forcibly born spawn called for its father’s aid. Seeing what was taking place with its chameleon eyes, the father dragon clicked in a rage whilst trying to shake itself free of its pinning. Incapable of turning its body due to its armored exoskeleton and the tree it was trapped beneath, the father dragon could only watch on helplessly.

Nigel didn’t know what to do, except trying to remain hidden. The thing is, though, compound eyes they tend to have three-hundred-sixty-degree view.

Spying Nigel, the anomalocaris flipped from the back of the dragon onto the log, trying to tear its way into the log.

“Ahhh!” Barely having time to react, Nigel was dumfounded what to do as the thing was surprisingly fast. “I can’t die here. I refuse to die here! I want to live. I want to see Mom again!” Moving away from the abnormal shrimp, climbing backwards into the trunk, it pursued him by using its teeth, clambering closer.

Without hesitation, Nigel grabbed ahold of one of its eyestalks. Sliding his hand quickly upwards, Nigel popped off one of its eyes. Since the species relied on a lighter, less dense chitin-based armor, it was softer than a beetle’s shell. The creature shook vehemently, as Nigel pulled away it scratched him using its appendage like teeth, drawing blood.

Now under injury, the creature flew away to avoid further harm. Peering out slowly from his hiding spot, Nigel put his head on a swivel, keeping his eyes, but mainly his ears open. He knew he’d hear anomalocaris before he’d see it. Picking up the hurt offspring, Nigel brought it closer to its father’s head. Placing the babe down at the base of its parent’s neck, the older dragon watched them carefully. They sat together, comforting the baby dragon as its life drained from its unblinking eyes.

Feeling remorse, Nigel figured that his best chance of protection was from the older dragon itself. Grabbing a big stick for protection, he returned to his campfire. Adding some more sticks to it, he gulped his freshwater and wolfed down the rest of his food. Before leaving, he filled a few rods from the lake. Hurrying back into the forest, he’d made sure to get there before sundown. The seadragon eyed him suspiciously.

Too tired to resist, the dragon laid its head down, staring off into the distance, choosing to reserve its strength. Walking behind the behemoth, Nigel poured a bit of water onto one of its gills. Surprised by this, the dragon had nearly spurt out even more water, but fought against its own instincts. This was a first for it. Raising its head, it poked at the ground with its snout, making a small hole.

Watching its odd behavior, Nigel was dumbfounded, until it clicked. Was it trying to communicate? Testing his theory, Nigel scraped a few mussels from off a nearby tree. From the safety of beneath its chin, he tossed the mussels into the hole. The dragon sucked them up. Looking around, Nigel noticed that the sides of the trees facing the seadragon were all absent of mussels. The beast was trying to conserve its strength as best it could.

Keeping his distance, Nigel poured the saltwater from his rods into the hole. Thrusting its snout into the salty mud, the dragon slaked its thirst. “Some seadragons crawl upon land to make small ponds or to return to birthing pools for their spawn. If you encounter a nest of baby dragons, keep your distance. You may not have seen the parent, but it sure as hell saw you.”

Collecting more mussels from the nearby trees, Nigel kept his ears open, feeding the dragon until the sun set. Rolling the log bellow the dragon’s neck, Nigel faced its opening at the dragon’s chest. He’d hoped he’d placed himself in the safest position from the anomalocaris. As the embers died out the moon rose. They rested.

They were lucky to gather what sleep they could, for the next morning, they awoke to a musical cacophony. The humming of cords buzzed around them as the abnormal shrimp flew rapidly in all directions. Zipping this way and that, it rammed the log out from underneath the seadragon. Smelling Nigel’s presence, the flying shrimp wanted vengeance for its eye.

Slammed against a tree, the log split in half, exposing Nigel. The anomalocaris dove in to attack him, but it was stopped in midair. Still flapping its carapace towards him, it was floating perfectly still. The seadragon was inhaling them towards itself. Nigel started flying towards the shrimp, as the anomalocaris was pulled towards the dragon.

Reacting quickly, the shrimp flipped its body into a spiraling motion. Nigel flew towards the dragon’s snout. Turning its head away, keeping the shrimp in view, Nigel was thrown into another tree. The dragon had dried its gills. Taking time to flood them again, the shrimp went back on the attack. Diving at Nigel like a dangerous elongated moth with the speed of a dragonfly, the shrimp stretched out its teeth. Preparing to have cookie cutter holes bitten out of him, Nigel shut his eyes.

*THUNK*!

The seadragon knocked the anomalocaris into a tree using its snout. Cracking its shell, the creature laid in shock. Making haste, Nigel hopped on the shrimp’s back, thankful it was laying mouth down. With a quick RIP, Nigel effectively blinded the creature.

Unable to see, having its senses assaulted, the anomalocaris shook. Taking flight again, Nigel gripped onto its eyestalks. Zooming around the trees, yanking on its head, dodging branches left and right, unknowingly he aimed right for the seadragon.

Hearing its fused jaw open, Nigel rolled off just as the dragon raised its snout, inhaling the anomalocaris. Crushed in an instant, the flying demon was dead.

Regaining its strength, the seadragon pushed itself up, shaking the tree off its back. Lumbering towards Nigel, it stared at him, before clicking its snout several times. Then, it turned to the beach, and Nigel followed.

As the dragon submerged itself beneath the waters, Nigel saw the captain’s boat. Waving, jumping, he was spotted and rescued.