Shadows In The Water

The warmth of the sun pierces the gentle ocean waves above my head. Yet, all I could see where the movement of the water. I never opened my eyes from my slumber, I just stayed in a catatonic state while resting.

I would have stayed in my slumber but something woke me. It is hard to describe, I cannot hear or see it, but I know it is there.

Should I expend energy and find it?

Maybe it will find me?

My tail wiggles with excitement, it cannot help itself. My nose twitch. It has been a while since I ate.

Pushing myself against the water, I start toward the smell, knowing that it will lead me toward that delectable smell.

The closer I get to the smell, the faster it moves away from me.

My fin breaks the surface of the water as I move toward it. And I go back into the water.

I hope it’s not like the last time. I had hoped that my hunger was going to end. I swam to the smell, but I could not get to it. Something kept me from what I wanted.

I rammed my body into it over and over again, but that thing would not move. Whatever it was in front of me kept moving, but not away. I was confused. I didn’t know why I couldn’t get it.

When I snapped the hard thing, it hurt my mouth, but then something that tasted good was in my mouth. It was small but it would do. I let go of my last meal to get this one and now I couldn’t.

Shaking my body, I forget the past as I move toward the smell. It is fresh. I know I can get it this time. I move faster. That small thing I ate last time was not enough.

The smell is getting stronger. There is finally a shadow with the smell. The closer I get the water is vibrating with sound. It sounds weird but the smell is drawing me closer.

With a big burst of speed, I hit the hard thing again. It was not supposed to be here. Maybe if I hit it again I can get to the smell. The shadow is moving up; maybe I should move up too.

Sound is coming from above the water, from a bigger shadow.

“He must be a man hunter. We haven’t even put the fish bait out yet.” The sound does not make sense, but it’s getting louder. The shadow is moving more.

“Do we need to pull her out?” Another sound is vibrating in my waters.

“Nah, man, I closed the cage; it can’t get to her.” The sound continues as the shadow moves faster.

I ram into the cage again. And again. This time the shadow comes toward me, I move faster, and the shadow tastes weird.

“Pull her up now!” The sound is there again.

As the sound is moving away, I snap again and get another piece of the shadow.

Fast shadows are hurled toward me. One scratches my nose. The pain means I need to go away from the smell. So I run, again, like last time.

Once I am safe, I hunt again. This time the smaller shadows. They taste good, but I need more like the big shadow that waits for me, behind the hard thing that I can’t eat.

As I break the surface, an enormous shadow is in front of me again.

I smell that smell again. I know I will be hurt again, but I can’t help it. I have to go toward it. I am in the middle of the smell, but where is the shadow. I swim, but where is it?

Before I can turn around, the fast shadows hit me. I want to move away, but my body will not move. Then, more shadows hit me, and I want to getaway. But I don’t know why. My body won’t move, and the shadows won’t stop.

When I stop moving, something pulls me towards the enormous shadow. My body leaves the water for the first time. I want the water back, but I can’t move toward it.

My body hits something hard and cold, and there are sounds around me.

“Told you we would get the one that hurt Anne.” The shadow with the sound hit me with something that hurt.

“We’re almost to the docks!” Then, another sound is heard somewhere else.

My body rocks, and then it is pulled again. This time my tail hurts more, and there is nothing around me. The wind wraps around my body. There is a strange sound coming all around me with shadows attached to it.

One shadow sounds different, and then the other sounds stop.

“I can’t believe you went back to kill this shark.”

“Did you see Anne? She’s missing a finger and some muscle on her leg.” The sound that I have heard before is there.

“And really, why did a shark attack, Anne?” The softer sound is closer to me.

“How should I know? This shark deserves what it got.” The sound is harsh and cold.

“No, Anne got what she deserves.” The softer voice sounds more substantial. “Why would you let her get in the water while her period was on? Surely she had to know that a shark was coming with her in the water. You had to know. ”

The other sound has finally stopped.

“Look at him.” The soft sound is closer, and the shadow is warm. “His eyes have been damaged. Look at the scars on this skin. You drew him in with fish blood and then attacked him when he attacked naturally.”

The sound and shadow are close, but the warmth is fading. Now the shadow is gone. There is no sound.