Short Stories

Finding Nemo

Mist rolled over the town as the sorbet orange sun rose over the sea. The sea itself had reached the barrier and was crashing on the smooth dismal coloured rocks. There were brightly coloured houses dotting the coastline, like paint splattered on an easel. The air was cool and crisp, with a faint smell of salt clinging to it.

I walked along a costal path with my dad, making sure I was at least fifty meters behind. As I walked I kicked stones off the edge and watched the tiny ripples they made on the clam blue water. After about an hour of walking we came to some shops, I took advantage of the fact my dad felt sorry for me and choose at least £70 worth of stuff, I choose the most pointless stuff I could see: pencils, pens, shells, stones, salt taffy. There was a cafe next door that was almost deserted so my dad thought it would be a great idea to have something to eat and watch the sea.

"Are you ready for the fishing trip" my dad asked. I just nodded, refusing to speak to him, and looked at the sky; it seemed to be getting dark. It was a stormy grey as opposed to typical Greek blue. We walked down the slimy stone cobble way to the docks; there was a rustic boat rocking gently on the waves. I loaded on the equipment and sat at the front, gazing up at the darkening sky. My dad got in next and we started to head out. The sea got choppier the deeper we got, and the spray made the deck slippery. I saw a grey cloud in the distance, lightning flashing against it in light electric purple.

"Come inside, it's getting to rough to be out on deck" my dad shouted. I walked towards the cabin; hair whipping round my face, obscuring my view, something hit me on the back of the head. I fell down struggling to regain my balance, slipped, and fell down.

Black.

When I woke up I put my hand up to my head, it came black sticky with blood. I pushed myself up and groaned as my head started spinning. The sea was calm and still, the moonlight glinting off the waves. I was inside the cabin and my dad was looking at the navigation tools.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked.

"No," he hit the tools "I don't now please GO AWAY!" he shouted.

I left him; he only took me on this trip to make up for what he did to mum. I hate fishing. I hate him more. But it would make my mum happier if she knew I was spending more time with him, so I decided to come. I lay back and let sleep wash over me.

A few hours later I lay on the deck watching the sun rise, shades of yellow, pink and orange dancing across the waves. We had been stranded, floating for what seemed like a lifetime. I was left with nothing but thoughts drifting in and out my head, dissolving in and out of consciousness. Just floating.

I saw an obscure speck of green, contrasting with the red flecked sun. I had not drunk anything for hours and was not sure if I was seeing it right.

"Is that an island?" I exclaimed pointing it out to my dad.

"Yes it is! Turn on the motor. I think we have enough fuel to reach it." He ordered.

I ran to the back of the boat and we sailed over to it. About five hundred meters from shore the motor cut out.

"Ok, grab an oar, we can paddle from here."

We were nearly at shore. Crack. The boat was stuck on a rock, and we were slowly sinking. I hit my leg on a broken rail and my blood was running off the boat into the water. I saw grey shapes advancing on us. This is the end. The boat was sinking faster now, my dad tryed to swin to shore. Abandoning me. The sharks got there first and he was dragged under. I limped my way to the cabin, my bloody leg dragging behind me. I locked the door behing me and waited for death. The wall paper in the cabin was dreary and damp; it was the kind of colour that made you think of all those times you were stuck in a class with a boring teacher who just seemed to drone on and on, minutes lasting hours. This last part was not the cast now, every minute felt like a second, the water gushing through the door, it was coming slowly but ii knew this was just the beginning.

The water was pooling at my feet, I thought back to the last time I saw my mum; we had just had an argument, I was trying to get her to leave my dad. He hits her. I came home to find my mum screaming on the floor as my dad loomed over her, a grisly smile etched upon his face. I had stormed out of the house, not caring where I went; she followed me calling my name, saying it would all be alright. A light flashed before my eyes. She went limp. She had been hit by a drunk driver, tears of anger and regret streamed down my face and onto her pale body, as I screamed her name. People tried to call for help, the ambulance arrived; but it was too late, she was already gone.

The water was clawing at my face, trying to get in. I let it. It covered me like a mask. I saw the blurred fuzzy outlines of the navigation equipment, and heard the echoes of the sharks trying to get in. The blood from my leg was swirling around my face, like a whirlpool of water spinning into a plug hole. I let the air out my lungs.

Silence...