right over them, glaring down with baleful eyes. Water ran in rivulets down its scaled face and spattered the raft. The serpent’s tongue flicked out again and quivered, lingering this time, as if tasting the air. A nasty rotting smell engulfed the frightened boys, and they recoiled as a deep hissing sound filled their ears.
“We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead,” Robbie was mumbling, his voice muffled. He had both hands over his face and was rocking back and forth.
As Hal stared up at the monster, something strange came over him. Some of his fear drained away, and determination crept into his heart. With a shaky voice, he spoke to the serpent. “Leave us alone. I mean it. Or you’ll be sorry.”
His fingers tightened around the shovel.
The serpent moved closer, somehow able to tread water and keep its head poised above them. The fins behind its lower jaw hung dripping and limp, and now Hal saw other fins farther along its body, just below the surface, fanning back and forth. Hal imagined the serpent’s endless length undulating from side to side below the surface, deep within the murky depths. He shuddered and wished he could erase that creepy image.
The serpent’s mouth opened partway, and the rotten stench caused Hal to recoil in disgust. He swung upwards with all his strength, and the shovel caught the monster a resounding smack on the chin.
Hal thought he saw surprise flash across the serpent’s huge unblinking eyes as it backed away. It tilted its head once more and stared at him.
“See what you get when you mess with us!” Hal shouted, his face heating up. Panic gave way to the anger that bubbled up from deep inside. He felt breathless. His throat burned and he felt a crawling sensation all over his body. “Come back for some more, you worm!”
To his astonishment, the serpent slipped below the surface.
Hal searched the water. He saw flashes of white, then felt a bump under the raft. “It’s going to sink us,” he said, his anger suddenly evaporating and horror setting in. Would it pull them under and wait until they drowned before chewing them up? Or would it just
swallow them alive?
The raft lifted, and both boys made a grab for the deck. Hal’s shovel—the last remaining paddle—dropped out of his hands and slid off the deck into the water with a plop. “This is it,” he muttered between gritted teeth.
“I don’t want to die!” Robbie wailed.
The raft tilted a little to one side but continued to rise out of the water until all four plastic drums were clear. Now Hal saw the monster’s broad, flat head below the deck, with its slick scaly skin. The raft wobbled as the serpent began cruising through the water.
Hal’s mouth fell open.
What—?
Cruising through the water? Why wasn’t it capsizing them? Why would it lift them up and carry them through the fog? It didn’t make any sense.
Unless it was taking them to its lair, or whatever sea serpents called their homes. Maybe it wasn’t hungry yet. Maybe it wanted to save them for later, by storing them in its larder. Maybe they’d find the skeletons of other people stored there, people who’d been swallowed whole and their bones spat out.
Robbie was moaning, his eyes jammed shut.
“Hey,” Hal said, poking him, “we’re not dead yet. It’s taking us to its lair. There’s still hope.”
“There’s no hope,” Robbie said, shaking his head. “We’re dead. We should never have tried this.”
The serpent continued to slide through the water, seeming to know where it was headed even though the thick fog revealed nothing.
Then the fog thinned and Hal caught sight of land. He squinted, and his mouth fell open. “Robbie. Robbie, look. The docks.”
Robbie’s eyes snapped open. “What?”
The serpent slowed as it approached the jetty, then sank out of sight, lowering the raft back into the water. Momentum carried the raft onwards, and Hal and Robbie sat in silence as they bobbed the rest of the way to the jetty.
“We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead,” Robbie was mumbling, his voice muffled. He had both hands over his face and was rocking back and forth.
As Hal stared up at the monster, something strange came over him. Some of his fear drained away, and determination crept into his heart. With a shaky voice, he spoke to the serpent. “Leave us alone. I mean it. Or you’ll be sorry.”
His fingers tightened around the shovel.
The serpent moved closer, somehow able to tread water and keep its head poised above them. The fins behind its lower jaw hung dripping and limp, and now Hal saw other fins farther along its body, just below the surface, fanning back and forth. Hal imagined the serpent’s endless length undulating from side to side below the surface, deep within the murky depths. He shuddered and wished he could erase that creepy image.
The serpent’s mouth opened partway, and the rotten stench caused Hal to recoil in disgust. He swung upwards with all his strength, and the shovel caught the monster a resounding smack on the chin.
Hal thought he saw surprise flash across the serpent’s huge unblinking eyes as it backed away. It tilted its head once more and stared at him.
“See what you get when you mess with us!” Hal shouted, his face heating up. Panic gave way to the anger that bubbled up from deep inside. He felt breathless. His throat burned and he felt a crawling sensation all over his body. “Come back for some more, you worm!”
To his astonishment, the serpent slipped below the surface.
Hal searched the water. He saw flashes of white, then felt a bump under the raft. “It’s going to sink us,” he said, his anger suddenly evaporating and horror setting in. Would it pull them under and wait until they drowned before chewing them up? Or would it just
swallow them alive?
The raft lifted, and both boys made a grab for the deck. Hal’s shovel—the last remaining paddle—dropped out of his hands and slid off the deck into the water with a plop. “This is it,” he muttered between gritted teeth.
“I don’t want to die!” Robbie wailed.
The raft tilted a little to one side but continued to rise out of the water until all four plastic drums were clear. Now Hal saw the monster’s broad, flat head below the deck, with its slick scaly skin. The raft wobbled as the serpent began cruising through the water.
Hal’s mouth fell open.
What—?
Cruising through the water? Why wasn’t it capsizing them? Why would it lift them up and carry them through the fog? It didn’t make any sense.
Unless it was taking them to its lair, or whatever sea serpents called their homes. Maybe it wasn’t hungry yet. Maybe it wanted to save them for later, by storing them in its larder. Maybe they’d find the skeletons of other people stored there, people who’d been swallowed whole and their bones spat out.
Robbie was moaning, his eyes jammed shut.
“Hey,” Hal said, poking him, “we’re not dead yet. It’s taking us to its lair. There’s still hope.”
“There’s no hope,” Robbie said, shaking his head. “We’re dead. We should never have tried this.”
The serpent continued to slide through the water, seeming to know where it was headed even though the thick fog revealed nothing.
Then the fog thinned and Hal caught sight of land. He squinted, and his mouth fell open. “Robbie. Robbie, look. The docks.”
Robbie’s eyes snapped open. “What?”
The serpent slowed as it approached the jetty, then sank out of sight, lowering the raft back into the water. Momentum carried the raft onwards, and Hal and Robbie sat in silence as they bobbed the rest of the way to the jetty.
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