Chapter 2 - Frank hit the aluminum floor hard.His shoulder slammed against the side of the boat.
The fish landed beside him with enough force to bend one of the benches.
“GET OFF!”
Frank kicked.
The fish rolled.
He scrambled upright.
The creature snapped at his boot.
Frank jerked his leg away.
“Don't bite me!”
The fish slapped him with its tail.
WHACK!
Frank crashed into the cooler.
“I SAID DON'T!”
He grabbed the lid.
The fish lunged.
Frank swung the cooler.
BAM!
The plastic container smashed into the fish's head.
The creature recoiled.
Frank stood there breathing heavily.
His beard was dripping lake water.
His hat was gone.
One sock was missing.
His coffee had somehow survived.
Frank looked at the cup.
Then at the fish.
Then back at the cup.
“Good coffee.”
The fish charged.
Frank threw the coffee at it.
The creature stopped for half a second.
Frank stared.
The fish stared.
Frank whispered:
“I've made a terrible mistake.”
The fish lunged.
Frank ducked.
Its body flew over him and slammed into the opposite side of the boat.
The aluminum groaned.
Frank grabbed the fishing oar.
“Okay.”
He raised it.
“You want war?”
The fish turned.
Frank tightened his grip.
“You got war.”
The creature rushed.
Frank swung.
CRACK!
The oar struck its head.
The fish spun.
Frank swung again.
CRACK!
This time the creature collapsed.
Frank stood over it.
Chest heaving.
Silence.
He waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
The fish didn't move.
Frank slowly lowered the oar.
“That's it.”
He took a breath.
“Old Frank wins.”
The fish's eye opened.
Frank jumped backward.
“Oh, come on!”
The creature exploded upward.
Frank raised his arms.
The fish hit him in the chest.
Both of them crashed into the bottom of the boat.
The tiny vessel tilted nearly ninety degrees.
Water poured over the side.
Frank grabbed the railing.
The fish slid toward him.
Frank kicked it.
The fish snapped.
Frank punched it.
It whipped its tail.
He blocked.
Then punched again.
And again.
The battle became ridiculous.
Frank hit the fish.
The fish hit Frank.
Frank ducked.
The fish missed.
Frank slipped.
The fish slammed into him.
The boat spun.
Both combatants rolled across the floor like two drunk wrestlers trapped inside a bathtub.
But then Frank heard something.
A low vibration.
He stopped.
The fish stopped too.
Both of them looked toward the water.
The lake was no longer calm.
Small circles spread outward from the boat.
Then more appeared.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
The entire lake surface began to ripple.
Frank's expression hardened.
“What is that?”
The fish slowly raised its head.
It stared over the edge of the boat.
Frank followed its gaze.
Something was approaching.
Not from above.
From below.
A huge shape moved beneath the surface.
It was wider than Frank's boat.
Much wider.
Frank backed away.
The fish backed away too.
For the first time, Frank and the creature stood on the same side.
Whatever was beneath them frightened the fish.
Frank swallowed.
“Okay.”
He lowered the oar.
“Temporary truce.”
The fish stared at him.
Frank pointed down.
“We both agree that's bad.”
The fish made a low sound.
Frank nodded.
“Good.”
The water suddenly bulged.
The boat rose.
Frank grabbed the rail.
“Hang on!”
The fish dug its claws into the aluminum.
The boat lifted several inches.
Then dropped.
BOOM!
Frank's teeth rattled.
The water exploded.
A giant black fin cut through the surface.
Frank's mouth dropped open.
The fin moved around the boat.
Once.
Twice.
Then vanished.
Frank whispered:
“There aren't supposed to be fish that big in this lake.”
The fish suddenly jumped toward him.
Frank flinched.
But it didn't attack.
Instead, it grabbed something with its mouth.
A small metal object.
Frank stared.
It was a silver dog tag.
The same type of military identification plate Frank had not seen in twenty-six years.
His fingers began to shake.
He recognized the scratched initials.
J.M.
Joseph Miller.
His younger brother.
Frank slowly took the tag.
The fish released it.
Frank stared at the letters.
His breathing changed.
“No.”
The lake became silent again.
The fish watched him.
Frank closed his fist around the tag.
“Where did you get this?”
The creature stared.
Frank stepped closer.
“Where?”
The fish turned toward the water.
Then it looked back at Frank.
And once again, that terrible sound came from its throat.
“Down.”
Frank felt cold.
“What?”
The fish pointed its head toward the bottom of the lake.
“Down.”
Then it jumped.
Frank reached for it.
Too late.
The creature disappeared beneath the surface.
Frank stood frozen.
The boat rocked gently.
Then his fishing line tightened.
He looked down.
The line was moving.
Something was pulling it downward.
Frank slowly stepped toward the rod.
His hand closed around it.
The line went completely vertical.
And from beneath the boat came a faint metallic ringing.
Like a bell.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Frank stared into the black water.
The bell rang again.
This time louder.
Frank whispered:
“Joseph?”
Something struck the bottom of the boat.
Then another sound came from the deep.
A child's laughter.
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Frank's face went white.
And far below him, two enormous eyes opened in the darkness.
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