A Fishing Trip To The Abyss

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the water as we set sail aboard my grandad's old fishing boat, The Albatross. I wasn’t quite sure how I ended up here. A last-minute trip with my old friend, Sam, had pulled me away from the comfort of my couch and into the embrace of the open sea. The idea of fishing sounded quaint enough, and it was about time I got off that sofa and stopped moping at a recent breakup, though I suppose the lingering heaviness even the sea breeze couldn't whisk away.

The boat creaked as we navigated through the waves, laughter and the clinking of beer cans punctuating the air. There were a few other friends as well—Megan, our highly spirited friend was the driving force behind this trip, Phil, who always managed to find the punchline in any situation, and Veronica, whose calm demeanor soothed the chaos that often accompanied us. I leaned back against the wooden side, allowing myself to relax for the first time that week. It had been a while since we'd all been together, and whilst Sam was the one to demand a well over due trip, I'm sure the others had discussed an intervention to get me out of my doom.

“Alright, boys! Who’s ready to catch some dinner?” Sam called over the engine’s roar, snapping me back to the present. He stood at the helm, his silhouette framed against the setting sun. The cool breeze whipped through his hair as the boat glided further into the open water. I smiled, taking in the scene. If we were lucky, tonight would be a feast of fish. it had been a while since I had tried to fish and the last couple of trips years ago with my now deceased grandad hadn't been overly successful, like the fish were slowly disappearing from this lake.

As dusk fell, we dropped anchor and set our lines in the water. The sea around us was alive, glimmering under the last remnants of sunlight. I felt a thrill as I gripped the rod, reminding me of the many times I had done this before. Hours passed, the stars twinkling one by one, and despite our various attempts, we struggled to catch anything. The laughter morphed into a gentle camaraderie, as stories flowed freely about everything from childhood mischief to the recent heartbreak. While I was reluctant to talk about it, it was like an elephant in the room and I knew my friends had the best interest in heart, but I kept trying to evade the subject.

One moment we were all talking, and then we heard a loud splash. Phil had been standing near the edge, trying to untangle his fishing line from the rudder when he lost his balance. “Shit!” I shouted just as he lurched, arms flailing in a desperate bid to regain his footing. I could see the panic in his eyes as he started failing over the edge.

“Phil!” Veronica screamed, rushing to the edge, but it was too late. He crashed overboard, disappearing into the inky depths with only the ripple on the surface betraying his fall. A heavy silence enveloped us, none of us knowing what to do straight away, or possibly trying to register what just happened.

Megan was the first to react, throwing down her fishing rod and grabbing for a life jacket. “Jake! Help me!” she shouted, her voice tinged with urgency. Without thinking, I dashed to her side, grabbing the other end of the rope secured to the boat.

“Phil?” I yelled, scanning the darkness beyond the edge of the boat. The water began to stir as panic set in. Sam quickly turned off the engine, the sudden quiet adding to the weight of the moment.

“Throw it!” Megan commanded, and I hurled the life jacket into the water, watching it bob as the waves rocked it away from the boat. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion and it seemed so quiet, no splashing or anything!

Each second stretched into eternity as we strained to hear any sign of Phil. “Where is he?” Sam muttered, the fear in his voice palpable. The stars glimmered above us despite the chaos below, as we listened intently for the sound of splashing or any reassurance that he was still alive.

“Phil! where are you!” I called. The sense of helplessness was suffocating, and I could feel desperation seeping into my bones. I gripped the edge of the boat, half tempted to jump in after him. The darkness of the water loomed beneath us, and I felt an overwhelming urge to leap in, but a part of me froze, not being able to see anything was distubring, like looking into an abyss of darkness.

Just then, a series of frantic splashes broke the stillness, and we turned to see Phil’s head bobbing for air in the distance. Relief surged through me, and I felt like I could breathe again. “Over here!” Phil shouted, his voice strained but determined.

Before I realised what I was doing, I leaned over the edge of the boat in an attempt to reach him. In my frantic panic, I lost my balance, feeling the boat sway beneath me. It felt as if I was caught between instinct and the grip of gravity, and despite my efforts to hold myself steady, I slipped.

Time folded in on itself as I plunged into the cold, dark ocean. The shock of the water took my breath away, frigid and furious against my skin. I gasped, realising I had become the next casualty of the sea's reckoning, the very ship that had promised laughter now transformed into something else.

As I surfaced, sputtering out water, I saw Phil nearby, his relief evident, though moments earlier he had been the one overboard. But in that moment, we were both adrift in a night that had turned from fun to this!

Panic surged through me as I struggled to regain my composure, my strokes frantic and disoriented. The dark water seemed alive, swirling around me. That’s when I noticed it—a ripple beneath the surface that sent shivers down my spine. It wasn’t just the waves anymore; something was lurking just out of sight, something ancient and hungry.

"Phil, swim back!" I shouted, my voice tinged with a primal fear that surged in my chest. But as I looked towards him, the light in his eyes began to wane, overshadowed by a menace rising from the depths. With every frantic movement, the water grew thicker, as if it were pulling me toward something sinister lurking beneath.

A monstrous silhouette danced just below the waves, its form shifting and twisting like smoke in water. I could feel it watching us, drawn to our distress like a moth to a flame. A low growl reverberated through the sea, vibrating in my bones as I kicked harder, the coldness clawing at my very soul. Each splash felt feeble against the vastness of the horror that prowled beneath us. The echoes of laughter from earlier now felt like a cruel memory, overshadowed by the dark reality of our current predicament. The creature was hungry, and I could sense that it was no longer just an unfathomable ocean that surrounded us—it was a predator closing in.