On the fifth day came the creatures.
Behemoth beasts travelled beneath us at unnatural speeds, sometimes violently moving the ship which wallowed, having lost power that morning. A maddening smell of decaying fish then assaulted us throughout the ship.
On the sixth day, I was roused from a thin sleep by screams from the deck. The Captain had jumped into the sea and had struck out toward the island before disappearing from view. The crew made no move to recover him, despite shrill demands from his wife. Minutes after he disappeared the engines sputtered to life and we gratefully departed.
Amphituber over 9 years ago
I love the opening sentence here. Evocative description, too.