Page 121 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
The air thickened as the ship slowed, the geriatric wood grinding when the weight of the anchor pulled on it. Some people were discharging globs of anticipation, others were throwing fear into the pot; Jackson had added a big handful of disgust, and all of it simmered together to create a chunky soup. Asour, cream-based broth that’d curdled before it was lugged into the pot.
I choked on it, as I slipped the splash goggles over my face.
But that cough turned to a surprised “oh”when I peered through the enchanted plastic. The world curved, as though it was looping itself around a big fishbowl, but the churlish grey waters were as transparent as glass. Hundreds of green, blue, and yellow fish scuttled beneath those crystalline waves, flashing googly-eyed expressions at the groaning ship. Jouncing tendrilsof sea grass, coral, and other vegetation danced atop of the seabed.
I could see everything. Straight down to the ocean floor.
It wasfreaky.
Shrieking laughter billowed into the misty sky as people gawked over the edge of the boat, peering down at the seabed.
Thankfully, the magiconlyworked for the ocean. The wood of the ship, bowed slightly because of the shape of the goggles, remained solid. People did too, although several of our morematureindividuals wondered out loud if they’d have X-ray vision through clothing.
Spoiler alert: they didn’t.
I couldn’t imagine what a lawsuit that would’ve been if the goggles gave people the power to view their neighbors’ genitals.
Voices boinged between my ears as I leaned against the railing.
“That isgorgeous.”
“Look at the fish!”
“Fishies!”
“That is one ugly effer!” This said as a long-bodied creature sleazed its way near the surface, flashing its wide-set eyes and pronounced underbite at us.
“Is that an eel?”
“Who ran him over with a truck?”
Iwantedto be on the same level of awe and joy as everyone else. I really did. And I had been, for a hot second, after I’d first seen the sea bottom. But the more I looked down, watching the ocean life rippling beneath the waves, seeing howvery bigit all was…
A bulbous shark swaggered on to the set, chasing half the fish away and making the tourists shriek with delight.
A cold sweat prickled at my forehead.
That shark was decent-sized—fifteen or twenty feet, or more—but it lookedtinyin the vast waters.
I’d been in this ocean. Had swam in it, played in it, nearly drowned in it, and had always, always,alwaysbeen aware of its scope. But knowing it andseeingit were two completely different things.
“There he is!” a girl on the other side of the ship screamed.
“Ho-lee shit. He’shuge!”
“He looks hungry, huh? Should I throw him a snack?” This joke warmly uttered by a man who laughed when a small child bleated, “Noooo,Dad!”
“Oooooh buddy, the pictures shortchange the shit out of this bastard,” Rune boomed.
Alistair quietly meandered beneath the ship and emerged on our side.
The fish scattered when they saw him. Even the doofus eel, with its big underbite, got all bug-eyed and started scrambling.
People cheered, drumming their hands against the rail.
Alistair flipped himself sideways, scrunching his neck into a U-shape so he could scan his orange eye over the crowd.
He blinked when he saw me.
