He didn’t want to cry, but he couldn’t stop himself. Tears welled behind his lids; combined with the saltwater, his eyes stung, but he kept them shut tight, too afraid to open them in case he saw something he wished he hadn’t.
He thought about his dad. There were so many things he wanted to say to him. So many apologies he wanted to make for the things he had done wrong. Now he might never get the chance.
A final, desperate scream born of anger, fear and frustration burst from his mouth. When his anger was spent, he slumped against the post.
Then he heard it. A voice calling his name. “Jack?”
He couldn’t believe it. Hope rushed through his veins. “I’m here. Help me,” he cried.
Although it hurt, he twisted his head as far as possible to trace the source of the caller. He heard rocks skitter, heard a muffled yelp, then heard his name called again.
“Jack, is that you? Where are you?”
He recognised the voice, Jen. His heart soared. “I’m here. Hurry. Quick.”
Movement caught his eye, and he squinted to make out Jen in the fog. He had never been so glad to see anyone in his life. Someone else appeared beside her who he identified as the girl that he had seen Jen with at the harbour.
“Thank god,” he said, choking back tears.
Jen and the girl stood just beyond the water’s reach. “Jack, what the hell’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Someone’s tied me to this post and I can’t get free.”
“Jesus. Hold on, I’m coming.”
“Be careful,” the other girl said.
Jen slipped into the water and waded towards him, holding her arms aloft.
A fresh wave swept in, causing Jen to sway precariously. “Watch how you go,” Jack said. “It’s not as if I can rescue you.”
Jen shook her head. “This is no time to be joking.”
“Who’s joking?”
The other girl stood back on the rocks and watched.
“That bastard Zander,” Jen said. “I thought he might be angry, but this!”
Jack felt something tighten in his bowels. “Zander? What’s he got to do with this?” he asked as Jen reached his side.
“When I heard you were missing, I went to see Rocky. That night outside my house, he heard what you said about the drugs, and he told Zander.”
“Jesus. Great boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“You broke up?” Despite his predicament, a warm feeling swept over him that even the cold, incessant waves couldn’t dampen.
“Yeah, he’s a jerk.”
Jack grinned.
He felt Jen’s hands trying to undo the ropes. She gritted her teeth at his side, her sweet breath washing over him.
“Jesus, these ropes are tight,” she said.
“Get away from him.”
Jack and Jen turned as one to see who had shouted. The fog had dissipated over time, and Jack could see a figure scurrying across the rocks at the base of the cliff. The previous warm feeling in his stomach evaporated, replaced with ice.
It was the madwoman, Lillian Brown.
She ran past Jen’s friend, pushing her aside as she went.
“Gran? What’s going on?” Jen said.
Jack frowned. “You know her?”
“Of course I know her, she’s my grandmother.”
“Jenny, get away from him. Now,” Lillian screeched.
The water lapped across Jack’s chest, and with each ebb of the sea, the tidemark rose higher and higher. He tried to stand on his tiptoes to rise above the water, but it was useless.
“Gran, someone’s tied him to this post. I’ve got to get him free.”
“You stupid girl, I did it. Now leave him be, and get away.”
Jen scowled. “You? I don’t understand.”
“How else are we going to bring back the fish? The sea needs a sacrifice. Fresh blood.”
“Sacrifice! You’re crazy,” Jack squealed.
“Gran, tell me what’s going on.”
Lillian waded into the sea, waving her arms. “Don’t you realise how hard it was for us to drag him all the way out here? Now get away from him.”
“This is crazy. You can’t let him die.”
“Why not? How else are we going to bring back the fish? Why do you think they came back last time? We can’t keep taking without giving something back.”
Jen frowned. “Last time?”
“Yes, look what happened then. I offered a whole family, and the fish returned.”
“The Johnson’s,” Jack said, remembering the story of the family who had lived in the house previously. “You’re fucking crazy.”
“Tell me that’s not true,” Jen said. “You didn’t do something to the Johnson’s, did you?”
A wave buffeted Lillian back. “It worked, didn’t it? It was the only way. It’s still the only way.”
Jack felt Jen frantically tearing at the knot. His heart felt as though it were about to explode. This was madness.
“Hurry up,” he hissed as another wave rolled towards them.
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Jen said.
Jack stared at Lillian, saw the madness in her eyes, the savage look of fury.
The wave washed over them, sending Jen flying. Submerged, Jack held his breath and waited for the water to recede… and waited, and waited.
But the water didn’t recede. He tossed his head from side to side, yanked against the bindings, twisted his wrists, and then without warning, his hands were free. Relief surged through him. Then he realised his feet were still bound.
His lungs felt as though they were about to burst. Bubbles streamed from his mouth and nostrils as he started to exhale. Frantic, he bent over at the waist and pulled at the binding around his ankles. He started to feel dizzy. The strong flow of the water buffeted him from all sides. His fingers struggled with the knot, searching for some way to untie it. When he had a hold of what he thought was one end of the rope, he traced it back to the knot, felt for the ridge where it crossed over, then pulled with all his might.
The knot came free, and he wrenched his legs out and swam, gasping for breath to the surface, where he gulped in a deep lungful of air. Nothing had ever tasted sweeter.
“Jack, thank God,” Jen said as she swam across. When she reached him, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, then his lips. Jack rejoiced in her salty kiss, never wanted it to end.
When she finally released him, Jen said, “I’m sorry, Jack. If I’d known…”
“It’s not your fault,” Jack said. He tore his gaze away from Jen and looked back towards the shore where Lillian stood, the wind buffeting her hair and clothes while she stood immobile, staring past them. There was no sign of Jen’s friend.
“You’re too late,” Lillian cackled, pointing a bony arm out to sea.
Jack and Jen looked where Lillian indicated. Less than twenty feet away, the water appeared to bubble and froth as something rose from the depths.
Next minute a large, black, shiny head as large as Jack’s burst forth, spraying water in its wake. Jack stared wide-eyed. He had never seen anything like it. Two small, beady black eyes set high on the head looked back at Jack, sending a chill through his body. The surface of the creature’s head appeared haggard, riddled with small cavities delineated by serrated edges. Scales that resembled thin plates adorned what he could see of the thing’s skin. The creature opened its mouth, revealing fangs at least six inches long.
Whatever it was, this creature wasn’t natural.
At his side, Jen squealed, turned and started to swim for shore. “Come on,” she shouted, forcing Jack into action
He found it ironic that although he had given up eating meat, that didn’t mean he wasn’t on the menu. Well, this meal wasn’t going to be served up without a fight. He started to swim, hearing the terrifying splash of water at his rear as the creature came after him.