Carston yanked the clip out of his ancient Colt handgun. He slammed another in as fast as he possibly could and fired five shots down the dark corridor of the engine room. He heard an explosion, probably some compressed gas can, and then a roar that would chill any other person's blood instantly. For Carston, that sound was satisfaction; he was taking vengence for every crew member that had been mercilessly slaughtered. He didn't know what that thing was, but Carston did know that it would not claim him before he had fired his last shot. He leaped from the cover of darkness and raced up the stairs.
The Darkness still reigned over the ships’ hull, and Carston could barely make out the shapes on the deck. He ran down the aft of the ship and tripped over something as he got halfway. He looked back and saw that it was a body of one of the crewmen. He froze as he stared at the mutilated corpse. He only froze for a second though, for he heard clanging going on below the deck. A shrill cry pierced the wind that howled as Carston picked himself up and raced for the end of the deck. He reached cover and spun around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the monster that was coming out of the hold.
He could see nothing and he turned to the task that lay ahead of him. The cannon mounted on the deck of this ship was pointed ahead, and to make sure that this creature would never see the light of day again he would have to either destroy the vermin with this, or sink the ship with the cannon, while escaping in the small life boat already hanging overboard. A failed escape attempt by some of the crew. He would have to throw their bodies overboard, of course, but that would be only half the difficulty. His mind was still reeling at the agility of this monster.
The surprise at its attack only hours earlier had stunned them all. He wasn’t quite sure how it had got on board, and he was worried that it might be amphibious, but for now that was quite the least of his worries. He got to work turning the gun around, towards the hold. The shot would be tricky, with all the debris and objects in the way, but he would make a go of it if the need presented itself. The idea of just getting off the ship itself was the better plan every moment that dragged on. He finally swung the gun into position and moved it up and down to get the feel for it. He had only seen it used once before on a Soviet sub two days ago, but he hadn’t paid as close attention as he should.
There was more rattling below the ship and it was starting to really make Carston nervous. The cries from the beast were coming closer, yet not emerging from underneath. The creature seemed to be quite ferocious, though he had only caught a glimpse of it himself. He hadn’t actually seen its head, but the back of it looked like a lizard, with legs like a lizard and tentacles attached above it. The creature had just attacked someone and was running down the lower corridor when Carston had fired the first time. The thing moved with amazing agility, and it had to possess sharp claws or teeth to mangle the bodies as it moved on. They had actually encountered it at the beginning of the storm and it was unknown among the shipmates Carston encountered how the creature had gotten on board.
Come to think of it, all the men that he had passed had only been mangled, and it look like there were no visible portions of flesh missing from any of the dead sailors he passed. Being the hunted didn’t help his psyche, but it was the only way to survive, outthink the hunter, and then become the hunter. Now he was attempting to become the hunter or die trying, but he didn’t plan on dying today. He finished the setup and decided to wait a few moments and make some in-head calculations, as he liked to call it. He took in the distance that it was to the boat that he had passed, and to his dismay, it was almost all the way back to the hold. The other boats that he knew were there would take time and effort to lower into the water, and being just one man he didn’t have that kind of time.
The noise of the creature resonated through the floor and up to him as he stood there thinking over his options. He could tell that it was almost right below him, and that thought sent a cold wave of fear down his spine. He could hear the ripping of flesh coming from below, and wondered why it was feasting now, and not when it had first killed. Many of the predators in the wild today always ate their first kill. He didn’t want to stick around and find out the nature of this beast. He looked to his left and spotted a boat. It was still attached to the boat, but he would try and lower it, by the safety of the cannon so that he wouldn’t be vulnerable all the way down at the other end of the ship.
He crossed to the boat, cautiously so that the beast below would not here him crossing, but confident. He rose up the bar with the pulley at the end and then went to work on the boat. There was a one man jack that was under the boat, and he had to reach that as quietly as possible. He lifted the boat up with difficulty and straining to do it calmly, but he got the jack. However, the weight of the boat was too much for Carston and he let the boat drop, just barely saving the jack. The loud “CLANG” of the boat slamming into the deck resonated for a few minutes past the tumult going on around him in the storm.
He could still hear the creature ravenously devouring his comrades below the deck, and it brought a sickly warm feeling to his heart. The hope that it might not have heard him or was too distracted to investigate. And the anguish and irreverence at feeling so jovial at the thought that a monster was eating his friends and not him. He placed the jack under the boat and started to work. He was slightly hesitant at first because of the constant sounds that would come from the jack as he lifted it up off the deck.
After the first few cranks he could tell that the creature was not going to reappear for a little while. He continued raising the boat until it was higher than the rail. He swung it over the side and lowered it to be parallel with the deck. He went to the cannon, and then realized that the carnage from below had stopped. All was quiet. He looked at the hold and could see nothing coming from it. Then he saw it. It rose gracefully from the hold and sprang onto the deck. At first Carston thought he was spotted, but the beast just stood there. Sinking the ship would be useless now. He had to dismember this being, before he was killed, of course.
He could see why it had terrified those sailors which it had killed. It had a head shaped like a giant tadpole, only with six eyes and the jaw of a shark; it had four legs, not like those found on lizards, but those like lions. The tentacles he thought he saw were really six flexible arms on the monster’s upper body, with sharp, mace-like objects on the palm. Foot-long spikes ran down its back, ending with smaller spikes on an ancient, fish-like tail. It was making sounds, not unlike the cooing of a pigeon. It then let out a blood-curdling screech and began to walk forward.
Carston shook himself back to sanity and darted to the cannon. Being a semi-automatic it was easy enough to operate. He lined the target sights on the approaching beast’s chest and pulled the trigger three times. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The cannon flashed and he could see the work he had completed. The rounds impacted the beast in the chest, tearing it in half. The body went flying ten feet back in opposite directions, pouring fluorescent blue blood all over the deck. Warm sensations went up and down Carston’s spine, and for a moment he was in shock. He gathered his senses and he pointed the cannon into the deck. He pulled the trigger and then ran for the lifeboat. The ship started to sink, even faster than what he expected.
He kicked the crank that held the rope and the boat plunged for the water. He grabbed the starter for the motor and yanked. It wouldn’t go! He gave it another yank and it roared to life. He gave it gas and steered it clear of the wreckage. He didn’t know what direction land was, so he piloted it west, sure that if anything he would hit another ship. They had been traveling in the Gulf of Oman, just completing their final sub-sweep of the month, so it wouldn’t be that hard to get a ship flagged down. The hours passed and the storm subsided, but he wasn’t even sure that he would get to land. Then, on the horizon, he spotted it, a vessel, steaming towards him with a banner raised at full mast. He couldn’t quite make out who it was, but he would find out. It drew closer and he could see an Israeli banner waving in the lazy breeze! He had never been so happy in his life. They picked him up, and he explained his story to the American Intel when he got to port. He made a promise to himself never to set foot on any boat, ever again! Or would he?...
~ThrillAuthor
P.S. Hope you like it. I tag Rachster! Here you go...
This blog is a place where Christian Homeschoolers can come together and chat about concerns, life, writing, and anything else of interest. Have fun in The Land of Trinity!
Sep. 18, 2008 - Tagged!
Carston yanked the clip out of his ancient Colt handgun. He slammed another in as fast as he possibly could and fired five shots down the dark corridor of the engine room. He heard an explosion, probably some compressed gas can, and then a roar that would chill any other person's blood instantly. For Carston, that sound was satisfaction; he was taking vengence for every crew member that had been mercilessly slaughtered. He didn't know what that thing was, but Carston did know that it would not claim him before he had fired his last shot. He leaped from the cover of darkness and raced up the stairs.
The Darkness still reigned over the ships’ hull, and Carston could barely make out the shapes on the deck. He ran down the aft of the ship and tripped over something as he got halfway. He looked back and saw that it was a body of one of the crewmen. He froze as he stared at the mutilated corpse. He only froze for a second though, for he heard clanging going on below the deck. A shrill cry pierced the wind that howled as Carston picked himself up and raced for the end of the deck. He reached cover and spun around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the monster that was coming out of the hold.
He could see nothing and he turned to the task that lay ahead of him. The cannon mounted on the deck of this ship was pointed ahead, and to make sure that this creature would never see the light of day again he would have to either destroy the vermin with this, or sink the ship with the cannon, while escaping in the small life boat already hanging overboard. A failed escape attempt by some of the crew. He would have to throw their bodies overboard, of course, but that would be only half the difficulty. His mind was still reeling at the agility of this monster.
The surprise at its attack only hours earlier had stunned them all. He wasn’t quite sure how it had got on board, and he was worried that it might be amphibious, but for now that was quite the least of his worries. He got to work turning the gun around, towards the hold. The shot would be tricky, with all the debris and objects in the way, but he would make a go of it if the need presented itself. The idea of just getting off the ship itself was the better plan every moment that dragged on. He finally swung the gun into position and moved it up and down to get the feel for it. He had only seen it used once before on a Soviet sub two days ago, but he hadn’t paid as close attention as he should.
There was more rattling below the ship and it was starting to really make Carston nervous. The cries from the beast were coming closer, yet not emerging from underneath. The creature seemed to be quite ferocious, though he had only caught a glimpse of it himself. He hadn’t actually seen its head, but the back of it looked like a lizard, with legs like a lizard and tentacles attached above it. The creature had just attacked someone and was running down the lower corridor when Carston had fired the first time. The thing moved with amazing agility, and it had to possess sharp claws or teeth to mangle the bodies as it moved on. They had actually encountered it at the beginning of the storm and it was unknown among the shipmates Carston encountered how the creature had gotten on board.
Come to think of it, all the men that he had passed had only been mangled, and it look like there were no visible portions of flesh missing from any of the dead sailors he passed. Being the hunted didn’t help his psyche, but it was the only way to survive, outthink the hunter, and then become the hunter. Now he was attempting to become the hunter or die trying, but he didn’t plan on dying today. He finished the setup and decided to wait a few moments and make some in-head calculations, as he liked to call it. He took in the distance that it was to the boat that he had passed, and to his dismay, it was almost all the way back to the hold. The other boats that he knew were there would take time and effort to lower into the water, and being just one man he didn’t have that kind of time.
The noise of the creature resonated through the floor and up to him as he stood there thinking over his options. He could tell that it was almost right below him, and that thought sent a cold wave of fear down his spine. He could hear the ripping of flesh coming from below, and wondered why it was feasting now, and not when it had first killed. Many of the predators in the wild today always ate their first kill. He didn’t want to stick around and find out the nature of this beast. He looked to his left and spotted a boat. It was still attached to the boat, but he would try and lower it, by the safety of the cannon so that he wouldn’t be vulnerable all the way down at the other end of the ship.
He crossed to the boat, cautiously so that the beast below would not here him crossing, but confident. He rose up the bar with the pulley at the end and then went to work on the boat. There was a one man jack that was under the boat, and he had to reach that as quietly as possible. He lifted the boat up with difficulty and straining to do it calmly, but he got the jack. However, the weight of the boat was too much for Carston and he let the boat drop, just barely saving the jack. The loud “CLANG” of the boat slamming into the deck resonated for a few minutes past the tumult going on around him in the storm.
He could still hear the creature ravenously devouring his comrades below the deck, and it brought a sickly warm feeling to his heart. The hope that it might not have heard him or was too distracted to investigate. And the anguish and irreverence at feeling so jovial at the thought that a monster was eating his friends and not him. He placed the jack under the boat and started to work. He was slightly hesitant at first because of the constant sounds that would come from the jack as he lifted it up off the deck.
After the first few cranks he could tell that the creature was not going to reappear for a little while. He continued raising the boat until it was higher than the rail. He swung it over the side and lowered it to be parallel with the deck. He went to the cannon, and then realized that the carnage from below had stopped. All was quiet. He looked at the hold and could see nothing coming from it. Then he saw it. It rose gracefully from the hold and sprang onto the deck. At first Carston thought he was spotted, but the beast just stood there. Sinking the ship would be useless now. He had to dismember this being, before he was killed, of course.
He could see why it had terrified those sailors which it had killed. It had a head shaped like a giant tadpole, only with six eyes and the jaw of a shark; it had four legs, not like those found on lizards, but those like lions. The tentacles he thought he saw were really six flexible arms on the monster’s upper body, with sharp, mace-like objects on the palm. Foot-long spikes ran down its back, ending with smaller spikes on an ancient, fish-like tail. It was making sounds, not unlike the cooing of a pigeon. It then let out a blood-curdling screech and began to walk forward.
Carston shook himself back to sanity and darted to the cannon. Being a semi-automatic it was easy enough to operate. He lined the target sights on the approaching beast’s chest and pulled the trigger three times. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The cannon flashed and he could see the work he had completed. The rounds impacted the beast in the chest, tearing it in half. The body went flying ten feet back in opposite directions, pouring fluorescent blue blood all over the deck. Warm sensations went up and down Carston’s spine, and for a moment he was in shock. He gathered his senses and he pointed the cannon into the deck. He pulled the trigger and then ran for the lifeboat. The ship started to sink, even faster than what he expected.
He kicked the crank that held the rope and the boat plunged for the water. He grabbed the starter for the motor and yanked. It wouldn’t go! He gave it another yank and it roared to life. He gave it gas and steered it clear of the wreckage. He didn’t know what direction land was, so he piloted it west, sure that if anything he would hit another ship. They had been traveling in the Gulf of Oman, just completing their final sub-sweep of the month, so it wouldn’t be that hard to get a ship flagged down. The hours passed and the storm subsided, but he wasn’t even sure that he would get to land. Then, on the horizon, he spotted it, a vessel, steaming towards him with a banner raised at full mast. He couldn’t quite make out who it was, but he would find out. It drew closer and he could see an Israeli banner waving in the lazy breeze! He had never been so happy in his life. They picked him up, and he explained his story to the American Intel when he got to port. He made a promise to himself never to set foot on any boat, ever again! Or would he?...
~ThrillAuthor
P.S. Hope you like it. I tag Rachster! Here you go...
Edited by ThrillAuthor on Oct. 7, 2008 at 4:04 PM