Lurking Below

By Kevin Schmitt

 The ring billed gull banked sharply to the left and came around for a second look at something strange; at least by bird standards. It’s upper body was sleek like that of a seal, but it’s face was strange and it’s upper limbs were decidedly human. As for its lower limbs---well, that was a real puzzle for the gull. The creature was riding a piece of drift wood. Many could be found on the water, especially after a good storm.

 The gull swooped down and focused on the point where flesh should be gripping a rolling wave drenched length of wood. But even the gull’s keen eyes could not detect claws, feet or legs of any kind. The wood actually seemed to be part of the creature; but of course even a bird knew that such a thing was impossible. The bird wondered if the strange creature was any relative to the turtle, which was a good swimmer but not very fast.

 Speed was important to most creatures but not all. It might prove important to the creature down below because it was not the only long slender swimmer in the water. Some fifty feet behind the legless creature there was an enormous fish. It was larger than any creature the gull had ever seen in those waters. It was a predator, but apparently one that was capable of identifying that which is not edible. The would be prey was counting on that, since its sleek shape afforded it only so much speed even in emergencies.

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Kevin Schmitt lives in Shakopee Minnesota and has been a factory worker for 35 years. He kayaks in the summer and writes fiction during the cold weather months.