Up From The Deep by Vaughn Jackson (highly recommended books txt) 📕

the shadow began to rise, and as the shadow grew, a faint purple glow began to emanate from the water. He heard the boat’s engine start up and it began to pull away from the rising shadow. The noise from earlier cut through the air again, and the purple glow from the water intensified. Rough waves pounded at the boat, even as it made its escape. That’s when Raymond saw it. The head came out first, reptilian and grey-scaled as if its skin was part of the ocean itself. An elongated neck thick like a tree trunk followed, with a thin, fan-like membrane crowning its head and travelling down to a ring-like sac at its base. A hiss escaped its throat as it ran a malevolent gaze over the ship. Its neck extended, hovering over the ship, and gazing down at them through orange, snake-like eyes.

“What the hell is that?” Chaplin said, looking over his shoulder.

“It’s huge,” Greenwood whispered, her eyes wide.

“Do we shoot it?” Peters asked.

“Maybe it isn’t a threat,” Raymond said. “Let’s not make it one. Focus on getting away.”

The creature blinked, a pale film flicking over its golden eyes. Two arms encrusted in petrified rock, coral, and all manner of crustacean shells rose from the depths. It screeched, shaking the boat and sending a chill down Raymond’s spine. The force of the noise alone made his eardrums throb. A pungent smell of fish and iodine filled the air. Raymond gagged, and covered his nose.

The creature’s head swayed atop its serpentine neck, before retracting back to a stockier, coiled position. Its eyes remained locked onto the retreating boat.

“I think it sees us,” Peters said, aiming his weapon.

The creature reared back, a mouth full of jagged fangs that sprung from its gums like switchblades, stretched open, pouring saliva and seawater into the ocean below. Its head shot forward, and Shah opened fire. Peters and the other two officers outside followed suit.

The creature shrieked and diverted its attack, plunging its head into the water just to the side of the boat. The rest of its body followed, revealing something that looked like a rocky-shelled alligator with a thrashing, webbed tail.

Raymond felt the vessel leave the water and crash back down far to the left of where it had been. He hissed as more pain shot down through his legs. The creature disappeared below the surface, pushing the boat around on the force of the waves.

“Did we scare it off?” Shah asked.

“Maybe for now,” Raymond said. “That might have been its first experience with bullets. I’m sure now it’s just angry.”

Shah’s face went slack. “Shit.”

“Any chance we can go faster?” Raymond shouted at Chaplin.

“I’m giving it all she’s got, but as big as that thing is, I’m not sure it will matter.”

The fanned tail emerged from the water and crashed down in front of the boat’s stern, plunging it beneath the water and sending two of the officers into the frothing waves.

“Cage! Sizer!” Shah shouted. “Swim, quick!”

Before anyone could react, the creature’s maw rose from the depths and swallowed them whole. It reared back and let out another cry. This time it sounded like the musical cackle of a hyena. The ship came to an uneasy stop and began to lean backwards into the water.

“Fuck,” Chaplin said, slamming his hands into the wheel. His skin was waxy, and a sheen of sweat coated his face.

Shah looked to Raymond. “What are we supposed to do? It just swallowed two of my soldiers.”

“I saw,” Raymond said staring at the gigantic beast outside his window. “What time is it?”

“What does that—”

“Eight-fifty. Evac should arrive in the next five minutes.” Greenwood said.

“Can we survive that long?” Peters asked.

“Probably not,” Raymond said, “but we have to try.”

Shah composed himself, cocked his gun, and said, “Well then, let’s make sure this thing has a serious phobia of bullets after this.” His hands trembled as he held the weapon. “Greenwood, watch over the Captain.”

“Yes, Commander.” Greenwood shuffled over and sat down beside Raymond.

“Peters,” Shah said.

“Yes?”

“Let’s go.”

Peters paled, and he crossed himself solemnly as he readied his weapon. He wasn’t much older looking than Chaplin. Raymond closed his eyes and offered up as much of a prayer as his disbelief could muster. He opened them and watched the two soldiers go forward.

They exited the cabin, unleashing a spray of bullets in quick controlled bursts. The creature winced and reared back, shrieking and hissing. There was no blood, and no injuries appeared on its scaly skin.

“Aim for its eyes!” Shah shouted.

“It’s so high up I can barely see its eyes,” Peters shouted back.

“Wait,” Shah said, “cover me!” Shah dove to the deck of the boat and crawled to the nearest seat. A long black case was slowly sliding into the water. He snatched it up, popped it open and pulled out the pieces. “One sniper rifle, coming up.” The rocking of the boat made the assembly more difficult, but in under a minute he had it assembled.

Shah climbed up on top of the boat’s highest point, laid out, and aimed. “Peters, kill your fire.”

With the hail of bullets ended, the creature’s movements slowed, and it stared down the boat. Raymond thought it looked almost curious.

“Account for the motion, and,” Shah whispered, “gotcha.” He took a deep breath, held it, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle boomed in his hands. Immediately, the creature shrieked in pain as blood poured from its shredded eye socket. It began thrashing violently, threatening to capsize the boat. A clawed hand rose from the depths and swiped at them, crushing part of the boat in the process. The force knocked Peters over. He cracked his head on the side of the boat, and slid into the water, leaving a bloody trail after him. The creature plunged its head into the water much like an ostrich would the sand.

“Dammit, no!” Shah said, diving into the water after him. “No one else!”

Raymond started, “Shah, he’s—”

The commander plunged into the water before Raymond could finish his sentence.

“Do you hear