Michael Bray - Feed

‘Now do you understand?’ Liam said. ‘We’re never getting off this rock. That thing will never let us.’ He turned his back and walked away, sitting cross-legged next to the remains of his father. Tyler didn’t understand how he could do that. How he could cope with the smell. He stayed where he was, facing into the wind so he didn’t have to handle that stench. He watched the scene on the ocean, hoping rescue would still get to them.

The morsel of food hadn’t satisfied the Megalodon’s perpetual hunger. It circled in seventy feet of water, massive head swaying from side to side as it scanned the ocean for anything else in its territory. It was not used to having its dominance challenged, and as a fiercely territorial creature, it knew only to react with aggression. It returned to the sight of its kill, the bloody water like a homing beacon. It cruised close to the surface, dorsal fin out of the water. Benton sat on the overturned zodiac, numb with disbelief. Even though he believed the stories of the giant shark were true, seeing it was something else entirely. The slate-coloured fin was just twenty feet away. It sliced through the bloody water, then angled towards him. There was nowhere to go, nothing he could do to defend himself. He was going to die and knew it would be a horrific death. A gunshot echoed through the silence. Benton watched as part of the dorsal fin was cut away in an explosion of blood. At first, he was unsure what had happened, then realised it was Carrington. He was standing at the bow, shotgun smoking as he stared at the scene in front of him. Angered by the attack, the Megalodon turned towards the boat and readied itself to attack. Carrington realised what was happening and sprinted to the wheelhouse, throwing the boat into gear and turning away from the shark, which gave chase, locking on to the churning vibrations from the boat’s propellers.

‘This is our chance. We can get out of here,’ Tyler said, for the first time feeling hope and excitement. Liam said nothing. He sat by his father, eating another hunk of rotten flesh.

‘What are you waiting for? Come on, the shark is moving off,’ Tyler repeated, watching as the man who was sitting on the overturned zodiac slipped into the water and started to drag it towards the island. Tyler knew he had to do something to help and was about to charge into the water when he felt the sting of pain on his back. He spun around to see Liam standing there, scalpel in hand. Tyler touched his back, fingers covered in blood when he looked at them.

‘What the fuck?’ he grunted as he stared at the younger man, a dishevelled and broken wreck who he no longer recognised. ‘You cut me.’

‘You can’t leave here.’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ You’re insane. You need your medication. You’re sick.’

‘I need you. You’re still fresh. My father… he doesn’t taste so good anymore.’

‘Don’t you get it? This is our chance. We can both get off this rock and back to civilisation.’

Liam shook his head. ‘It’s too late for me. You were right. Things can never be normal. Not now.’ He slashed out with the blade again, gashing Tyler’s forearm. Blood spattered the rocks at his feet as he backed away.

‘You can’t leave now,’ Liam said, flashing a bloody grin. ‘You’ll bleed in the water and that big fish will come get you. Best you stay here with me and Dad.’

It was then Tyler realised Liam was beyond saving. There was no rational thought, no sanity left. In a way, it made his next decision easier. When every option led to death, there was no reason to fear. Without any hesitation, Tyler lurched into the water and started to swim for the overturned Zodiac.

Carrington realised two things in very quick succession. Firstly, that he couldn’t possibly outrun the shark, and second, that it was much bigger than he anticipated. His intention had been to lead it out into open water to give Benton time to flip the Zodiac and get to safety, but he knew now that such an option was impossible and would only serve to bring his own life to an end should the shark sink his vessel. Instead, he had started to angle back to the rock outcrop and the shallows. He knew that was his best chance of survival and the best way to use the immense size of the shark to his advantage.

The Megalodon chased its prey, compelled to attack. It increased its pace, angling up from under the stern of the vessel. It accelerated, striking the fibreglass hull just behind the propellers. The vessel lurched out of the water, for a split second its forward momentum slowing as its props spun on fresh air. Carrington was thrown into his instrument panel. Even though his speed control was at maximum, he pushed it harder anyway, using his right hand to steer the vessel. The shallow water warning started to flash on the instruments, and he could once again see the island in front of him. He could also see the Zodiac and Benton pulling it towards the rock outcrop island. Another strike from below caused the vessel to weave in the water. A light started to flash on the instrument panel along with a monotonous alarm sounded as the hull finally gave way and started to take on water. Knowing it was a race against time, he aimed for where the charts said was the shallowest point and hoped he could run the boat aground before it was swallowed by the ocean. Below the surface, the Megalodon moved in for the kill.

As Tyler swam to meet the Zodiac, he realised just how tired he was, how drained of energy he had become. It should have been easy, but every stroke was a monumental effort. His back and forearm stung as fresh blood seeped into the water with each stroke, but he had committed too much to turn back now. Even so, he kept waiting for that sting of blade on skin and expected at any time for Liam to grab him from behind and drag him back to the island. He didn’t risk glancing behind him, though and knew that every second he was in the water was a second closer to death. He was nearing the Zodiac now and could see an older man in the water trying to flip it over.

‘Help me with this,’ Benton grunted as Tyler swam closer. ‘I can’t flip it over by myself.’ Tyler reached the overturned inflatable, aware once again how alone and vulnerable he was. He could see Carrington’s boat coming towards them and the immense dorsal fin giving chase. The fear gave him a much-needed adrenaline boost, and he and Benton tried to flip the boat over, a task that wasn’t as easy as Tyler anticipated. It was difficult to get leverage of a solid enough grip to manipulate the rubber frame.

‘Wait, wait,’ Benton said. ‘We need to do this together. On three. Ready?’

Tyler nodded, aware that Carrington was bearing down on them at pace.

‘Alright, one, two… Three!’

They worked in unison, flipping the Zodiac right side up. Benton tried to pull himself over the edge, but the boat was light, and he almost pulled it back over. ‘Dammit,’ he said, letting go and treading water. ‘You’ll have to hold it on the other side until I’m in.’

They were both distracted by the scrape of fibreglass on rock as Carrington ran the ship aground in the shallow water. They watched as the Megalodon hit the rear of the vessel, tipping it onto its side on the rock plateau where it had come to rest. Inside the wheelhouse, Carrington was thrown towards the port window, unable to do anything as the ocean rushed towards him. The windows imploded, the glass shredding his skin. The vessel came to rest, half-filled with water. Carrington swam for air, feet treading water in the capsized cabin. Outside, the Megalodon sensed the blood in the water, and confident it had disabled and wounded its potential meal, moved in to finish it off.