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The ocean waves rock the boat from side to side, pushing it up then pulling it back down. Spice wonders if they’re going to be able to catch anything with how wild the sea has been today. She’s either angry, restless, or just doesn’t want to give up her fish so easily. Spice is sure they’ll get something , but he’s just not sure what.
He grunts quietly to himself as the boat rocks to the left, the nets gently thumping against the side of the boat. He’s so bored out here, waiting for something to catch in the net.
Time passes almost achingly slow. Spice dozes off after a while, head bobbing up and down, the ocean lulling him into sleep rather easily. The others on the boat either ignore him or fear telling him to wake up, because no one disturbs him while sleeping on the job. This boat couldn’t run as properly without Spice to begin with, so it’s their damn good that they don’t get on his bad side.
Something bangs loudly against the side of the boat, lurching them a bit port side. Spice is awake in an instant, standing up straight and hurrying over to the port side of the boat.
The net is going wild in the water, and Spice can see something down there, thrashing around beneath the water’s surface.
“We got one!” Spice bellows, grinning widely as he slaps his hand against the railing of the ship. “Pull ‘er up, boys!”
Several more shouts from several of Spice’s shipmates ring through the air as they begin turning the cracks to pull up the net. Spice, still grinning, grabs the edge of the net and begins pulling it up.
Whatever it is they’ve caught is heavy, and Spice is grunting and huffing as he helps pull it in. The net is yanked over the ship’s railing, and whatever they’ve caught is dropped to the deck unceremoniously. As he checks the net, Spice notices the long, thin spines poking up through the net and he narrows his eyes as he holds his arm out to stop a few of his mates from moving in further.
“Hold on, boys,” Spice says, squatting down in front of the net. “This thing’s not an average fish.”
The creature in the net hisses loudly and flops around on the deck, long tail thumping against the wood. Spice grimaces deeply as he grabs a few ropes of the net and shakes it out a bit, unfurling the creature for a better view.
The tail is obviously a fish—red scales that are striped with black, the spine poking out through the holes of the net—but it connects to the upper part of this creature that appears to be human. Light pink skin, claws hands, and its eyes are black with white pupils. Spice’s curiosity is fully peaked as he inches himself closer.
Once again, the creature hisses. Sharp teeth are flashed in Spice’s direction, rows of razor-like white teeth that should feel more intimidating than they really are. This creature isn’t happy to have been caught, Spice can see that, but he can’t stop himself from grinning in its direction as it glares in his direction.
“Don’t worry, ain’t gonna hurt you now.” Spice says, reaching out in an attempt to touch its tail.
The creature’s tail goes wild, and so does the creature itself. It growls and hisses, claws hands attempting to rip the net off of itself. Instead of succeeding, the creature only ends up tangling itself up in the net even further, with some of the ropes beginning to bend its spines and squeezing around parts of its tail.
“Stop squirmin’! You’re gonna kill yourself in the damn net if you aren’t careful!” Spice hisses right back at the creature, pointing directly in its growling face.
It stares at him with angry eyes, but seems to reluctantly listen, settling down and stopping its thrashing on the deck. Spice reaches into his pocket and pulls out his knife, flipping it open as he holds it up.
“I’m gonna cut you loose now, alright? Don’t fuckin’ thrash around like that, or it’s gonna cut you, too, and I ain’t gonna feel sorry for ya when it does.” Spice doesn’t get a real response, only a deep growl that comes from the creature’s barred teeth.
Surprisingly, the creature listens and doesn’t move as Spice cuts the net up with his knife. When he’s finished, Spice flicks his knife closed and pockets it again, yanking the net pieces away from the creature’s body to give it the space it wants.
Finally free, the creature’s spines shudder as it seems to make some kind of pleased rumbling noise. It reaches up towards the railing, clawed fingers attempting to grab onto the slippery metal. It manages to do so and pulls itself up, hissing in the direction of Spice and his shipmates. The other men have been either watching in fascination, too stunned to say or do anything, or have been cowering away from the scene like idiots.
In a matter of seconds, the creature is throwing itself overboard and back into the sea. Spice’s body moves on its own, running up to the boat’s railing and leaning over to watch as the creature’s red and black, spiky tail disappears into the sea’s dark depths. He stares after it for a while, before a grin breaks out across his face.
“I’ll catch you again, don’t worry.”