A New Life With The Sea Monsters

• Callum Anderson, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

Boom!

“What was that? '' Everyone yelled in panic. The wooden sailing ship was getting pulled under the water. Tentacles wrapped around the whole of the ship, it could have been like a warm, welcoming hug except it was more like a death squeeze. People were screaming, water splashed violently onto the deck, throwing fish at people’s feet. A massive eye emerged from the depths of the deep, murky sea and squirted a blackberry ink at unsuspecting children, blinding their vision. A monster.

“Everyone in the lifeboats” the Captain cried. But it was too late. Everything went black.

All Ben could see was darkness. He was soaked. Could he be under water? Why was he not floating up to the surface? He began to panic. Ben frantically ripped his arms through the water, trying to search for the surface. His legs kicked hard and powerfully trying to propel his battered body above the water. Suddenly tentacles latched themselves around him. They didn’t take him up… they took him even deeper into a tunnel of nothingness.

Ben woke up on a bed of sand, he assumed he was at the bottom of the ocean. The bed was lined with shells. They were clams, many sizes, they were the colour of fairy floss. There was no one around him. He didn’t mind the loneliness, he was used to it. His parents died when he was young and he lived in an orphanage. He had no friends, he was different. He had not been able to make friends, he just didn't fit in. Maybe it was his glasses or the fact that he was so short.

The orphanage had decided to take the kids on a trip out to sea but it turned out to be the wrong decision.

Ben soon started to realise that he was breathing and had clear vision, even though he was obviously under water. Fish swam past his face, scales scratching his nose. He pinched himself hoping it was all a dream. It wasn't.

Glub, glub, glub. Three bubbles rose up next to him. He slowly titled his head in the direction of the noise. He came face to face with a hideous creature. He was now staring at what he thought must be a sea monster. Perhaps the one that had destroyed the boat and pulled him under the water. A crown of seaweed with a pearl tightly secured in the middle sat on top of its head. Its mouth was heavy from the green drool dripping off his chin. Surprisingly Ben didn't flinch. He was not scared. He felt strangely welcomed and happy in the presence of this beast. Behind this King Ben saw at least 50 other creatures appear, smaller versions of the creature that stood before him.

Ben felt a connection to these sea monsters. He paddled towards them. Tentacles reached out and picked him up and lifted him.
“You are one of us now. Welcome to our family,” announced the deep booming voice of the King.

Ben looked down upon his new family. He felt overwhelming joy wash over him. Finally he had friends. A new family. A new home.




The End