The Big One

• Cooper Wilson, Grade 7, Lowanna College
• Short Story
• 2016

Finalist in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

The waves are choppy. The wind was crisp. The two motors revved into life as we headed out of the bay towards our special fishing spot. The boat flew off the waves like they were kids’ BMX jumps then after two or three seconds of airtime the boat lands with a thud on the salty ocean water over and over again. My eyes scan the watery horizon then they dart back down to the GPS to find where our special spot is. I stop the two beasts at the back of the boat from rumbling when I reach our spot.
I haul the bag of bait out of the freezer and onto the bait board and start splitting the bait apart. I slice the hooks through the bait, chuck the sinkers on, flick the bail over on the reel and grip the long rod in my hands. I pull the rod and reel behind my shoulder and flick the bait out and watch it do a little splash into the water ready, to be nailed by an underwater beast.
I sit down and wait for the wonderful sound of a screaming reel. “Well,” I say, “it’s the waiting game.”
I wait for quite a while watching the tip of my rod. I get a nibble and then the reel starts screaming louder than anything I’ve ever heard before. I jump off my seat and run to the reel that’s now started to smoke like a huge bonfire. I grab the rod and rip it up to the sky as hard as could then grasp the handle and start pulling it around and around. My face is turning red and I swear my head is going to explode. I gain some line and then the reel screams as I lose line. This goes on for quite a long time in till I almost have it up to the bright surface so I grab the net with one hand ready to haul this beast aboard. The fish seems to be getting tired so I reel faster than ever. “I SEE IT!” I scream. It’s big, it’s huge, IT’S A MONSTER.
It hits the surface and I look at it in shock. The fish looks at me. “It’s tiny,” I sob. I grab the fish with my hands because there’s no use using the net. I gently pull the hook out of the puny fish’s mouth. I stare at the fish in disappointment. I place the fish back in the water and let it wriggle out of my hands to its home. It slowly swims away into the deep dark water.
I sit back down and don’t say a word. I watch the sun start to go down. “Nothing has happened for a while,” but as soon as I say that my rod starts to scream.