Waiting for the Sun

08:35

The sea calmed down and what was left of the Edge Seekers scampered away, they all stared at the beast.

Slowly, it opened its massive mouth, the unpleasant stench of rotting fish filling the air.

Twinkle Toes gestured toward it.

-"Fuck it," Max said as he shrugged his shoulder.

-"Are you insane, Fred Added... he just ate like seven fucking people, and you're gonna go in willingly?"

Max looked at the beast and then back at the group and back at the beast, his head swiveling back and forth, assessing the situation.

-"Yes."

Stepping onto the beast's tongue.

-"You're gonna die.

-Better than melting into one big stew with you lot."

-"Oh, so you sacrificed yourself like the captain did for us? You truly are brave," added Bobby with a gasp.

Max barely resonated with it, until it finally hit him.

-"Wait, WHAT?" he turned in shock.

-"Well, yeah, what kind of person would let everyone else die for them??"

His shocked expression moved towards the Russians who nodded in solidarity and put their hands on one Max barely distinguishing him from the rest.

he looked at the kid who stared at him with blinding fury:

-"Oh, shut up, wizard kid, we're going in the fucking whale."

Max stumbled into the moist, wet cavern, the air thick and oppressive, nearly knocking him out.His boot sunk into the squishy, rubber-like tongue of the beast.

-"Well, he's dead for sure," said Fred, admiring the horizon, slowly realizing the night was ending and the sun was about to rise.

In a panicked voice

-"Shit... got room for two more?" he asked hastily, stepping onto the beast's tongue.

Turning for a moment and grabbing Bobby by the collar, dragging him into the beast.

-"Oh no," Max muttered under his breath

-"Oh yes," Fred grinned.

The dozen Russians exchanged confused glances before swarming in, following Fred’s lead, all piling into the beast in one chaotic motion.

-"What the hell? Get your own fucking whale!" Max shouted in disbelief.

He started to bicker at them, the whale closed its massive mouth snapping it shut, trapping them in complete darkness ,it descended beneath the sea at an alarming speed.

Max illuminated his multi-tool, and they all sat around it. The paint on his jacket reflecting the light, amused the kid as Max placed him in his lap. If this fucking thing eats us, it’s on you,".

The Russians muttered among themselves, lighting up cigarettes one by one..

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Max dwelled as the smoke filled the monster's mouth.

Fred and Bobby admired the beast's small, thin teeth.

-"I loved your book," Fred spoke loudly as it echoed through the beast. "Great work, Mr. Dick," he added, patting the beast's tongue on which they sat.

Bobby leaned closer and slowly whispered to Fred,

-"Good idea."

-"I know, right?" Fred replied, his voice low.

…

The waves crashed against the island, moving it along.
Battered, bruised, and tired, they stared at the sea—a grunting sound disturbing the silence.

-"Stop picking at it; you'll only make it worse."

-"With all due respect, to put it in a way you'd understand, how the actual fuck could I make THIS worse?" He pointed toward the metal rebar sticking out of his side.

She scoffed, turning her head toward the sea.

-"On the bright side, we're way more likely to burn to death or melt from the fucking bioweapon than you are to die from an infection."

-"Oh, how you comfort me with your words," he mocked her.

She groaned as she slowly shifted to lie on the ground, every movement sending sharp pain through her body.

-"That was some woman."

-"You're kidding, right?"

-"For the love of God, Jess..."

She stared into the sky, her body aching. "God, I hope you're not dead," she spoke softly , she reached for the sky, her hand shaking from the pain. Her suit,torn,stained in blood.

A violent tremor shook the island, both gasped in unison.

She got up quickly, grabbing her revolver, the pain shooting through her body.
The sea parted, a humongous beast rising from it. A great blue whale of monstrous proportions stared at her, water pouring off its body. Maeve pointed her gun—locked and loaded.

"OH, YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME. I'M NOT DYING TO A FUCKING WHALE!"

The beast’s mouth opened, thick cigarette smoke ejected from its sides, its blowhole puffing like a chimney when a boot stepped out a familiar figure emerging from the fog .

-"MAX!" she yelled in shock, joy and confusion rushing through her in waves. A familiar voice yelled back:

-"WHERE YOU GOING TO FIGHT A FUCKING WHALE? AHAHAHA!"

Her frustration quickly turned into anger she pointed her gun towards him.

-"I'll still fucking shoot you."

-"Ah, do it," he laughed it off walking toward her, his chest leaning onto the gun.

- "You look like shit," Maeve said, clutching her gun tighter.

-"Haha, you look way worse. Kinda reminds me of that one time I fell through six panes of glass from the third floor back in New Brazil."

-"Oh yeah, I guess I do look like absolute shit."

Twinkle Toes slammed into her side, hugging her tightly.

Hey there she smiled through the pain tololing the kid's hair.

A loud scream of joy broke the silence.

-"CAPTAIN!" screamed the two sailors rushing to Richard’s aid, bawling their eyes out, all the while hugging him.

-"MY BOYS!"He yelled out in joy, embracing them for a moment.

Overwhelmed with disgust and embarrassment, the two stared—and in unison, said:

"Gay."

Looking at each other, chuckling for a moment they bumped their fists together.

The Russians, lurking out of the beast’s mouth, were afraid to lean too far from it.

-"Who the hell are the geezers?" Maeve pondered.

-"Oh yeah, those are the murderers of joy."

-"What?"

-"Yeah, yeah, I’m pretty sure they’re all named Igor or something. Can’t make shit out of what they say, and I’m pretty sure one of them killed my soulmate."

-"Wait, what… so you met a girl?" she teased.

-"Yeah, then one of them bludgeoned her with a fucking oar. I’m pretty sure it was the scruffy-looking one."

"They’re all scruffy-looking."

-"THE ONE CLEARLY MEANDERING FROM THE BASELINE OF SCRUFFINESS."-"And I’m pretty sure they’re trying to give the whale lung cancer, which is a first."

-Big words

She laughed, then winced, clutching her ribs as pain shot through her.

-"How’s the ogre?" he asked, pointing at the commodore’s corpse.

-"Oh, that’s Richard’s deceased wife."

-"Never took him for a redheads guy," Max muttered

-"So… you miss me?" she leaned on him, the two slowly walking toward the whale.

-"Every aching moment."

-"Haha—ow, ow," she laughed through the pain.

They limped towards the creature, the day creeping behind them.