Dock Work

The squeak of a pulley rang out as Druknet approached the dock. He pulled the collar of his jacket tighter around his neck, as an icy sea breeze hit him. The air smelled of sea salt and old fish.

There were two men already at work, hoisting a worn wooden row boat from the water. The boat's hull let out a creak, while the ropes pulling it up strained under its weight.

The men stopped when they noticed him. They stared, silently.

Both were tall and broad-shouldered. One had a long strawberry blonde beard tucked into his coat and wore a black wool cap. The other had dark Stubble and a stained sailor’s hat pulled over his brow. Neither of the men seemed pleased to see him.

Agdar stepped forward. “Han jobber med oss.”

The tension lingered for a moment…

The two men exchanged a glance with each other and gave a nod before returning back to work.

“Here.” Agdar said, grabbing a long pole with a metal scraper fixed to the end. He shoved it into Druknet’s hands and pointed at the hull. “Scrape.”

Druknet took one last sip from the bottle of vodka before handing it back to Agdar. The alcohol burned his throat, but helped numb the cold.

He set his crutch aside and braced himself against one of the dock’s support posts. Carefully, he reached out and drove the scraper into the hull. The metal scraped harshly against the hard and jagged surface created by the barnacles. Small chunks broke away and fell to the water below.

His arms began to quickly ache, as he strained his muscles. Something about it though felt strangely natural to him. Almost like he had done this before… He adjusted his grip without thinking and began to get into a rhythm.

“Maybe not so bad.” Agdar muttered, watching him.

Agdar took another swig from the bottle before picking up a scraper of his own and stepping beside Druknet. The two worked in silence. The sound of scraping filled the ambiance.

Druknet he paused mid scrape…

“Captain!”

He turned his head around, swearing that he heard someone call out.

Nothing. Agdar was right beside him, focused on his work, while the other two men remained in the boat, briskly wiping it down with damp rags.

His breathing slowed slightly, as he turned back toward the hull. When he reached out to scrape at it again, he paused as another noise caught his ear. It was faint, but unmistakable…

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the watch. It ticked repetitively, louder than before. The metal once again became warm, almost too warm. It began to feel like it was going to burn his hand.

Druknet stared at it then tapped Agdar on the shoulder.

“Can you hear this?” He asked, holding out the watch.

Agdar barely glanced. “We not here to play toys.”

Drunket's hands began to tremble, nervously. “Wh-what about you two?” He stuttered calling up to the men inside the boat.

They only stared at him, confused.

The ticking suddenly stopped and all went quiet for a moment…

As Druknet was putting the watch back into his pocket, a sudden splash came from below. He looked down. A ripple spread across the water beneath the dock.

“I-it's just a fish.” Druknet nervously muttered.

The ripples continued. Something seemed to be just beneath the surface… waiting.

Druknet leaned forward slightly, peering into the dark water…

“Come back.” The voice came from below.

He tightened his grip on the scraper, as his body froze in place. The air around him felt heavy.

The silence was suddenly broken by a loud thud, striking the underside of the dock. The wood beneath his feet vibrated.

As he looked down, his stomach dropped. Just beneath the surface of the water were two unblinking pale lights staring up at him.

A boney gray hand shot upright, breaking the water’s surface. Its fingers grasped at the dock’s edge, digging its blackened nails into the wood.

Druknet stumbled back. “Get away!” He shouted, swinging the scraper around erratically.

Agdar reacted instantly. He grabbed the pole mid-swing and ripped it from Druknet’s hands.

“Drittsekk!” He barked.

“There was-!” Druknet tried to explain himself.

A fist hit him hard in the gut. The air exploded from his lungs as he fell to his knees.

Gasping, he forced himself to look back toward the edge… Nothing. The water was still and the hand was gone.

Adgar grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him upright. With the other hand, he grabbed his scraper by its bladed end and held it to Druknet's throat. “You dangerous.”

Druknet froze as the cold rusty metal pressed against his skin.

“Ro deg ned!” Bjorge’s voice cut through the tension. He rushed forward with his hands raised. “Jeg er sikker på at dette bare er en misforståelse.”

“He dangerous!” Agdar snapped. “Han vil få oss drept.”

“Jeg tar fullt ansvar for ham.” Bjorge said, calmly stepping closer. “Vennligst…”

Slowly, he placed a hand on the scraper and pushed it aside

Agdar hesitated, but then released Druknet with a shove. “Holde ham ute av syne for meg!”

Bjorge Nodded. He helped Druknet back to his feet and handed him his crutch. Without saying another word he and Druknet turned away.

“What did you tell him?” Druknet asked, catching his breath.

“That I’d take full responsibility for you.” Bjorge let out a huff. “He told me to keep you out of his sight.”

“...” Druknet nodded faintly.

They walked in silence, as the dock creaked behind them. The sound of the waves filled the air again.

Druknet knew what he saw… The eyes and the hand reaching for him, it was all too real. He glanced back at the water one last time. The surface was calm and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was still there, waiting for him… It was pointless trying to explain himself anymore, it wasn’t like anyone would believe him.