Horror Island

Horror Island Ch 5

All three of them boarded and then Mark pushed off from the bobbing capsule, Yuri rowing with the tiny oars included with the raft. Mia looked wistfully back at the capsule. She was much more comfortable in the clean environment of NASA then in the wild jungles of some deserted island.

Looking down at the water, Mia could see the reef only twenty feet below. She could see colorful fish darting among even more colorful coral and algae. She trailed a few fingers in the water and relaxed, keeping an eye on the color below.

About halfway there, Mia suddenly spotted a shadow that flashed under the raft. It left a small wake that pushed the raft to the side a little. She didn't say anything but she stopped relaxing and started paying attention to the water below.

Less than five minutes passed when it happened again. This time it brushed the bottom of the raft and Mia got a better look at it. It was wide, like a stingray, but it was not thin like one. She could see bristles sticking out of its sides and a few grey stripes lightening its dark skin.

"Hey guys? I just saw something in the water and it touched the bottom of the raft. Mark wiped his brow. He had taken over for Yuri while Mia was watching the ocean and he was already tired. The orange jumpsuits they wore were comfortable in space but definitely not in the tropics.

"Did you see what it was? Maybe it was a dolphin? I think they live in these parts."

Mia opened her mouth to respond but she was suddenly pushed underwater. The whole raft had collapsed and all three astronauts were struggling to untangle themselves from its wreckage.

Yuri gasped for breath. "It jumped on us! I saw it!" He began choking for breath and thrashing toward shore.

Mark grabbed Mia and began hauling her toward shore. "Swim! We have to get to shore!"