The Sea of Prickles

Avalon was woken by a piercing scream that shattered his dreams. Momentarily disoriented and uncertain as to what was happening, he sat up staring about in confusion and realised he must have let his guard down and fallen asleep. He was then shocked to see Ameliana struggling with a huge black creature beside her left foot which had many long spindly legs.

The grotesque, clawed monster was like something out of his worst nightmares, and it took a moment before Avalon realised exactly what it was that had latched onto Ameliana's big toe with its massive claw.

"Well I'll be dammed, it's a giant coconut crab," he cried as he jumped to his feet. Looking about for a weapon, he spied a suitable piece of driftwood nearby and snatching it up ran back to Ameliana's aid. She was still shouting abuse and screaming at the creature. Without a moment's hesitation Avalon raised his club high and brought it down with as much force as he could, striking the creature between the eyes, shattering its carapace and killing it instantly. Even though it went as limp as a rag doll, the monster's hideous claw still hung on grimly to her big toe which was now bleeding copiously.

It took all of Avalon's considerable strength to prise the claw apart with his knife and release Ameliana's badly lacerated toe. Ameliana was sobbing and hic-cupping as she sat on the sand nursing her injured foot and trying to get her emotions under control.

Avalon knelt in front of the Princess and inspecting the injured toe saw the flesh on both sides was badly torn and would need stitches to stop the bleeding.

"If you are up to it Princess we'll help you get back to Ghost Runner. Your toe definitely looks like it needs sutures."

Ameliana replied grimly, "It feels like the wretched creature has broken it as well, but you are right, I'll have to swim back to the ship. Would you help me up please?" When they reached the hull of Ghost Runner, Avalon began cursing himself for not having the forethought to lower the boarding ladder before diving in.

He said, "I'll have to climb up the dolphin striker. Stay with Ameliana until I climb on board and drop the ladder?" Just outside the entrance to their lagoon in the deeper water, a nine foot shark detected the tantalising scent of fresh blood and began following the trail back to its source.

Genevieve was the first to notice a large, dark shadow enter the anchorage, and when a dorsal fin broke the surface above it she yelled, "Shark, shark, hurry Avalon. Hurry."

The panic in her voice galvanised Avalon into action as he pulled himself bodily onto the safety net under the protruding bowsprit. Scrambling and straining, he reached the bulwark and leaping nimbly over the side ran for the rope boarding ladder that was coiled and lashed securely on the starboard side.

As he fumbled with the knots Genevieve screamed again, "Hurry Avalon. It's nearly upon us."

The salt encrusted knots came free at last, and quickly securing one end of the ladder to the bulwark he lifted the heavy bundle up onto the bulwark and calling out a warning, rolled it over the side. It uncoiled all the way to the water's edge where the women were anxiously waiting to haul themselves from the water.

Avalon withdrew his knife and climbing onto the bulwark looked down to appraise the situation. He swore as he saw a large striped tiger shark swimming straight for Genevieve's kicking legs as she helped push Ameliana up the rungs of the ladder.

He shouted, "Get out of the water now," but knew his warning was too late.

With the knife firmly gripped in his hand Avalon jumped, aiming his fall to land between Genevieve's thrashing legs and the shark, hoping to scare it off long enough for the ladies to escape up the ladder. With a mighty splash he hit the water, and as he had hoped, the shark got such a fright it spun about in its own length and darted away.

But the scent of fresh blood quickly overcame the prehistoric monster's fear, and by the time the bubbles had cleared around Avalon the shark was swimming back towards his kicking legs.

By now Genevieve and Sarina were scrambling up the ladder behind Ameliana, and when Genevieve looked back over her shoulder she cried out, "Look out Avalon it's coming back again."

There was no time for Avalon to climb up out of the water, so taking a deep breath he dived beneath the surface and swam towards one of the most feared of all creatures in the sea, his knife held out before him, hoping to bluff the shark.

On the predator came, driven by its lust for flesh and blood, but it was used to being the hunter and aggressor and was suddenly uncertain when its prey, rather than fleeing in panic, swam towards it in a threatening manner. At the last possible moment its courage failed and it veered sharply away, which was what Avalon was hoping it would do. As the shark passed by Avalon he was close enough to reach out and touch it, and he lunged and struck with his knife. His aim was true and the wickedly sharp blade sliced across the eye of the predator, which was its one weak point besides its gills.

The shark exploded into a thrashing frenzy, and the knife was knocked from Avalon's hand and fell to the sea bed. The tiger shark snapped its jaws repeatedly as it thrashed about, twisting and turning as it tried to reach the cause of the blinding pain.

As the crazed shark beat the water into foam, Avalon swam towards the ladder and when he felt the rung with his outstretched hand he wasted little time in pulling himself up hand over hand.