The docks were not a place Arnold usually frequented. However he'd got desperate lately. His last job, stacking shelves, had fallen through after an accident involving a mop, two pounds of hamburger, a cheese grater and fifteen bags of noodles. He still kept finding noodles in his socks even now. The boss had not been happy and had fired him on the spot. But new jobs were scarce lately, and he'd taken to looking further afield. Then of course his internet got cut off and, due to a slight problem he had with the local internet cafe (there had been swearing involved with the owner, and the words 'And stay out!' being shouted), he couldn't surf the web anywhere else. He'd long been a persona non grata at the library.
So he was looking in person. Often following leads from the newspaper. The last one had led to the docks, and some sort of assistant to the people offloading the fishing boats. When he got here though the posts had been filled. He got the impression they'd been filled before the newspaper ever hit the streets.
At least there was no shouting this time. It seems his luck lately was fixated on keeping him and gainful employment apart. Often in bizarre ways he really couldn't understand when he looked back on it. I mean, why had that internet cafe owner even had a pet octopus in the first place? How was he to know?
Sighing he trudged down a grimy street along the boardwalk, mostly closed due to the winter. At least here. Or maybe that wasn't the reason. As he passed he got the impression it was more than just the season involved. The boards nailed over windows was a bit of a hint. Recession was hitting everywhere.
He was interrupted by his stomach gurgling.
"Great, I forgot to grab something for dinner, and I don't remember a fast food place anywhere on my way here. What else can go wrong?" He groaned, then felt something cold on his nose.
He glanced up, just in time for the heavens to open up and him get utterly drenched.
Running like mad, trying to find at least some of these old buildings with awnings that provided some cover from the abrupt torrential downpour, he tried to skirt close to the buildings, but it wasn't enough cover from the rain. Pulling his jacket collar up over the back of his head, his shoulders hitched awkwardly, he finally saw an archway on the left and dashed for it, just longing for something overhead.
Darting in he felt the cold hammering of water let up, and sighed... just before his foot came down on empty air. He got one desperate look at the disused loading dock he'd accidentally run into, the chain blocking it rusted and broken, hanging against the walls behind him, before he tumbled forwards, sliding and tumbling down the concrete slope.
"AAARRRRGGGGHHH!" He yelled, skidding and sliding, getting tangled in moss and seaweed before splashing into the water, and unfortunately out into the rain again.
It was shallow at least, but now his clothes were completely soaked, at least from the waist down. Struggling to stand up, maybe thinking he could at least get a little up the slope and back under cover from the rain, his foot felt a shift beneath him and the worn concrete gave way. Tumbling backwards he fell into the water and struck his head...
Blackness took him.
***
"Uuuuunnngh."
Slowly, cautiously, Arnold opened one eye, feeling a head ache thrumming through him. He saw... blue. Crystal clear blue.
Sky. Not a cloud in sight. Trying to sit up sent jabs of pain through his right side, but after a few indrawn breaths he managed it, leaning back on his hands behind him.
He was on a stony beach, not a nice sandy one for tourists, but a clear green ocean extended out into the distance before him. This beach had a lot of rocks everywhere it seemed as he looked around. He stiffly managed to turn his head further, his neck complaining, and saw cliffs behind him. Large, imposing stone cliffs with very few hand holds and no obvious road or path down. To the left and right were more cliffs as the coastline shifted and rolled out of sight behind the aforementioned cliffs.
"I'm doomed." He croaked and looked down at himself.
His shirt was ripped down the right side, with dark red and black marks making him think he'd lost a fair bit of blood. His jacket seemed more or less intact, but still torn in a couple of places. His trousers were a right off. One leg simply gone, the other torn all the way up one side and tattered in several places.
Needless to say his trouser pockets had torn and their contents long gone. Groaning he wondered how it could be worse.
Then his stomach cramped. Damn. How long had he been out? He'd been hungry before. Now? Ravenous! He tried to claw his way to his feet, rolling onto his knees first... then a jab of pain rammed through his right calf muscle. Gritting his teeth he looked down, his leg cut up and with several dark scabs on it, but there was something new. A jagged four pronged mark, like a... bite mark? Something shifted and he looked to the right, catching an odd flash of green.
Scrambling painfully to his side he caught another glimpse of the green something... oh, a snake! A big one. He looked down at his calf, four blood spots already forming and felt his face plummet. He almost said 'well couldn't get any worse' but managed to stop himself. He'd already jinxed himself at least once. Best not tempt fate another time!
It took him a couple of goes to stand up, but he managed it, leaning on a boulder nearby. As he got to his feet he saw a swirl of green out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards it, and, off by another boulder, he saw a familiar shape poke out. The head of a snake... sort of. It looked off. Wrong. The head too large, eyes on the front not the sides, and... wait, snakes didn't blink did they? Surely he remembered they don't have eyelids?
But after that the snake, or whatever it was, darted back behind the boulder, then he saw it's sinuous form slithering away across the beach, effortlessly sliding across the stony ground.
What the hell was he going to do? And what was with this snake bite? It oddly didn't seem to hurt, but... felt warm somehow.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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