Boy in the Boat

Captain Frank Carlson looked morosely at the radar screen as the trawler boat slowly circled an area between the Isle of Man and Silloth harbour on the Cumbria coastline. An area that used to be rich in prawns, the catch of choice they were after. But for three days they had trawled a sizeable area for no real success. Looking at his radar screen he couldn’t help thinking fishing is definitely a dying trade. When his dad used to skipper a boat and he was just a net boy on the boat. They never had the sophisticated fish finding gear they have on board now. His dad would set sail and going by sea swell, weather conditions, sometimes just watching the seagull fishing he would know where to lower the nets. Now Frank would follow white blobs on his radar screen but those white blobs are becoming smaller and smaller each year. Over fishing now biting hard. They barely broke even last trip out. This trip so far hasn’t even covered the monthly payment for the boat never mind wages and fuel costs. If they don’t hit a rich vein soon they will go hungry. Sighing he gets ready to tell the crew to winch up the nets. He gets on the tannoy “ok lads let’s see how bad this really is pull in the nets. The crew stopped playing cards, mending nets or eating and putting on there all in one water proofs they head back out onto deck. As the winches take the strain they pull up the nets. Straight away they could see it was hopeless. They had trawled a large part of the sea bed and only brought up a few hundred pound in weight of prawns. They dropped the nets onto the sorting table and worked what they had caught. Sliding prawns down one chute, usable fish down another, the waste fish thrown back out to sea. After a couple of hours work they had boxed and on ice all the prawns caught, barely enough to fill a few dozen boxes leaving many more boxes left empty. 

Captain Frank leant back in his swivel chair. Looking up at the ceiling. Please god help us. I don’t ask for help normally but for godsake help us now. As he looked back down there was a shout from outside. Looking through his window he could see some of the workers pointing out at sea others running up. The door to the bridge swung open, his foremen Barry ran in. “Boat Frank there is a small boat to the starboard. It looks like a lifeboat from a ship. 
Frank stood up following Barry out to the deck looking over the side he saw bobbing up and down in the gentle swell a round inflatable boat with a beacon flashing on the roof. 
“Ok get the hook, I’ll try to pull as close as I can.” Running back to the bridge. He turned the wheel hard to starboard the boat responded and turned towards the lifeboat. Getting as close as he dared Frank killed the engines. Ok he shouted over his shoulder hook the boat. They sent ropes out with hooks on the end at last he heard a cheer as they pulled the lifeboat next to the trawler. One of the crew clambered down to the boat, shining a torch inside he shouts back up, “there’re only one person in here, looks like a young boy. He’s still breathing I’ll bring him up”. 
Great thought Frank well that’s our trip finished, we will have to go back into port now with mostly empty boxes. Squaring his shoulders he walked back out onto the deck as the crew member reappeared with a little boy over his shoulders. Looking at the little mite Frank thought hell here I am worrying about catching prawns and that little scrap of humanity has been adrift on the sea for who knows how long on his own. “Right get him in the warm up room. Let’s get him out of those clothes and into something warmer. Stow away the nets I’ll call the coastguard, pull up the lifeboat see if there is a label on it saying a ships name. Get chef to cook up some broth or something and let’s head home.” Looking at his crew he carried on. “Look sorry lads I’ve failed you again this has been a wash out, I don’t know if you will get anything out of this catch. I’m going to have to go back to the drawing board. Right let’s get everything sorted. I’ll call the coastguard now”
Everyone started to pack everything up ready to journey back into port. They all knew this was a wasted three nights fishing but as always they will take the rough with the smooth, belts will be tightened. Kids won’t get promised presents this time, on the whole the fishing fraternity were a pragmatic lot. But captain Frank also knew two bad trips out on the trot was a bad thing, some of the crew already questioning is the hardship and danger of this living worth it if they don’t bring anything home. 

“Hello coastguard this is trawler boat The Anchorage. We have picked up a lifeboat found afloat, the coordinates I will send you shortly. One occupant a young boy I would estimate to be between 10 and 15 years of age. He is alive but very weak. We are bringing him in now.”
The coastguard told him ambulance would be ready on shore and to confirm eta when nearing port. Cutting off the call Frank went back outside where the lifeboat was now deflated and packed into one corner. 
“Any name on the lifeboat - or any personal belongings to help say where the boy came from?” His foreman scratching his head shook his head “Nothing Frank, not a single piece of clothing or luggage, no sign of anyone else being on the boat. Where the information for the ship the boat should have been deployed from is empty. Nothing to say where he is from. And Frank have we had any communication about a ship going down?” Seeing Frank shake his head “No I thought not.” Shrugging his shoulders he continued “Maybe he found the boat and thought he would take it for a trip out”. Frank was very doubtful about that. You don’t just come across inflatable lifeboats with a beacon on a beach and take it out for a pleasure trip. “Ok well if everything is stowed away we will make our way in.” Just then a young lad who had gone down with the little boy came running up onto the deck. 
“Captain, Barry the boys awake and wants to talk to you. He’s very persistent” Frank and Barry exchanged looks then together they went down into the warm up room. Sat at the table with clean clothes which swamped his small frame, the young lad was eating some warmed up fish stew the chef had stowed in the galley. Looking up as Frank and Barry entered the small boy smiled weakly. Then looking directly at the capt. He held a piece of paper in his hand Tapping the piece of paper he said in a strange singsong voice. “Thankyou for saving me, before you take me in, go to this coordinates, cast your nets and trawl the bed for exactly 2 hours then pull them up. Don’t go over the two hours mind you or risk losing your nets. Then take me in. That is my payment for your kindness.” With that he handed over the paper. Much amused Frank took the piece of paper. Glancing down he saw coordinates for an area just south to where they were now. An area not known for prawns or really anything. It was known to be a sandy desert stretch of sea floor. Maybe skate and other flat fish but prawns? No never. And who’s heard of trawling for only two hours! Barely worth putting the nets over. Nodding his head he left the strange little boy and walked back up to the bridge sitting at the controls. He again looked at the piece of paper. Then checking his sat nav. It was only a few miles south, they could detour there. Oh sod it, this whole trip had been a bust, might as well go for it. It will only take thirty minutes to get there. Two hours trawling then turn round and head back in. He grabs the tannoy. “Attention all crew we are going to make a small detour. South of our present position. It may be a fruitless attempt but I feel we should explore every avenue. Set the rigging back up we are going to do a small two hour exploratory drag half hour from now. Thats all thank you”
With that he restarted all the engines turned the wheel and they were off to the coordinates on the piece of paper. 

In no time at all they were trawling the new area. Frank had checked his fish finder radar. It was empty, not even the faintest sign of any significant shoal of any marine life. But something in him told him to just try, perhaps pure desperation. Maybe like all seafaring folk he believed in portentous actions. Maybe the small boy is something more than just a lost soul on the sea. So the nets went in. Forty minutes into the two hours, Frank glanced again at his radar and there it was a solid white blob of some magnitude. His nets were just going through it. With a feverish glance at the screen. He turned the boat so it went through the blob again. He did this two times more just then a small alarm went off to tell him two hours were up. Just for a second he thought of ignoring the alarm but decided not to risk it. So leaping up he shouted down the tannoy. “Heave the nets lads, let’s see what we have” running out into the deck as well he watched as the winches started to pull the nets up. Barry looked worried. “We must be dragging up rocks the winches are really struggling Frank. I’m afraid we may lose the nets.” Frank his eyes gleaming slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so Barry I really don’t think so cut the winching speed down pull in slowly but I really think that’s not rocks!” 

With the winches speed slowed up the ropes wound on inch by agonising inch. “It’s breaking surface captain, wow it’s bulging something big in there sir.” With the nets now on the surface they could all see how they were bulging but what was in it they still didn’t know. “Ok pull it aboard” shouted Barry. As the nets cleared the sea water it spun on its axis for one terrible moment it looked like it was going to break but then it steadied and lowered onto the deck, opening and dropping onto the boat floors tons of prawns and langustines. For a second there was silence then with a shriek of excitement the crew started dancing and hugging each other, on the floor of there boat was the single biggest catch this trawler and they would guess any trawler had ever harvested in one go of prime prawns and the even more prized langustines. As Frank turned the boat round to head home the entire crew worked industriously to box up the sea bounty. 

As they neared the port Barry came in to the bridge collapsing onto the other chair, eyes red rimmed absolutely exhausted. Looking at Frank he exclaimed “Every box is full Captain. We even broke into the extra boxes stored under the brig washed them out and used them. They are all full….” Pausing he looked over at Frank then continued “They are full of prawns and langustines only not one fish was in the net, how could that be Frank? And why were they there on the desert floor? It has never yielded nought but plastic bags and Coke cans before”
Frank now peeled his eyes off the sea in front. Looking over at the ruddy face of his long serving foreman and his oldest buddy. He shrugged his shoulders “I don’t know Barry, I really don’t but I do know Natalie will now have enough to go to university this year after all or take a gap year and visit some far flung country… After Danny died I told my son I would look after his girl my granddaughter for him. Recently that seemed something that I failed to do just like I failed to save Danny’s life when he got washed over the side two winters ago” Brusquely wiping a tear from his eye. He went back to the tricky job of navigating the boat into harbour. Barry kept his counsel, he knew Frank would never forgive himself for not saving his only son’s life. But he also knew this hoarde had not come to them by skill or even good luck but was handed to them by powers not of this world. Barry had gone back down to the warm up room as the net was cracked open and all of the prawns were lying on the deck floor, to check on the little lad to find he was in some sort of deep sleep. Unrousable but breathing normally, as he watched his thin chest rising and falling he sensed some other entity in the room. A feeling something else was in there with him. Spinning around staring wildly he couldn’t see anything. Glancing back he saw the boys eyes flutter open. The boy sat up locked eyes on Barry and in his singsong voice which seemed to enter directly into his head. Afterwards Barry swore the boys lips didn’t move. The voice in his head said. “Tell the captain payment is made for my rescue. That will be all I can give him. Please tell him to be wise” 

That week after great rejoicing, the crew were given their share of the profits. All of them had many thousands of pounds more than they had ever made on one trip. It came at a cost though, the winches needed overhauling as they had almost buckled under the weight of the prawn catch. Nets also needed re stitching so Captain Frank told his crew to rest up for a couple of weeks. They had made more money in that one catch than the last six trips put together so a short two week lay up as they prepare the boat for the next trip out wouldn’t hurt. Frank went to the hospital to visit the little boy and see if they found out anything about him. The doctors told him physically the boy was ok, dehydrated and weak from malnutrition. They have had him on a glucose drip, he seemed to be responding well but he doesn’t know where he came from or how he ended up in the middle of the sea. Frank left feeling disconcerted. He did get to see the boy who looked at him blankly, he couldn’t remember him or being on his boat. The first thing he remembered was waking up in hospital. Frank was hoping to talk to him about how he knew the shoal of prawns were where they were and maybe did he know anything else.Huh no point asking him anything Frank thought standing up he headed for the door as he reached the door a voice in his head, the same singsong voice he heard on the boat stated “Captain payment was made be wise now”
Reeling round Frank looked at the boy who had fallen asleep. He wanted to go over and shake the boy awake. Demand he told him where the next big shoal of prawns will be. But shaking his head instead he walked out.

Two weeks later The Anchorage left portside early Monday morning, it was set to try its luck further east going for haddock, whiting, pollock. Cheaper fare than the prawns but a decent catch is more likely. Sure enough by the end of the three days they had a reasonable catch. Back in port when the fish had been through the auctions. The money was divided up by Frank. Everyone went home happy. Apart from Frank, he missed the thrill of seeing that bulging net of prawns. The adulation and the back slapping by the other trawlers. Also the extra money was a godsend. Natalie had decided to take a gap year, being a big fan of the Lord of the Rings films and a budding screenwriter she wanted to see the film sets in New Zealand. So Frank was able to buy her tickets and a flat rental in Wellington. Now he wanted more. 

The boy sat up in the hospital bed, his head was throbbing, he knew something was wrong with him. He has no idea who he is or where he came from. People keep telling him he was found at sea in a lifeboat but why he did not know. He did know whenever he fell asleep he dreamt of a fire on a small cruiser. People screaming, being carried by strong hands and thrown into a boat then a massive explosion as he looks out of from his boat as a ship goes down in flames. Then a long time of him just sitting alone in an inflatable cocoon, starving and incredible thirst. Just sitting and waiting till. Blackness, nothing just silence not even the sound of his own heartbeat to listen to. He then dreamt of jolting awake. A sense of something in the boat with him. A feeling of intense pressure. The sound of his heartbeat once again keeping him company. But knowing now whoever he was is now gone, replaced by who or whatever he had now become. The hospital didn’t know what to do with the little boy. He was now basically fit and well but with no memory of who he was and the police not having any clues he was for now stuck in limbo, till social services can sort out a place for him to stay.

 Frank walked into the hospital late one night. He walked along the corridor till he reached the private room the boy was in. Locating the door, grunting as he saw the name on the door plate “Richard Parker” . Obviously someone’s idea of a joke to name the lost little soul after the tiger on the small boat in the novel Life of Pi. Frank wasn’t a literary man but he remembered watching the film with Natalie. The end of which filled him with so many questions. Was there a tiger, were they humans, which version was true? Natalie tried explaining the metaphysical side but it just gave Frank a headache. Now checking the coast was clear he entered the room. Tiptoeing over to the bed, with shaky hands he pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and a hanky. He soaked the hanky in the fluid from the bottle then leaning over the bed he placed the hanky covering the mouth and nose of the sleeping boy. The boys eyes opened he tried to struggle but breathing in the fumes he soon fell into a deep sleep. Frank breathing deeply picked up the sleeping boy and carried him to a pair of French doors. Putting the boy down carefully he pulled out his phone, rang a number and within minutes a figure appeared the other side of the glass door. Frank turned the lock on the door swung it open and with help from his accomplice they carefully carried Richard Parks to the carpark. Opening the back door they lay Richard on the back seat then jumping into the front seats they drove off. Reaching The Anchorage they carefully carried Richard placing him in one of the Cabins. Locking the door behind them. Frank looked over to the young lad who had helped him, the same young lad who had climbed into the lifeboat three weeks earlier and carried the young boy out, now an accomplish in the kidnapping of that same boy. Both Frank and the crew member slept on the boat, taking it in turns to check on Richard through out the night. The boy slept through. 

By the next morning the rest of the crew arrived, quietly got to work setting up the winches and nets. Stowing away boxes checking the ice was ready. They were expecting a large haul, they knew what Frank had done so a real buzz of anticipation was in the air. The only one who wasn’t there was Barry, when Frank told him what his plans were. Barry pleaded with him not to do it. Frank though told him, I must, I have to have one more big catch, one more injection of significant cash to help pay off some big debts. Barry told him he wasn’t going on the boat then till this madness ends. Frank set the engines in motion and they pulled out of harbour. Noting other boats he turned his boat to head off in the opposite direction. After a few hours he killed the engine told the crew to drop anchor. Pulling a draw open under the control desk he pulled out a half bottle of whisky. Uncorking it he sniffed the heavy aroma then took a large mouth full straight out of the bottle. Re-corking it he stood and made his way out. Nodding to the crew member stood outside the locked door of the cabin holding Richard Baker. Squaring his shoulders he walked in. The boy was sat at a desk with pen in hand. As Frank walked in he stopped writing stood clutching the piece of paper. He handed it over to Frank. 
“This will take you to a shoal of cod, the biggest cod you will ever see. Don’t trawl over the two hours. Before you start. Put me in the lifeboat I know you have stashed here. I will not be used by you again. Set me free put me on the boat then catch your cod. Don’t come looking for me on land if I make it to land.”
Frank stared hard at the boy, if he put him on the small boat they have onboard this far out. The current will take him even further away from land. He would be signing his death certificate. But this wasn’t a human boy Frank knew that now so can he even die? In the end he nodded, thinking fast he left the boy in the room. Running back to the bridge, he pulled out a small gps tracker from a draw. Returning to the deck he handed the tracker to someone telling them to hide it on the lifeboat somewhere it won’t be seen, then get the boy and put him on the boat. As the small inflatable boat with the boy sitting primly in the middle was lowered in the water he looked up stared directly at Frank shook his head sadly then looked out to sea as the boat was set adrift. Frank avoiding the looks of his crew went on the bridge read the coordinates on the paper and gunning the engine told the crew to pull up anchor. Then he checked an app on his phone and saw with satisfaction the small blip with coordinates scrolling underneath. Thinking to himself hah Richard Parker you won’t get away that easily! 
Two hours later they were over the spot of sea corresponding with the coordinates on the crumpled piece of paper in Franks hand. Looking on his fish finder radar there was nothing showing. But remembering what happened last time he ordered for the nets to be lowered. Again forty five minutes later a large solid white blob appeared on his screen. Frank turned the trawler to transverse the blob. Twice through the middle of it. The alarm went off to say his two hours were up. Killing the engines he called on the tannoy to drop anchor and pull in the nets. With eyes gleaming he ran out on to the deck as the winches took the strain. This time they really struggled at one point they began to buckle and pull out of their fairings, but they stayed firm. Eventually the nets were out of the water. With one final swing the nets were above the decking and with a thwack a ton of prime cod hit the deck floors. All the crew started rejoicing. As the magnitude of the catch became obvious. Nothing but cods covered the deck floor. It will raise a fortune at the auction. 

“Boat to the portside captain, it’s the it can’t be it’s the boy back in our lifeboat!”
Frank spun round to scan the sea to the portside and sure enough there was a small white dot. Feverishly he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sure enough the tracker they had hid on the boat showed that was indeed Richard Parker, drifting towards them. But that was impossible, they set him adrift several nautical miles in the opposite direction. There was no way he could have drifted this far that quickly. Staring out of his binoculars he saw Richard stand up. Then a bright shimmering light bathed the whole boys body, something appeared to pull itself out of Richard’s small thin torso, Richard fell back onto the floor of the small boat and the entity that had left him slipped into the sea water, Frank could see it was heading straight for them. Dropping the binoculars he shouted over his shoulder as he ran back towards the bridge. “Raise the anchor for godsake raise it and hold tight, on the bridge he gunned the engines as soon as the anchor was clear he pushed the throttle to full speed with a lurch the boat pulled forward just then there was a crunch and the engines died. Frank tried to fire them up again but to no avail. He opened the draw under his command desk, pulling out a gun. He checked it had bullets in it then slowly walked out onto the bridge. He saw his crew all collapsed on the floor of the bridge. He could tell they were breathing, just knocked out cold. Waving the pistol in front of him he heard a creaking sound behind him. Spinning around, there in front of him was a creature from his worse nightmares, a large grey glistening body with many tentacles protruding from its body, a face covered in barnacles. It looked straight at Frank, Frank raised his gun and fired hitting the creature in its midriff. Frank continued firing till the chamber was empty, hitting the creature several more times. The body of the creature convulsed it closed its eyes then opening its huge mouth it spat out onto the floor six pristine bullets it now stood up straight and Frank heard that singsong voice directly into his head. “You were warned to be wise…… this was unwise.” Its entire body then split open as a wave of water gushed out of it hitting Frank in the chest. It pushed him towards the railings behind him. Desperately he tried to grab the rail but to no avail as he was thrown over the side into the sea below. As he fought to reach the surface, the water above him just pushed back holding him under, as his body weakened, he gave up the fight and let the sea claim him for its own. The last thought he had was that of his son Daniel who had drowned two winters previous. As his lungs filled with water, his heart stopped beating Frank’s lifeless body floated down to the bottom of the sea. The entities body pulled itself together the water now all gone. It looked around at the crew could see they were beginning to awaken so dived back into the sea back to the small boat with the little boy in it. Back on the little boat the entity reentered the dead boys body. The boys eyes flutters open as he looks up. With a tear in his eye. 
“Why don’t you let me die? I’m tired and weak let me go” The voice in his head told him “You are dead Charlie, you died twenty five years ago when the boat you were on exploded killing your family and there friends. They thought they had saved you putting you on the lifeboat but with no food or water you starved to death. I witnessed the whole thing and I knew I could use you. I’m like a hermit crab you are my shell. You keep me alive now we must go” with that the hermit crab creature again left Charlie’s body dropped into the sea behind the small boat and propelled it at speed away from The Anchorage. 

Two years later - a trawler four days out of Newfoundland. Were tying up everything to make the journey home. Captain Greg Harrison. Looked glumly out to sea, it had been a total wash out. Thinking how was he going to face his missus when they make land. Oh god please help me here, all I need is one decent catch. Just the one. We could stay out all week if it would end in a decent catch. Just as the captain was lamenting his lot in life a shout from ships deck pulls him short. The door to the bridge pulled open. A big bear of a man strides in. “Greg small boat to the port side. It looks like someone on it in some distress.”
Greg sighs, he’d really wanted this trip to end, it had been an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. Standing up he followed his crew member out, picking up the binoculars he scanned the sea till he saw the small inflatable boat with a small boy on board. As he looked the boy sat up, looked directly at him waving his hands in the air. At the same time a singsong voice entered his head. 
“Rescue the boy, a great prize will be paid but Captain Greg be wise”

The End