text: It was just a normal day out on the boat - a salty sea breeze blew lazily across the water, the sun and the heat were high, the waves lapped gently against the bow, seagulls flew above and called out to each other. Yup, it was a perfectly normal, almost cliché, day. It was exactly what I’d hoped for when I set out this morning; a picture-perfect postcard day. I’d been here only 20mins but already my tensions and stresses had disappeared, just like the coastline beyond the horizon. I could barely see nor hear the busy port from which I’d set off. It was almost like I’d left my debt and unemployment in a neat little box on the jetty, and, with any luck, it would be gone before I got back. The thought did cross my mind to stay here forever. I could learn to fish. I could travel from country to country and take on little jobs for extra cash when I needed. I could make friends all over the world, never needing to face the darker side of life. I would be my own captain, a slave to none. It would be perfect! ‘If only,’ I sighed. I shook off the feeling. ‘No time for melancholy here. Just enjoy the sway of the sea under the boat. Let it ease your mind like a masseuse.’ It helped to talk to myself like one of those calming apps. Time passed and the sun began to travel West; it would be dark in a few hours. I suppose I’ll start on my last iced tea. Story-telling dictates that I should be drinking beer but I could never like the stuff. So iced tea. I stood up to get a bottle from the cooler and heard a splash. That’s nothing unusual; fish occasionally splash about or the gulls dive in when on the hunt, but for some reason this sound caught my attention. It sounded different somehow. Should I go check and see what it might be? Maybe it’s the answer to all my problems! You never know what lies in these waters, they’ve always said, so why not that? Looking over the side and I couldn’t see anything immediately. I searched hard for any indication of anything in the water. It could have been nothing. I leant in lower, my face was inches from the surface. Still nothing. What on Earth could have made that splash? Two eyes snap open at me. I screamed. I screamed so loud the birds started screaming back. I was still screaming when I pulled myself back into the middle of the boat. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL WAS THAT?! My mind raced from blind panic. I’m out here alone with that thing, whatever it is! I need to get back to shore NOW! I scrambled up and ran to the engine. I yanked frantically at the cord. Silence. Yanked again. Nothing. SHIT! This was not the time to be dead. I yanked again over and over and finally the engine sputtered to life. YES! Time to get the hell out of here! But I wasn’t moving. There was no jerk forward to get home. The engine was on and loudly chugging but I was not moving. What’s going on? Why am I not moving? There’s a thing in the water right there! I couldn’t understand what’s happening! Why am I not moving? ‘Come on, come on, come on.’ I slapped the engine, willing it to move the boat forward. Nothing. I started crying. I was so scared. So very fucking scared. I wouldn’t be able to get away. I didn’t have a weapon. I didn’t know what was coming next. I was just so petrified that all I could do was cry. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID. I was going to die here. Alone. Everyone would be looking for me and they would never find me and I was about to be eaten by that monster and I couldn’t save myself! I just had to come out today. I just had to say no to company. I just had to take a day for myself. Fucking idiot. Now you’re going to die. I wiped my eyes. If this was the end, then I was going to try to go with some class. I actually laughed. What class? I’d almost pissed myself a moment ago and here I was talking about class! The nerve. I put on a brave face and waited. Just waited. For anything to happen, really. I waited and waited. The engine cut out. I wasn’t sure if I was out of fuel or it just died. I watched the sun setting. I sniffled but held back the tears that threatened to flow. Class, remember. The sun started to dip below the horizon and I knew my time was up. I knew all the luck in the world couldn’t save me and I was ok with that. I’d lived a decent life and if I was going to go, so be it. I tried not to cry. The orange hues in the sky started to turn purple and they, in turn, became a dark blue, beckoning in the night. Stars began to twinkle in the sky and it was so beautiful. A beautiful last thing to see. I smiled and tears started to roll down my face. I just hoped it wouldn’t be painful. It was dark now and I could only hear the birds cawing at each other as they returned to their nests. Waves broke gently against the hull and I was being rocked back and forth. How ironic that hours ago this is exactly what I’d wanted, so peaceful and serene; just me on the boat without a care in the world. I could hear my breaths and they were deceitfully calm. My heart was beating steadily and I could feel the tension rising in my shoulders. All around me was quiet and calm. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. And then I heard it rise out of the water behind me. Every bone in my body froze and willed me not to look but by God, I was going to look my death in the eyes. A noble end for a noble life. I rotated and, surprisingly, all I saw was a column of murky water in front of me. It moved like an endless water fall but flowed seamlessly into the vast ocean. What the-? Cold, salty brine crashed around me and I was drenched instantly. My eyes stung and it took me a moment to blink away the pain and restore my vision. My heart was pounding, maybe from the cold? I couldn’t tell. The impossible column was still in front of me and as I looked up, I realised it was a body. Vast wings attached themselves either side of it and above me was a head, as if carved from the water itself. I couldn’t feel my heart anymore and hot fear rushed into my ears. No. It couldn’t be. It’s impossible. This can’t be real. I must be hallucinating. Surely this can’t be real. Was that-? It looked like... A Dragon? I was struck with awe at the clouded beauty before me that filled up the night sky. A dragon. A BIG dragon. Reality came crashing down around me and I wanted to weep. Anger, fear, confusion and disbelief swirled in me like a whirlpool that overwhelmed any common sense I had left. Not that any common sense would help me now. IT WAS A FREAKING DRAGON MADE OF WATER! Holy fuck. It stood before me for an eternity. I just stared, speechless. Me and my world were impossibly small compared to this ethereal being. Its wings were spread, showing off the entirety of its monumental size. The mighty body flowed into a majestic neck, elegantly curved so that its head was facing me directly. It was beautiful. How could something so colossal be so graceful? I almost wanted to reach out and touch it. The head was truly magnificent. As if cut from marble, it had a long, narrow, angular snout with a strong jaw that could probably crush me without any resistance. The bottom of the lower jaw was lined with what looked like whiskers that flowed endlessly. It was hypnotic. But the eyes. The eyes were enrapturing. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the piercing blue jewels that peered down and spiralled into my very soul. There was an intensity in them that stirred reverence in me. They glistened knowingly, and as we locked gazes, I knew I was looking into the sights of a thousand years. I understood that there was so much I didn’t and would never know. Whatever this was, I was fortunate to have ever glimpsed it. I could hardly come to terms with what I’d learnt when the behemoth began to lower itself back in the ocean, as silent as the waves around it. Panic rose in me. I didn’t want this moment to end! ‘Please don’t go! Please! Stay!’ To my relief, it stopped when its head was level with mine. I almost wished it hadn’t. My breath stopped in my throat. Whatever I thought I’d experienced was dwarfed by this moment; this moment of pure euphoria that engulfed me completely. It was spectacular. Before me, looking into me, was the whole universe and I was nothing - just a speck. It took me to the edges of life and back. I ceased to exist. I was just a piece of the un-ending puzzle that was always growing. I couldn’t look away from the frightening realisation that everything was as it should and would always be what it was meant to be. I dropped to my knees, frozen, unblinking. Without a sound, the eyes that had started this slowly disappeared into the dark waters below. The last thing I remember was the feeling of nausea that swept over me and the world tilting.