Oceans

by D Kershaw

  Twitter: @WritesJodi

  Facebook: jodijensenwrites

  Easy Kill

  by Wendy Roberts

  The scent of blood is strong, leading him straight toward an easy kill that will allow him to find a dark space to hunker down and rest for a while. As the smell grows stronger, the huge beasts that lurk above the ocean move, along with something else. The new scent makes him swim a bit faster. Determined to get his prize and as far from the strange hunters as possible when something rips into his side. He snaps at this new enemy, turning to escape the pain, when something wraps around him to pull him toward the beasts above.

  WRITING SHORT STORIES and novels started as a past time for Wendy Roberts and has now become a fully fledged passion. She posts short stories on her website and can be found most days on Twitter.

  Website: flippinscribbler.com

  Twitter: @_WARoberts

  Fish Judgement

  by Will Christian

  Bright flashing lures, fat juicy worms, feathers or plastic eels: you spend futile hours on shore and craft.

  But we see you and we pity you.

  There’s no art to your fishing, dangling a line with the hope that you will take back a prize catch to show off to others on a big dish. Waiting for us to jump on the hook—do you think we are foolish?

  Inconsequential humans, we only give up the dregs and wastrels of the deep.

  Our own piscatorial courts pass sentence to those who stray: onto the hook with their lives, they pay.

  WILL CHRISTIAN is a father of two writers and a husband to his beautiful wife (who paid him to write that). With a sense of humour that his eldest daughter calls “adorable and groan-worthy dad jokes with surprising creativity”, Will can usually be found wandering the local beaches, writing poetry and drabbles, and wistfully daydreaming about the boat that his girls haven’t yet agreed to buy him.

  Into the Depths

  by Megan Willette

  It was bad luck to allow a woman to stay aboard, so they tied a weight around her legs and pushed her from the ship. The sky was full of stars as she sank into the depths of the ocean.

  On the verge of death, there was a pain beyond anything she had ever experienced. When it subsided, she was transformed: a tail where she once had legs, and the ability to breathe beneath the waves.

  Her beauty and song would lead hundreds to their deaths, for mermaids are the unfortunate victims of superstitious sailors, gifted a chance for revenge.

  MEGAN WILLETTE is a registered cardiology technologist living in St. John’s, Newfoundland. While most of the time she can be found reading various types of stories, she sometimes tries to write them. Fantasy themes come easiest to her but she has attempted fiction, sci-fi, and mystery as well. There are currently two unfinished fantasy novels sitting on her computer which may or may not eventually be shared with other people if she can ever manage to finish them.

  The Sea Witch

  by Zoey Xolton

  Standing upon the rocky shore the ancient, but deceptively youthful looking sea witch raised her arms, her fingers and hands performing intricate motions through the air—swirls of magic whorled around them as she worked.

  In return for her long years, her beauty and her power, she owed Poseidon tribute, once a year; a tithe of blood to be paid to the old god beneath the waves.

  In the distance a ship could be seen battling the choppy waters. Answering her summons, the ocean swelled and raged. The mast snapped, the vessel sank, and all the souls aboard were lost.

  ZOEY XOLTON is an Australian Speculative Fiction writer, primarily of Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and Horror. She is also a proud mother of two and is married to her soul mate. Outside of her family, writing is her greatest passion. She is especially fond of short fiction and is working on releasing her own themed collections in future.

  Website: www.zoeyxolton.com

  Funnel of Death

  by Nerisha Kemraj

  Captain Erickson stood before the ship’s wheel, steering against the current, trying to shield the lifeboats that struggled to get away from the magnetic pull of a massive whirlpool. As passengers climbed onto the remaining lifeboats, the anchor gave way, snapping onto the ship.

  Within seconds, the giant vessel swirled into the midst of the rotating mass of water. Screaming passengers were flung overboard and sucked into the funnel when the ship began to spin.

  The captain could do nothing but painfully watch as the raging ocean swallowed his beloved Betty into its depths while he held onto her wheel.

  NERISHA KEMRAJ resides in Durban, South Africa with her husband and two mischievous daughters. Writing since 2017, she has had over 100 short stories and poems published in various publications, both print and online. She has also received an Honourable Mention Award for her tanka in the Fujisan Taisho 2019 Tanka Contest. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from University of South Africa.

  Amazon: amazon.com/author/nerisha_kemraj

  Facebook: Nerishakemrajwriter

  The Coral Garden

  by Paula R.C. Readman

  Such a perfect ending to a crappy holiday, Wendy thought while floating on her back. As a light breeze brushed her cheek, she rolled over to gaze down.

  Through the crystal clear water, she saw her husband, Tom, waving at her. He swam seal-like among the brightly coloured corals and darting fish.

  Wendy calmly pulled the harpoon trigger. She enjoyed Tom’s shocked expression as the spear passed straight through him.

  No more than the bastard deserved, she deemed, since finding out about his betrayal.

  Soon the circling sharks would follow the bloody trail. With determined strokes, Wendy headed to shore.

  PAULA R.C. READMAN learnt ‘How to Write’ from books which her husband purchased from eBay. After 250 purchases, he finally told her ‘just to get on with the writing’. Since 2010, she’s had 34 stories published.

  Blog: paulareadman1.wordpress.com

  Tsunami

  by Paul Eric Carberry

  The ocean retreats from the shore without reason. Fishermen rush to the exposed, craggy ocean floor to assess the damage to their boats. They stand there puzzled. Amongst the chatter, theories and rumours spread like wildfire. An ominous silence washes over them as the powerful raging ocean rushes back to reclaim its rightful place. Cries are drowned out by the overpowering roar as the one hundred foot tidal wave asserts its dominance. Water pounds the shore with unfathomable power. Nothing is left intact; houses, boats, vehicles, animals and people are washed out to their watery grave in an instant. Tsunami.

  PAUL ERIC CARBERRY is the author of the Zombies on the Rock series. His tales of the zombie apocalypse in Newfoundland are inspired by George A. Romero’s Living Dead series. He has also published several short stories over three “from the Rock” anthologies including “Halloween Mummers”, “The Light of Cabot Tower”, “Into the Forrest” and “Harmon Field”. His Zombies on the Rock series currently has three novels, “Outbreak”, “The Viking Trail” and “The Republic of Newfound” and is currently working on the fourth novel “Extinction”. Paul is from Newfoundland and is currently living in Shearwater, Nova Scotia.

  Website: engenbooks.com/zombies-on-the-rock

  Frozen

  by Terri A. Arnold

  I run, flat out, my breath coming in agonised puffs. I’ve never been thankful for living so far north as I am right now. It burns as my bare feet hit the snow. I know I’m leaving a trail of blood behind me, blood drips from every orifice.

  Survival isn’t likely, but after hours of torture, when I saw a chance, I ran. All I wear is a parka and my panties, I push myself to run faster. The frozen ocean could be my saviour as I run over it towards town. My body slows, and I pray for rescue.

  TERRI A. ARNOLD is an avid reader turned writer from a small town in Nova Scotia, who has spent her life reading and wishing she was writing. Although she has writte
n a lot in those years, she has only recently begun to submit pieces for publication. With ongoing encouragement from family and writing challenges with friends, Arnold felt the urge to try her hand at publishing.

  Fateful Expansion

  by C.L. Williams

  Today could be the final day of life on Earth. After millennia of treating the ocean as our dumping grounds, life in the ocean retaliated. It turns out, many of the animals living in the ocean live in water by choice. Jellyfish, sharks, and creatures I’ve never seen before attacked all living organisms on land.

  The worst of it happened when the ocean waters themselves expanded onto land throughout the globe. Taking down cities, expanding the reaches of the ocean. All that remains is an island once known as Oklahoma.

  Today could be the final day of land on Earth.

  C.L. WILLIAMS is an international best-selling author currently living in central Virginia. He has written eight poetry books, four novellas, one novel, and a contributor to a multitude of anthologies and magazines. His most recent anthology appearance ANGELS: Dark Drabbles #2 from Black Hare Press became a number one in hot new releases. C.L. Williams is currently working on his second novel and a new poetry book.

  Facebook: writer434

  Twitter: @writer_434

  The Mermaid

  by Timothy Friesenhahn

  Her beauty brought upon a feeling of pure euphoria. The arms of the enchantress were crossed as she sat perched on his small raft. The young seaman was fishing; a morning ritual he made routine since his crash on the island days ago. The sunlight sparkled in her blazing red hair. Her voice was soft when she spoke. She asked, “Come a little closer, feel my touch.”

  Resisting would bring on years of regret. His life was already lost to the sea. Face to face with the sea-goddess, he saw her teeth were razor sharp. Pulling him overboard, she fed.

  TIMOTHY FRIESENHAHN is thirty years old from Texas, where he lives with his fiance and two dogs. He has been writing since eight years old rather it be stories, poems, or lyrics. He played in a band off and on for several years until he was electrocuted. His lifestyle had to change from there and he went to a WFPB diet and settled down and decided to pursue his dream of writing novels.

  Meal for a Mermaid

  by Elizabeth Tackett

  Still as the night, watching the herd unwittingly swim above the reef where she lies. Grey skin mimicking the rocky surface, going undetected by her meal. A human strays from the pack; her mark is clear. Her heart pounds, the scent of her feast strengthens as it draws near. Advancing upon its predator with little suspicion that something is amiss; curiosity damning it to the fate of the feline. Her victim within inches, it’s back is turned. It’s feeding time. Her claws sink deep into flesh, releasing the intoxicating aroma of blood, dragging her bounty to its final resting place.

  ELIZABETH TACKETT is an emerging fiction writer based in LaGrange, GA, where she lives with her husband and three young sons. As a homemaker, she uses her creative talents daily and has a yearning to share those talents beyond the confines of her home.

  Human Leg Soup, Anyone?

  by Wondra Vanian

  How long can you dump pollutants into the oceans before you change the genetic makeup of the creatures living there? Scientists never got around to asking. They didn’t have to.

  The effect of manmade contaminants on marine life became obvious when the first shark walked onto land. That level of evolution should have taken hundreds of thousands of years but had been helped along considerably.

  How long can you hunt a species for their fins before they seek revenge? Reporters never got around to asking. They didn’t have to.

  Their desire for revenge became obvious when the first shark attacked.

  WONDRA VANIAN is an American living in the United Kingdom with her Welsh husband and their army of fur babies. A writer first, Wondra is also an avid gamer, photographer, cinephile, and blogger. She has music in her blood, sleeps with the lights on, and has been known to dance naked in the moonlight. Wondra was a multiple Top-Ten finisher in the 2017 and 2018 Preditors and Editors Reader’s Poll, including the Best Author category. Her story, “Halloween Night,” was named a Notable Contender for the Bristol Short Story Prize in 2015.

  Website: www.wondravanian.com

  Atlantis the Hidden

  by Peter J. Foote

  “There’s nothing here, Professor, and between the reef and the mist, your life is in jeopardy.”

  “You accepted my money, Caspian, to sail me here, I say we continue on!” The professor leans against the ship’s railing, willing the fog to part, and shouts in delight as the crystal city of Atlantis pokes out of the ocean.

  “I knew it! Everybody at the university laughed at my theories, but when I return...” The harpoon pierces his back, rupturing organs, killing him.

  “I’m sorry, Professor, but I must defend my home,” Caspian says and pitches the body to the circling sharks.

  PETER J. FOOTE is a bestselling speculative fiction writer from Nova Scotia. Outside of writing, he runs a used bookstore specialising in fantasy & sci-fi, cosplays, and alternates between red wine and coffee as the mood demands. His short stories can be found in both print and in ebook form, with his story “Sea Monkeys” winning the inaugural “Engen Books/Kit Sora, Flash Fiction/Flash Photography” contest in March of 2018. As the founder of the group “Genre Writers of Atlantic Canada”, Peter believes that the writing community is stronger when it works together.

  Twitter: @PeterJFoote1

  Website: peterjfooteauthor.wordpress.com

  To Find Peace

  by T.A. Ulven

  My father loved the endless horizon and the vast depths. There’s a peace here, he told me, that you can’t get anywhere else. I guess that’s why I keep coming back. To feel close to him.

  And he was right; there’s this special feeling when you look around and there’s nothing but the ocean. Nothing but the fathomless blue. It makes you feel insignificant and small. Just like he made me feel.

  So I visit him. Dive down to his final resting place, his body anchored for eternity. They’ll never find him. He’s all alone.

  I find peace in that.

  T.A.ULVEN is a father, husband, and horror fiction writer hailing from the cold mountains of Norway. He became known through his horror persona hyperobscure, primarily posting short stories on the vast writing subreddit of NoSleep. He has since had work published in several anthologies, and will continue to expand his dark universe for as long as people will visit it.

  Facebook: hyperobscure

  Reddit: hyperobscura

  Safe in the Dark

  by Lynne Phillips

  The malevolence that emanated from the vial was overpowering. Manweolf tried to counter the spell but failed.

  In exasperation he muttered, “I cast you into the deepest ocean where no light penetrates, and you can’t do evil.”

  His words held for a thousand years until a two-man bathysphere sank to the bottom of the ocean. The light from the undersea vehicle woke the monstrosity in the vial. Its spores clung to the vehicle and were carried to the surface. When exposed to sunlight, the flesh-eating bug multiplied and spread. The two divers were the first to succumb, others swiftly followed.

  LYNNE PHILLIPS, a retired teacher, lives in the beautiful Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales Australia. Her stories, across all genres, have been published in anthologies and various online magazines. Her priority is spending time with her family. Her passions are reading, writing and keeping fit.

  H.M.S. Tempest

  by E.L. Giles

  Captain Scott was pulled from slumber as the annoying hum of the speakers died and the eerie, distorted transmission filled the control room.

  “Mayday! Mayday!” the voice repeated. A long silence followed, and then the voice haunted the control room again. “This is the HMS Tempest...are sinking...”

  Captain Scott’s stomach dropped. His blood ran cold. He picke
d up the microphone, feverishly adjusted the frequency, and spoke, “This is Captain William Scott. Do you copy? Did you say the HMS Terror? Please confirm.”

  Scott’s forehead gleamed with sweat.

  “What’s the matter?” asked an officer.

  “The HMS Tempest disappeared fifty years ago.”

  E.L. GILES is a dreamer, passionate about art, a restless worker and a bit of a weird human. He started his artistic journey as a music composer until the need to put his thoughts and stories down on paper grew too strong for him to resist it any longer. He lives in the French Province of Quebec, Canada, with his girlfriend and two boys.