Slaughter Cove: Part 3
Chloe called out once more and only the silence answered. She was sure Rich would have been there by now, but he had either given up or gotten lost. Chloe sighed and stepped away from the kitchen area. She found her way to the back room. Nature had broken through a few spots in the roof and one of the windows had been pushed in from the framework. Rot and decay filled the room, and Chloe scrunched her nose at the odor. Mold spotted the walls, and the floors were covered in dirt and debris.
The first thing that caught Chloe's attention was a bed. Situated in a corner of the room, it did not quite match the rest of the room. It was somehow cleaner.
The next thing that brought Chloe's focus in completely was the news clippings that had been cut from the local paper of the main island. A paper called The Paradise Times. A select few articles were attached to the wall, just above the bed. Chloe walked over and began to read them. The titles of each article weaved a grim tale.
Talking To The Sea: New Study On Dolphin Communication
Fishermen Clash Over Protected Waters Claim
Evidence Of Illegal Dolphin Drive Hunt In Southern Cove
Fishing Crew Missing Near "Killer" Cove
Chloe put her finger to the pages as she read through each snippet. The details became clear. A scientist had come to study a large local pod of dolphins and their communication habits. The waters around the cove had been given temporary protection from the government. Local fishermen didn't take kindly to prime fishing grounds being taken away. They drove the dolphins into the cove for a slaughter. Then, they mysteriously went missing.
Details within the articles were scratched out, leaving the key information as a loss. The scientist's name, the dates, and the name of the fishermen involved are were conspicuously missing. The only thing that was left was the name of the missing boat. The Wandering Dog.
It was quite a dark and depressing set of articles, and Chloe felt a chill run down her spine despite the warmth of the beachfront weather. She took a few steps back, her eyes unable to break away from the morbid words hung upon the wall.
***
Harry was sitting on the dock, flicking off the last dolphin bits off the propeller of the motor. Mel was sitting near him in silent reverie. This trip had gone sour, and Harry always had a feeling it would. He never knew why Rich was trying so hard. Chloe was alright, but Rich was such a player he thought he would have moved on sooner. Whatever it was, it was becoming a shit show.
"Alright, I think this will get us back to the resort." Harry said.
"It better fucking get us back." Mel's words were laced with annoyance. Harry stood up and put his hands on his hips.
"Listen, you were the one who wanted to come on this trip. I'm just trying to make the best of this."
"Oh, it’s my fault now? Sure, blame me! It's the easiest thing to do, isn't it Harry?" Mel snapped. Harry looked shocked.
"Why are you so bent out of shape? Calm down." Mel sneered at him and took her attention elsewhere. Harry gave her an ugly look then turned back to the water. He took a few steps on the dock, and then something in the water caught his attention. The dolphins were active.
He could see the dorsal fins of the pod breaching the surface. As each second passed, more fins came into view.
That was when he noticed something in the water, floating at the surface. The activity of the dolphins was centered around it, and as far as Harry could tell, the dolphins were pushing the mass towards them.
"Look at that. What the hell are they doing?" Harry said to Mel, but she continued to offer only a cold shoulder. Harry watched as the dolphins worked their way straight to the dock. As they came in closer, he felt his stomach sink.
It was the floating corpse of the dolphin they had hit.
"This is fucked up." Harry muttered, his voice now a soft quiver. Mel finally paid some heed, and got up to see what Harry was going on about. As she walked up next to Harry, the corpse floated towards the dock, softly bumping into the wood pillars.
Mel looked at the tremendous rough gashes, the loose flesh hanging out of the wounds. The smell began to overpower the ocean air, and Mel lost control.
She fell to her knees and emptied her stomach into the water, very close to the dead dolphin. She heaved a few times, then pulled away from the edge. Harry knelt beside her, putting his arms around her shoulders.
"It’s so disgusting. Get it away from me." Mel said as she wiped her mouth with her forearm. Harry nodded and looked around the dock for a plank or stick to use to push the dolphin away. As he went up the dock towards the shore, Harry noticed a man coming towards them from the beach. The man waved as he approached from a distance.
Harry was relieved. He must be a tour guide or local fisherman. Harry waved back and began to walk to meet him. As he got close, Harry noticed his ratty hair, and his off-white shirt with some sort of fish pattern on it, a satchel strap across his chest.
Tour guide for sure, Harry thought.
The man stepped onto the dock from the beach, and walked towards Harry. Mel was still sitting on the other end of the dock, trying not to look at the dead dolphin. She noticed the dolphins had started to surface much more rapidly, with several of them hopping out of the water. It struck her as strange, and she went to call out to Harry.
"Harry?" She said loudly. Harry was already starting to greet the man, and did not reply.
"Hey there, we have a little bit of a boat problem, wondering if you..." Harry said, trying to best explain their situation. The man grabbed at his satchel strap. The satchel strap was actually a part of a pneumatic spear gun that the man quickly swung forward into his arms. Harry stopped and had a look of awkward confusion over his face as the man, still smiling, pulled the trigger.
The spear flew forwards at a furious rate, striking Harry directly in the right eye. The impact made Harry's head snap back with a sickening sound as the spear lodged into his brain. He stumbled and fell onto his back, the confused look frozen on his lifeless face.
Mel's lips quivered in fear. The man continued walking forward towards her, and he waved once more. The man stopped at Harry's body, and put his foot onto Harry's chest. He gripped the end of the spear, and with one strong motion, yanked the spear out of Harry's head.
Mel screamed uncontrollably and scooted closer to the end of the dock.
Just outside the blue building, as Chloe was just getting back onto solid ground, she heard Mel's screams. She immediately took off, rushing towards Mel's cries.
STAY TUNED FOR THE FINALE TOMORROW
