Coin Flip - Lo'ak

5:

Riding on Firik, I pushed her to go faster so we reach the rock sooner.

The water was getting colder the further out we swam, it's shift in temperature causing goosebumps to rise on my skin and my mouth to squeeze together tighter so that my teeth don't shiver.

The speed at which Firik was swimming made my large fishing net flow behind me, causing me to grab it tighter with my hand instead of just relying on the buckle to keep it in place.

Firik began to slow her swimming pace, we were close to the rock.

Once Firik completely stopped, I separated our queues, swimming to the water's surface myself.

Once emerging from the water and catching some much needed air, I climbed onto the giant rock so I could set up my hunting gear.

Laying my spear down on a flat part of the rock freed my hands to unravel the fishing net which I had woven myself.

It got tangled easily from being scrunched up after hunting fish and allowing it to fully dry in that scrunched up position, thus leaving the water to crystallise and therefore bond the fishing net together in the scrunched up position. I need to learn to hang up the net after I go hunting so that this doesn't keep happening and I don't have to keep fixing the giant holes that start to form from being ripped apart when I'm impatient - like right now.

With the help of my spear cutting some bits of the dried crystallised sea salt, the net unravelled. I grabbed the long line / rope, which I use to rail back the net out of the water, in my left hand, while using my right hand to ball up the net before swinging back and releasing it towards the water. It spread out mid air before landing on the water like a spider web.

I've added some weights to the edges of the net which helps it sink down faster and catches the fish by surprise, since the net falls down quickly through the water with the added mass.

I wait for most of the rope to disappear with the net, grabbing onto the end of it. Starting to rail back the fishing net, I realised that it feels very light. Sometimes it takes a few tries to catch some fish, so I repeat the same actions a few times.

Seeing as I've been at this for a few minutes, repeatedly casting the net in at the same spot, I knew it was time to try fish on the other side of my gigantic rock.

I kept thinking how fast the sun was setting, forming the eclipse. It became darker each minute and I started to worry.

Not only have I not caught a single fish or any other edible sea creature for that matter, I still had to tie the net together and strap it onto Firik's back (along with my spear), ride her back to shore before it got too dark, and quickly start a fire before it became difficult to find something to light the fire with.

I had roughly 20 minutes to find something within the water to eat, otherwise I'll have no dinner tonight.

How could I have been so stupid? I ran out of food a few days ago, but each time I got too eager coming to the rock that I kept forgetting my net. I've been using my spear for the past few days to hunt so I've only been able to catch (and carry in my small satchel) up to two smaller fish or one big one.

I cursed at myself for not thinking.

With my last cast of the net, I prayed to catch something, anything! My stomach was growling so much it hurt. By now I would already be cooking my meal, the scent soothing my starving stomach in some way, but right now, the only scent my nose was devouring was that of the sea.

Railing back the net, it continued to be near weightless. Releasing a frustrated groan, I knew that I had to pack up and go back home. Falling asleep sooner would help me stop thinking about food since you know, I'd be asleep and therefore not think about my burning hunger.