18 sept. 24
"Marina, hurry up! We're going to miss the boat," Fedde called out, his voice echoing through the hotel corridor. He fidgeted with the strap of his bag, glancing at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.
"I'm coming, darling," she replied, her heels clicking against the tile floor as she approached. "I just had to make sure I had everything," she said, flashing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Fedde sighed, trying to mask his annoyance. This vacation was supposed to be a time to unwind, not a race against the clock. He knew his mother's vanity was the culprit for their almost-missed departure, but he bit his tongue. The last thing he needed was to start the trip on a sour note.
As they rushed through the village square, the heat from the sun-baked cobblestones seemed to intensify the stench of fish and diesel. The villagers, mostly men, paused in their activities to watch them pass, their gazes lingering on the shapely form of the beautiful woman beside him. Fedde felt a mix of pride and unease. It was clear that his mother's allure wasn't lost on the locals.
Marina, unfazed, waved gracefully at the staring crowd as she walked. Her golden hair, tied back in a loose ponytail, swished with every step she took. She was wearing a floral sundress that accentuated her figure and made the men's glances even more obvious. "Looks like we're the main attraction," she murmured to Fedde, a hint of amusement in her voice.
The boat, a small wooden vessel with a faded red hull, bobbed gently in the harbor. The captain, a weathered man with a thick mustache, nodded curtly as they boarded. He spoke little English, but his gestures were clear enough. They had to hurry. Fedde helped his mother settle into the boat, trying not to let his anxiety show.
As the boat chugged away from the pier, the stares of the villagers grew smaller and eventually disappeared from view. The sea spray cooled the sticky heat, and the rhythmic motion of the waves soon lulled Fedde into a state of near-sleep. He watched as the island of Komodo grew larger, the shoreline revealing a dense jungle that seemed to hide untold secrets.
Marina, however, remained alert, her eyes scanning the horizon with an excitement that was infectious. "Isn't it beautiful, Fedde?" she exclaimed, her voice carrying over the drone of the engine. "The water's so clear, you can almost see the dragons from here!"
Fedde forced a smile, the mention of the island's fearsome inhabitants bringing his nerves back to the surface. "Yeah, beautiful," he murmured, trying to ignore the thought of the creatures lurking nearby.
As the boat approached the island, the captain throttled back the engine, allowing the vessel to drift closer to the shoreline. Fedde's heart raced as he caught sight of a shadow moving through the mangroves. The water was indeed crystal clear, and he could see the dark form of what was undeniably a large, prehistoric-looking reptile gliding through the shallows.
Marina leaned in closer, her eyes wide with excitement. "Look, Fedde," she whispered. "Isn't it magnificent?"
The dragon slithered out of the water, its massive body leaving a trail of ripples behind it. Its forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air as it approached the boat. Fedde felt a shiver run down his spine as he took in the creature's size – easily twice the length of a grown man, and thick enough to crush a bull.
The captain spoke rapidly in a language Fedde didn't understand, but the urgency in his tone was clear. He reached for a rifle propped against the side of the boat, his hand shaking slightly. The creature's eyes, the color of polished stones, remained fixed on the boat, and specifically on Marina.
Fedde felt his stomach churn. "Mom," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we should go back
."
