Dragons : The Dragon Hunt

47. Boat Problem

"Dusty, do you hear that?", I asked him, as we listened again for that clanking on the back of the boat.

"I do hear it bud, I hope its not bad, or particularly destroying the boat", Dusty snorted, "There is no malfunctions on the controls! Why do we hear clanking? It must be the engine", He implied, but I never listened to him, the clanking is different from the engine. It must be some sort of a fluctuating engine from cars, but I think its more than that. It is more like two metals banging to each other, I still didn't have a guess.

"Den, what do you think is causing that clanking?", Dusty asked me, willing to know what the heck is causing that clanking.

"I don't know Dusty, I don't have an Idea. But I think its not--", I said, but I was interrupted by Dusty, he raised his hands in a stop manner. I froze my mouth from moving as Dusty quickly spoke.

"Don't say the word! You're gonna make me panic again", He said in a scared manner. I finally closed my mouth shut and stared at him, I let out a laugh. He faced me in an embarrassed manner.

"Really Dennis, that's not funny. I don't want any problems again, just please, say other words other than bad", He requested

"Okay... The boat is in horrid condition", I said slowly, as we still hear the clanking, "You happy?", I replied sarcastically, raising my voice a little.

"Thank you very much, you idiot", He snarled at me, then suddenly,"WOAH!!", Dusty and I exclaimed, as we fell down due to a sudden stop of the boat. Then one part of the control system blinked it's light simultaneously, I looked at it and saw what part of the boat is malfunctioning. It was the propeller, I gasped in horror as we could lose the propeller and never get back to Sept-Iles. Dusty was near the lever which causes the boat to accelerate.

"DUSTY, Stop the boat immediately. NOW!", I shouted at him, as he finally stood up and pulled the lever backwards hardly, as the boat and the boat's engine finally stopped. 

I stood up quickly and went hurriedly to the back, I brought my flashlight with me to see clearly what happened to the propeller below. It was pitch black in the night, it was almost 9 in the evening so everything was black, the only thing was giving us little light was the moon shining on us. When I arrived at the back of the boat, I quickly lit my flashlight on and poked below the boat. I pointed my flashlight directly where the propeller is located, but only little light had passed through the water and reached the propeller. Dusty followed me behind, he poked his head at the water seeing the propeller a little.

"How does it look down there?", He asked me, as I stared still at the boat's propeller hardly to see what thing is stuck on it. Dusty moved his head a little near the water to see it more clearly.

"I can't see anything, but I hope that the object lodged on the propeller is small", I uttered, as Dusty finally removed his head near the water and I took my turn. I stared at the propeller for a few minutes and I observed hardly. I noticed a bulge on the propeller that is very uneven from it, I leaned my head more closer to make it clear for me what object is stuck on the propeller. I let out a gasp as I finally Identified what object is preventing the rotor to spin, It was a piece of metal. The metal and plunged directly on the rotor which I think it would be hard to pull out. I went to Dusty to say the news.

"So what the heck is that thing preventing the spin of a the propeller?", He asked me snorting, I let out a deep sigh and told him the object.

"It was a piece of metal, I don't know where it came from but I think it was lodging on the rotor when the storm arrived. The metal had pierced directly to the rotor, I think it would be hard to remove", I explained, as Dusty clicks his tongue and thought of something that would remove that lodged metal on the rotor. 

"I had an Idea, follow me", He ordered, as I followed him behind and went to the below deck, Dusty searched the cabinets and grabs a rope, we went again to the back of the boat to makw a solution for the problem.

"So, what are we gonna do? ", I asked Dusty

"I hope you're keen on my idea Dennis", He said, as he stared at me for a long time.

"What's your idea? ", I asked him again, he was wiggled his right leg uneasily, I know its has something daring again.

He let out a heavy sigh, "You will go down there, then you will tie the rope to the metal, you will pull it out underwater, whileI will pull it here on the boat", He finally said, he smiled at me uneasily, hoping that I would agree to his idea.

"I'll do it.... Wait what!!?? I will go down there?! ", I hesitated then exclaimed at Dusty, diving again down there, I did not expect that.

"Yeah, you said that you could hold your breath underwater for three minutes right? ", He asked me, I didn't spit any words because its true, I just looked at Dusty blankly.

"Alright, alright, I'll go down there. But when I shake the rope one time, it means I am running out of air you will pull the rope, if I shake two times, the metal is good to pull. Okay? ", I said, as he nodded in agreement. I finally removed my shoe and my shirt, I grabbed the end of the rope and cuaght some air, I finally jumped from the boat and dove down towards the sea.

I only touched the boat's hull while I dive down because it was dark underwater, after ten seconds of searching underwater, I finally found the propeller. I scanned the propeller for the lodged metal inside it, then I finally felt the metal on the propeller. I searched around the metal for some buldged parts to tie the object, then I felt a exposed edge on the metal, I tied the rope around the lodged object. After tying the rope around the object, I finally shook the rope two times in order to signal Dusty to pull the rope. I felt that the rope was pulled so I then followed Dusty, I pulled the metal using my whole force, I grunted underground. After several minutes, I started to ran out of air, but we finally removed the lodged metal, but I began to faint. I pulled the rope single time but a hard one, to signal Dusty that I am running out of air, I untied  the rope fron the metal and wrapped it around my waist. Dusty finally pulled the rope with whole force, after seconds of Dusty pulling, I finally resurfaced, I took very deep breath and coughed a lot sea water.

Dusty carried me to the below deck, as we arrived, he puts me down on one side of the wall while he gets grabs the used blanket by him and puts it around me, "Den, DEN! Answer me bud", He exclaimed in worry, as I breathed deeply and tried to speak.

"Dusty..... I.... Am... Okay... ", I spoke slowly, as he began to hug me relief.

"Thank thor Den, you're still alive. I can't imagine a world without you", He said, as he finally unwrapped his arms from me and gave my shirt and shoe, "Dry yourself, I'll be controlling the boat. You should take a sleep first", He said,

"Thank you Dusty", I thanked him

"No problem, I should be getting back to the bridge now, see you later", He uttered as he finally walked out and went to the bridge. I dried my self using the blanket that Dusty gave me, and finally weared my shirt and shoe. I went to the corner and comforted myself, as I finally closed my eyes and slept.

-To be continued -

A/N - Sorry for the crappy writing :-), I was not in mood when I made this.... I'll  edit this when I finally finished the book :-)