Power

Chapter II

I can't tell how long I've been falling, but I feel that it's been for hours. The cliff wasn't that tall. Maybe I miscalculated the height of the cliff. No that couldn't be the reason. The cliff still couldn't be so tall that I'd be falling for hours.

Finally, I decided to open my eyes. When I opened them I noticed that I was facing the water and there were no pointy and dangerous rocks on the surface of the water. 'Odd,' I thought to myself.

The water was getting closer and closer. I don't recall that I ever learned how to swim, heck I don't remember learning how to do anything. 'Great I'm not going to die by being pierced by a giant rock or falling on hard ground, but by drowning. A more scary death I couldn't be facing right now,' I thought.

Just as I hit the water I went under for a few seconds and then surfaced. I could float! "Thank you, whoever taught me to float. Unless I can just float naturally," I said. 'Well I can also speak too, that's great. Wait, didn't I talk before,' I tried to think hard, but I couldn't remember what lead me to here. I had forgotten about the cliff and the mob. I couldn't remember why I swam out into the middle of nowhere or I even swam here.

After a while of floating and wondering where I was, I heard a rumbling. I heard the kind of sound you hear from a motorboat. Beyond the noise of the motor I also heard voices.

"Man, Bill I don't think we're going to catch anything today," said one voice.

"I hear ya Kane, there just ain't no fish out there," said another voice, presumably Bill.

"We have ta catch somethin' Bill," said Kane.

"Oh well, let's just turn back now."

"Wait do ya see that Bill."

"See what."

"The shadow in the water."

"Oh geez looks like a big'n," said Bill. He threw out a line and it landed near me. They thought I was a fish. Well it was a bit foggy and I was pretty sure they were actually pretty far out. I grabbed on the line and tugged.

"I've got it!" said Bill. I held on as tight as I could moving closer towards the boat. Soon it was in my sight. It wasn't too big of a boat, it was just a regular fishing boat. The two men stared at me in confusion.

"That ain't no fish, it's just a boy Bill," said Kane.

"Ey, you. Boy. Watchya doin' in the water," yelled out Bill.

"Um, I don't know really," I yelled back.

"Can't ya swim," yelled Kane.

"Maybe," I said. I moved my arms and legs and sure enough I could swim. I swam over to the boat. One of the men went over to the side of the boat and helped me onto it.

"Let me introduce myself, lad. My name's Kane," said Kane. His face was covered with hair. His beard was a light brown had white bristles. Same went for his hair, which was short. His face was old and wrinkly and his eyes looked weary and their color was fading.

The other man was Bill, he was younger than Kane by not by much. His face had no wrinkles and he was clean shaven. He had ginger hair and was down to his shoulders. Both Kane and Bill had yellow raincoats on ad tattered jeans. Kane had a yellow old sou'wester hat.

"Well, boy what's your name," asked Kane.

For a few seconds there was silence. I wasn't exactly sure what my name was. I sat down in a chair on the boat and tried to remember my name. Suddenly a name popped into my head.

"Cosmo," I said. "My name is Cosmo."

"Well that's an odd name," said Bill.

"I reckon it's one of those new names," said Kane.

"How'd you get here Cosmo," asked Bill.

"I don't exactly remember," I said. Then I remembered something. Though I wasn't sure the memory real or fake, I said what I could remember. "I think I was by a large beast in the water. It swam from the bottom and threw it in the air. I think that the wreck already sunk into the lake."

"We should notify the IPSF about that beastie Bill," said Kane, "We should get you to shore lad and find you a place to stay. Have any money lad?"

I checked the pockets of my pants. I had nothing but a wad of paper. I took it out but it was just a wadded up tissue. "No," I said.

"Well we can give you some. You can stay up in the Renville Hotel," said Kane.

Bill turned the boat to shore.