Depths of Terror
The Legend of the Megalodon
In the sleepy seaside village of Havenport, the water was both friend and enemy. Though they also murmured stories of the deep — old legends of horrible creatures lurking under the waves — the locals lived on fishing. Among them, the Megalodon, an ancient shark said to be as big as a ship and with razor-sharp teeth, was the most dreaded one. A crew of fishermen got ready for their night’s work one evening as the sun sank below the horizon and sent a ghostly orange light over the waves. Among them was youthful Jake, keen to establish himself. Although his grandpa had told him the tales, he discounted them as just mythologies.
The water darkened and got more forebiding as they went further from the coast. Once calm waves started to swirl fiercely. Though they cast nervous looks at one another, the fisherman continued motivated by need. The boat jerked suddenly, as if it had hit something big under the surface. As they tried to get under control, panic seized. Heart pumping, Jake looked down over the brink. He noticed something in the low light that made his blood stop — a big shadow around the boat. Its terrible elegance matched its scale, which was less than their vessel. As if it were extracting the very life from the sea, the water surrounding it appeared to darken.
Suddenly the Megalodon broke through the surface. Its massive jaws closed, and one of the fisherman vanished straight down into the sea. The guys battled to cling on as the boat shook fiercely. Every tale Jake had ever heard suddenly vividly alive in his imagination. One became desperate. The fishermen sent their harpoons at the beast. Shaking the very air, the Megalodon screamed — a sound like it came from the depths of the earth. Its enormous tail pounding on the boat caused splintering of wood and sent men fleeing, a savagery unheard of.
The salt burning his eyes, Jake was flung into the cold water. His limbs heavy with terror, he gulped for air. He emerged and watched the Megalodon circling once again, its eyes ablaze with a terrible intelligence. It appeared to play with their dread.
Drawing every last bit of bravery, Jake swam toward a floating piece of trash. His knuckles white, he gripped it. Under him the shadow of the thing loomed, a black death promise. A brilliant flash of lightning split the sky, then a loud roar of thunder, just as it shot higher, poised to hit. Jake saw the whole horror of the Megalodon in that little period of illumination: its huge, scarred torso, rows of fangs glittering with the blood of his companions. But the lightning also exposed another feature: a jagged rock structure not far away. He kicked at it with a sudden frantic force.
The Megalodon trailed, its appetite unbounded. Just as the beast sprang, Jake arrived at the rocks. Its speed carried it into the sharp stones as its jaws locked closed on empty air. As the Megalodon sliced itself on the jagged rocks, the sea burst in a fury of thrashing water and blood.
Higher still, Jake watched in sad fascination as the old beast met its death. The dying throes of the beast were severe; each convulsion rocked the water. At last it was calm, its terrible shape dead and fractured.
Weary and troubled by the atrocities of the evening, Jake gazed out at the still sea — now hauntingly still. He understood the traditions were accurate, but the beast was destroyed. For now, Havenport would be protected at least. Deep in his heart, however, Jake knew that other horrors were waiting for their moment to surface in the seas.
