LAYLA

SIGNS AND OMENS

When brightness refused to appear at its due time, the inhabitants of Arkansas Island knew today is an auspicious day. 

Since the majority of the dwellers of the island were fishermen, the pregnant cloud seemed not to affect their plans for today. And not even the heavy rain that came down after a long moment of winds and whirlwinds made them change their minds.

Shapes of men became visible when bright thunderstorms strike in the sky, and their voices came to be faintly audible after.

"I suggest we go back home. This storm is a bad omen," the oldest among the pair announced, scratched his scanty fluffy white hair and groaned louder.

"No...Why did you always look for signs and omens? We will proceed as planned, and let heaven rain pellets if it wants."

"I am feeling a kind of premonition about this storm. Please let's go back home and come when this weather cleared."

"Procrastination is a lazy man's apology. Don't forget, tick says the clock-."

"Tick-tick. What you have to do, then do it quickly."

The men giggle uncontrollably for a while, put on their headlights, and promptly stepped into the violent body of water and wobbled closer to their large boat.

"Are you coming with us, or not?"

"Of course, I am coming. I won't forgive myself if you all get yourself killed because am not there with you."

"Thanks, senior Ajay," one of the fishermen smirked back as the tall and aged man leapt into the water and swim closer to them.

After pushing their boat to the deeper side of the river, they hopped inside and began to paddle into the open sea.

"This storm is getting more violent... I suggest we do our fishing closer to the shore, instead of rowing into the interior side of the sea."

"Stop dissuading our effort. We won't turn back until we catch enough fish for tomorrow's sales. Have you forgotten we have outstanding mortgage bills to pay?"

Ajay snickered louder, placed his palms over his chin and gawked at the dark sea.

"Let's try our luck here."

"Oh no. To the middle of the sea."

"Hey! Look up."

Far off, a sudden light shines from nowhere and illuminates the dark sea. And the dazzling was so bright that it immediately blinded the stunned men, then disappeared shortly after. 

"I warned you... Please let's turn our boat back."

"Take it easy, buddy. Why are we running when we don't see what is after us?"

"Don't you see that mesmerizing light... Did anyone else see it or my eyes just played a prank on me?" Ajay was feverish from the sudden terror that paralysed his mind, and his hand shakes as he gripped the body of the boat and cried out, "turn now or I will leap into the sea and swim back."

"It's okay... It's okay. I wonder when Ajay becomes a sissy."

"Old age is cruel to him. Please be kind."

"Should we cast our net into the sea here?"

"No. Let's find out what caused that blazing light first."

"Is that necessary? The storm is over and the day is getting brighter. High time we start fishing."

"We have the whole of today to do our fishing, but whatever caused that light will be gone in a few minutes."

"He is right. Let's row closer."

"What about Ajay?"

"Let him jump into the sea if he likes. He is a good swimmer and will be back at the shore before us."

"Goddam you... Before all gods, this is the last fishing I will be going with these dummies."

Having no choice, Ajay placed his palms on his chest, gawked as the boat was paddled closer, and his heart was about to pull out of his chest when one among the fishermen shrieked out.

"Look out."

"What is that?"

"Over there," he pointed at his left side, jerked his hand violently and announced, there is someone inside the water over there."

"Impossible. It may be lumps of dirt dropped into the sea."

"Or someone who went overboard during a voyage."

"Let's row a bit closer."

"Please don't. I can feel a kind of negative energy since we saw that blinding light. We need to get out of here now."

Ajay was ignored, and no one seemed to notice the moaning man who was already immobilized because of fear.

"It's a corpse of a little girl. I wonder how she ends up here."

"She may have some gems with her. Swim closer and check."

"Not me. The smell of carcass doesn't usually sit well with me."

"What about you? Alan."

"No, boss. I have cold feet."

The bulky man who had taken the position of the leader pointed at Ajay, smirked when he shakes his head as a sign of rejection, growled and let out, "since none of you is ready to go, don't expect me to share any valuable thing I see on her with you."

Saying this, he leapt into the water and landed with a splash, then emerged a moment later, and then swim closer to the immobile girl in the middle of the sea.

"Be careful, Danny!"

"As always."

Danny swims closer to what he believed was a dead body of a little girl, pulled it closer then screamed out instantly.

"Danny!"

"Are you okay?"

"Get me out of here."

"Shut up, Ajay... Danny!"

"Yeah... Am okay," Danny swim till he reached half of the distance before answering back, and he immediately dipped his head inside the water and emerged beside the boat a second after.

"Why did you scream out."

"She is not dead. She immediately opened her eyes as soon as I touch her."

"You are joking... Right?"

"No, am not. I saw a beautiful black pearl on her neck, jerked her closer, and was about to remove  it when she opened her black eyes and stare at me."

"Let's row closer to her. We can't leave a poor girl in the middle of an ocean to drown."

"YOU GUYS ARE INSANE. SHE IS NOT A GIRL!"

"Then what is she? I think Ajay is losing it."

"No, Alan. The eyes that peered back at me don't belong to a human child."

"As long as you are sure what you saw on her neck is gems, then I won't leave here without it."

"What about the girl?"

"If she is alive, then we have no choice but to take her back to the island with us... I'm sure she won't mind giving us her jewel in exchange for her life."

,

"Sure. What did you think, Ajay?"

"Am not part of this... Please excuse me."

"Oh... Don't-. That chicken just leapt out of the canoe."

"Let him go. The two of us will share the plunder."

"Ajay-, please don't get drowned."

"Fuck off!"

The two fishermen rowed closer, picked the mysterious girl up, removed her pearls and placed her at the back of their boat, and then rowed back home.

Sadly enough, that was the last time they will ever see Ajay. 

The miserable old man was lost among the vast body of water, and the carcass of the famous fisherman probably end as feed for the fish.