Sea of Tranquility

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge (use the words cage, button, talk)


Finally, quiet, thought Hank, submerged in a shark cage miles off the Florida coast. He loved his wife, but Elly could talk…about anything…for hours. Every so often he desperately needed an escape from the incessant chatter, and so these monthly excursions were well worth the cost.

The sea was hardly silent, however. Echoing through the water he could make out the whine of a distant jet ski hopping the waves, a nearby pelican diving in for a snack, the screech and snap of metal overhead.

Wait, what the…

The cage toppled over and plunged into deepening darkness. Hank stabbed at the door’s wonky release button, but his only avenue of escape evaporated as the hatch met the sea floor. Hank flipped over to see the dim silhouette of the boat above before its failed winch clanked heavily onto the cage.

Hank struggled to calm his heart and slow his breathing. His tank was nearly full, but was there enough time for his friends on the boat, none of them divers, to reach him? His thoughts were interrupted by a violent thud at the cage’s foot.

Bull shark, observed Hank. Great, just great. He was contemplating his future as a main course when a familiar buzz bubbled to his ears. Hank snatched the cell phone from the mesh bag at his hip.

“Happy birthday babe!” Elly’s message read. “Your present’s on deck. Hope you never need it! LOL” Soon after a rope lowered to him his gift: a survival kit, handily equipped with a hacksaw and spear gun.

Later as the boat headed to the marina, Hank planned the evening ahead: a nice seared shark steak dinner, and a long, long, long talk with Elly about anything her heart desired.

290 Words