"Feeding Time" by Andrew Nicolle

Feeding Time

by Andrew Nicolle

As my brother Eric and I waited in line, I pointed to the garish sign swinging gently in the cool ocean breeze:

LEVIATHAN BOAT TOURS

SEE THE MIGHTY LEVIATHAN!

IT’LL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t they?” I said. “I’m sure it’s impressive and all, but life-changing?”

He clapped me on the back. “Have some faith, dear brother. I’ve traveled the world and seen some awesome shit in my time, but this tour probably takes the cake. Feeding time's especially cool.”

“What, they feed this thing live dolphins or something?”

Eric just smiled and ignored my question, resuming our previous discussion about how he’d been filling his days since his recent retirement from the U.S. Navy. He’d been keeping busy fishing and golfing mostly, but he’d stumbled upon this tour last year and it had impressed him so much he’d made a point of visiting every month during the boating season.

My mind drifted back to when we were kids and he’d woken up in the middle of the night, arms flailing. He’d been screaming loud enough to wake the dead. The next day he’d confided in me he’d dreamed he was drowning in the ocean with massive shapes swirling all around. I wasn’t terribly surprised back then, since he’d been scared of the water.

Years later, we were all shocked when he’d enlisted right after high school, and even more shocked when he went on to have a long and distinguished career at sea.

At the head of the line, they took our tickets and handed each of us individually-wrapped sea sickness pills. I’d expected Eric to decline, but he’d unwrapped and swallowed it before we’d even set foot aboard.

“Lost your sea legs already?” He just shrugged. I shoved mine into my pocket, figuring I’d done perfectly fine on whale-watching tours over the years.

After the captain welcomed us aboard and gave the usual spiel about safety, he singled my brother out from the crowd and waved him up front.

“Eric will be feeding the big fish today, so give him a round of applause!”

The other tourists cheered and clapped as Eric stood beside the captain and took a bow. I just rolled my eyes. If my brother’s ego were any bigger, he’d capsize the boat.

When he returned to my side, I gestured toward the captain. “I see you’re on a first-name basis.”

Eric grinned. “Jealous, brother?”

We’d been at sea for just under an hour when the captain indicated we were approaching the leviathan’s feeding grounds. He cut the engine and allowed the boat to drift silently. An odd hush settled over the boat as everyone filed out of the main cabin and peered over the edge, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature. We didn’t have to wait long.

A deep rumble echoed through the air and the waves began to pick up. Some crew members hurried to the starboard side with a large tub of fish, emptying it over the side.

I turned to Eric. “I thought that was your job?”

“That was just the appetizer. I’ll be handling the main course.”

The boat began to rock, gently at first before becoming more violent. I gripped the railing and felt the first pangs of nausea. Remembering the sea-sickness pill in my pocket, I hurriedly retrieved and dry-swallowed it.

Waves pummeled the boat as something massive approached. About five hundred feet from the boat’s starboard side the water frothed and bubbled. The boat tilted alarmingly as everyone hurried over.

“The leviathan has arrived,” the captain said over the speaker system. “Praise be.”

A chorus of voices responded. “Praise be!”

I shivered at their religious fervor. Even my brother Eric muttered the phrase as he stared into the water, seemingly hypnotized.

“You okay, man?” Eric didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned further over the railing as if intending to dive into the choppy water. I grabbed him around the waist with both hands, but he shoved me back against the cabin wall.

He turned to me with sadness in his eyes. “One day you’ll understand, brother.”

Before I could stop him, Eric vaulted over the railing and into the ocean. A moment later, he was gone. I screamed. I’d expected sirens to sound along with calls of man overboard, but other than my screams, the boat was silent.

When the captain spoke, his words chilled me to the bone. “We thank Eric Gabriel for his sacrifice.”

I considered racing along the deck to retrieve a life-preserver, but my feet remained rooted to the spot. Even my screams died in my throat. A red-tinged whirlpool had formed where Eric had gone under, its inner spirals rimmed with concentric rows of jagged teeth. Surrounding the whirlpool, the leviathan’s pale skin was barely visible beneath the water’s surface. Embedded within, two immense black orbs stared curiously back at me.

“Praise be,” I muttered under my breath. I felt an overwhelming sense of calm. Everything would be all right. One day I would see Eric again; I just needed to have faith.

I remained transfixed by the creature until the water made a loud gurgling sound, as if draining down an enormous pipe. The sound snapped me out of my trance, and I heard chatter return to the boat in the wake of the creature’s departure.

When I returned to the main cabin, I found myself wondering where Eric had gone. He was probably just in the bathroom.

Back at the dock I reminded myself to give my brother Eric a call on my way home. While I didn’t recall much about the tour, it had felt like an almost transcendental religious experience. Being a former Navy man, I think he’d enjoy it even more than I did.

Heck, why stop at just Eric? Maybe next time I’d bring the wife and kids!