freeline-98 - Flipbook - Page 158
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
PHILLIPS
D r ifting in and out of s em i s le e p , t h o u gh t s me a n d e r i n g
b e tween monster carp and wh at m ay be l urk in g i n t h e h a u n te d
b l ackness, every sound wa s eva lu a te d. A m ove m en t i n t h e
b u shes aroused fears o f gh o s tly b e i n g s, a s p l a s h t ha t c o u l d b e
c a rp, then a massive slurp ve ry cl o s e by, a n d s u d d en ly I wa s
s i t ting up with heart pump i n g. W i th my eye s a d j u s te d to t h e
d a rk, I could just make ou t th e i n k y b l a ck n e s s o f t h e m a rg i n
water with the darker sha p e s o f t h e li ly le ave s j u s t v i s i b l e .
S l i ght humping of the wate r an d t he s o u n ds o f a c a r p m ov i n g
ve ry close by raised the adre n al i n p u m p to n e w h e i gh t s , h an d
h overing by the rod and sha k i n g un c o n t ro l la b ly. S l urp , bu b b l e ,
s l urp as more of the free cr u s t wa s en g u lfe d a n d rip p l e s e b b ed
o u t from beneath the rod t i p . H a rd ly da r i n g to move, I o p e n e d
t h e bail arm, gently allowi n g my c r u st to ki s s t h e s u rfa c e . W i th
o n e hand on the rod butt wh i le t h e o t he r s o f t ly h e l d t h e l i n e ,
t i me seem ed to stand stil l, swe at b e a ds fo r mi n g i n th e h o t ,
s t i ll and eerie midnight ai r.
S l urp, splash, crash as in a s p li t s ec o n d s i le n c e gave way to
ro d bending, reel screamin g c a r n ag e a s a l ev i a th a n o f t h e d e e p
m ade its bid for freedom . I n a d es p e ra te a t te m p t to s to p i t
f rom reaching nearby sna g s, I cl a mp e d d ow n a n d h e ave d a s
h a rd as I dared, and there wa s a m as s ive c ra s h a n d c o m mo t i o n
a s the monster was stopp ed a n d t u rn e d ove r o n t h e su rfa c e .
A l l became a complete blu r a s I d e sp era te ly p l u n ge d t h e n e t
i n to the vicinity of the co mm o t i o n b e n e at h m e . S o m e how a
m assive carp finished up i n t h e ne t an d wa s ly i n g o n t h e g ra s s
b e side me. Only just v isible i n t he d a rk n es s , I c o ul d m a ke o u t i t
was a fat mirror. Thoughts o f ove r twe n ty p o u n d s were ra c i n g
t h rough my head as I bun d le d i t i n to a s a c k a n d l owe re d i t
i n to a nearby margin to awa i t s o me li gh t fo r we i gh in g a n d
FREELINE 36
