My strange admirer always watches me. Her presence drifts at the corner of my eyes as a display of colorful hues. Spurring increasingly bizarre events in her wake.
I’ve spoken to a panoply of souls touched by the uncanny.
A park ranger described the howling creatures dwelling in the Salmon Challis Forest where 34 have gone missing without a trace. A totem etched with cryptic symbols apparently swapped the bodies of nine teenagers. It left four dead while two others are still lost in the wrong flesh. Lastly there was a girl who competed in something called the Door Game.
In each of these interviews, she was there eavesdropping. She’s always in the far corner of my eyes. I felt something within me grow after each interview. In turn, the Bizarre did as well. A gas station suddenly went up in flames after I left. Once in a rest area, I heard laughing coming from the woods. As I drove down an embankment, I noticed something large in the fog.
Come the last interview I conducted, I thought about ending the interview early. I thought of making up some bullshit excuse on how I needed to leave. But for some inexplicable reason, I couldn’t for the life of me get up. These interviews had to be heard.
Sometimes, when I’m driving from place to place, I feel these hands rest over mine. They guided me through the predestined route just in time to hear the interview. I’ve tried pivoting. I’ve tried making wrong turns to get myself lost. I’ve gone far enough without filling up my tank. By then, I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for seven minutes…until I heard a minivan blaring loud music. Bizarrely enough, they had a spare gas can.
Bizarra is leading me somewhere. It’s not just the next interview, it’s somewhere specific. It’s a place where a deviation occurs. I can feel it. I’m close, fucking close. I just hope that by the end, all of this makes sense.
Anyway, out of all the interviews I conducted, the one you’re about to read is what made the cut. It’s not that there’s any prerequisite that goes into what gets transcribed and what doesn’t. If there were, I wouldn’t know anything about it.
-——–
Title of Interview: The Fishermen
Location: New York City, NY
Interview Setting: At a table inside a bar called The Blue Lagoon
Date: 01/29/2024
Attendees: Joshua Angkitz (Interviewer), Frederick Atkinson, Jay McGee, and David Grain (Interviewees)
Affiliation with The Bizarre: Hunters of various aquatic sea life that the public has never seen
[Dark clouds ominously brewed overhead as I entered New York City. The drizzle of soothing rainwater bathed my Eclipse. The more I drove through the city, the more aggressive the storm became. My Eclipse can usually weather any storms, but this one feels particularly different.
The sun was all but gone, its piercing light unable to shine through the dense dark clouds. The roads were wet and unpredictable as the rain fell harder. Unnatural colored lightning streaked across the swollen sky.
I pulled over near the docks. Across the street, restaurants bustled with nervous patrons waiting out this strange storm. My eyes couldn’t help but land on an establishment just down the road with a green and red flickering neon sign.
“Open,” it flickered.
I was drenched in a matter of seconds as I ran to the sign to read out the name of the establishment. “The Blue Lagoon.” The exterior was unwelcoming, the doors were old, and the windows were boarded up. Despite the glaring red flags, I begrudgingly walked down the stairs and entered.
The inside wasn’t any more favorable with the second-hand smoke and the strange odor I couldn’t make out. The barkeep, an older woman with long black hair, greeted me. “Take any seat love. I’ll help you pick your poison.”
I smiled nervously and sat near the back. The place was empty aside from a handful of patrons. I then got light-headed, and an encroaching feeling encircled me as if I were a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. My vision became circumscribed. An unseen force tugged at my ear before a voice, soft and commanding, whispered, “Here.”
“Damn it,” I said, spotting a bright feminine figure seated alongside three male individuals. They didn’t notice Bizarra. How could they?
As I approached the booth, Bizarra’s brilliance dimmed like a slowly dying light bulb before completely fizzling out.
Seated in the booth was a short, older gentleman with a white beard and a scar across his worn-out face. Across from him sat a giant that was probably 6’5’. He wore a long coat that covered everything except his face and hands. And nestled between the both of them was a lanky, weasel-faced man who already had more than he could drink.
They laughed vigorously. Their laughter was all I could hear in this lonely place, and they seemed genuinely happy, but I could tell something was off. I asked for an interview. They said yes—well two of them did anyway. The giant guy isn’t much of a talker apparently.]
Joshua A: What’s got you gents so cheerful tonight?
Frederick A: My dear lad, such a meager word to describe our moods. We’re enraptured by the inordinate gleam of longing, a longing well overdue. We’re fishermen, but not like any kind ye’ve seen. Frederick Atkinson am I. This kind-looking cadaver here is Jay McGee.
Jay M: [Grunts.]
Frederick A: He’s not much of a talker this one.
David G: And I’m [Burps.] I’m David—David Grain.
Frederick A: Ye a wee rat-arsed is what ye are. A man who can’t control his liquor is no man at all.
Joshua A: Pleasure to meet all of you.
Frederick A: Me, laddie. What would you like to know about us?
David G: We’re full of grand adventures.
Jay M: [Nods head.]
Joshua A: You said you guys are fishermen.
David G: More like exterminators of the sea.
Frederick A: Aye. I suppose we are. We hunt rare aquatic quarrelsome foes that few dare scuffle with.
Joshua A: Like…[Nervous Laugh.] Loch Ness Monster? That sort of thing?
Frederick A: Aye. ‘Twas a challenging foe. But in the end, we triumphed. Skinned that bastard to the bone. [Laugh.] Ye think we’re mad, don’t ye? To hell with what ye believe.
Joshua A: I don’t. I’m intrigued, really.
Frederick A: Then perhaps ye madder than us, but if it’s a tale you wish to hear, then I shall regale a yaldi tale of disorder and perfection strung together by wee hope and the spirits of three cannie semi-good-looking lads. Allow me to divulge the grand ol’ tale of Big Blue. It’s a furious beast that stretches back centuries, yet foolhardy souls still dismiss its existence as a fantasy.
But we know what dwells in the cold abyss better than any man. Don’t we lads?
David G: Big Blue is something unbelievably ancient. People believed it could never exist.
Jay M: [Grunts in agreement.]
Frederick A: That’s right, Jay. It takes a special blend of crazy to believe, much less pursue, a beast like Blue.
David G: And we sure are zany, aren’t we laddies?
Frederick A: [Laughs.] Aye. [His chipper emanation of a smile slumps into a scowl.] The story behind Blue started many years ago. So, listen closely. When I was just a boy, Blue swallowed my older brother.
I was unable to do anything. One second he was there and the next he wasn’t. I made a promise to my wee-self that I was going to avenge my older brother. I was going to hunt this aquatic monster.
I trained for years and spoke of the tale of Big Blue to any who dare lend an ear. Some time had passed, and I garnered the attention of an agency who—to put it bluntly—kidnapped me and asked if I would like to join their…what did they call it?
David G: Thalassic.
Frederick A: Right. Project Thalassic. I worked with the Agency for years, and that’s where I met these two. We were bestowed a mighty vessel: Betsy. She aided us in the hunt for aquatic creatures from all around the world and helped us travel to places long thought forgotten.
It saddens me to know that she is no longer with us. Her time adrift in the harsh blue waters has alas ended.
Joshua A: Oh, sorry to hear that.
Frederick A: We appreciate yer sentiments, laddie. We had an arrangement with the people we worked with. I told them that I would hunt any creatures they sent my way. The only prerequisite I had was that if Big Blue were to ever resurface, she would be all mine.
They agreed, and after 12 grueling years, I got a whiff of her foul scent. Damn near burned the hair in my nostrils. [Laughs.] After following her scent, it led me to a killing zone. Blood mingled the waters as small boats and rafts were laid waste. Human remains drifted with the current of the sea.
Turning to David, I squabbled, “It’s her! It’s Big Blue.”
David G: I didn’t believe it was her, not at first. But with the way the Captain’s face contoured [Burps.] and the way his lips shivered and quaked in utter fear, I knew it had to be her.
Frederick A: Betsy was equipped with some of the best wrangling gear any fisherman could ask for. There were harpoons that could pierce fossilized bone, cannons that launch barbed spears, and even a dozen barrels of high-tech explosives.
While employed by the Agency, I learned the name of Blue: Leviathan. All attempts to subdue, kill, or study Blue lead to the destruction of several ships, and the slaughter of hundreds of men.
Joshua A: How big is Big Blue? I’m assuming the Agency you work for is well off financially. Couldn’t they—I don’t know—buy a battleship or something?
Frederick A: Yer would think, but Blue’s size is unfathomable. The Agency did once purchase a mighty vessel equipped with missiles and mounted machine guns and whatnot. It ‘twas in vain. The vessel was dismantled. Sadly, only a handful of survivors were saved, most drowned.
Joshua A: Jesus.
Frederick A: After hours of chasing her tail, the fated battle arrived. At portside and a distance away, a fin pierced the waters…and it was heading right towards us. She announced herself with an unearthly whale’s wail.
Lawrence: I won’t lie to you, lad, I nearly soaked my britches when that horror breached the water! Few things have scared me after all we’ve seen, but Blue was something else entirely.
Jay: [Long solemn nod.]
Frederick A: Quickly, I commanded Jay to man the harpoons and ordered David to retrieve anything of value from below that could aid us in the fight.
Joshua A: And what did you do?
Frederick A: Laddie, I had the most important job of them all. I took the helm to sail against the waves and straight towards Blue. I will admit that my sea legs, as sturdy as they are, wobbled at the sight of Blue, but a Captain mustn’t show anything aside from aspirations.
As I sailed towards a perilous and cretinous encounter, Blue’s colossal head jetted out of the water. It stared us down with its black sea urchin yaks, looking to consume its next victim.
I steered hard to the right as Blue engulfed enough water to drag Betsy backward. [Laughs.] But Betsy endured.
Jay volleyed spear after spear, hitting Big Blue many times. Her skin was known to be hard to pierce, even with the aid of the Agency’s weapons.
“Jay,” I yelled, “Aim for something fleshy like her eyes.”
Jay grunted as he always does. I angled Betsy and gave Jay the best opening I could give. He fired and hit her right in the eye.
We’ve angered her. [Laughs.] The scream of an ancient aquatic beast in pain is something you’ll never forget.
“David,” I remember calling out, “Where the bloody are ye?” He’d taken a long time gathering what we needed, and I feared that he’d gotten terror-stricken. If he was, I’d see him cradled in a corner if I were to go find him
David G: I umm…I fell down the stairs and twisted my leg. [Nervous laugh.] I bought a pistol for…for the Captain and a rifle for myself, along with sacks of dynamite. We used that later for—
Frederick A: Don’t get ahead of the story, laddie. Anyway, I maneuvered Betsy with such elegance it was as if I were a fish treading the waters.
“Yer won’t get us,” I cried out, “I’ll do to you what you did to my brother
It had tried many times to sink us. Its crushing weight skirmished against Betsy’s steel exterior. It slammed against Betsy over and over. But the barrage overwhelmed her. Unfortunately, Betsy surrendered to the assault. Blue encircled us, causing a whirlpool that pulled us in. And in a quick gulp, we were swallowed whole.
We fell into the belly of the beast, plummeting deep into the searing darkness of her gullet. A hard landing knocked the wits right out of me.
Sadness draped over me as I stood in the moist atmosphere of Blue’s inners. I had failed to kill the beast, and I had sentenced my two cherished companions to their deaths.
Joshua A: You guys are here, though.
Frederick A: Aye.
Joshua A: How did you guys get out?
Frederick A: Before I tell you, you must know of the failure I felt, the dread, the disappointment. Jay and David looked to me for guidance and I had none to give.
David G: I’ve never seen the Captain so…broken. He jumped off Betsy and wandered off. Jay and I were unsure if he’d return.
Frederick A: Aye. I wandered Blue’s mokit inners. The minger embrace of a dry semi-foggy interior did little to deter me. I wished for nothing more than to drift away and never return.
Dejection hung over my broad shoulders as I continued my aimless walk. There was wreckage before me from various ships, so I went to one and sat down to think of my brother. I noticed something among the wrecked ships
It was a withering body. I could barely make out any facial features, but I knew who it was immediately. [Long pause.] It was him.
[Jay rubs Frederick’s back.]
Frederick A: I asked why he’d left me so long ago. Bitter silence was the response. I laid next to him. It was all I could think of doing at the moment. As I laid next to him, I saw words etched onto a plank.
“Here lies Cameron Atkinson, a man who desired nothing more than to see his brother one last time.”
I remember reading it repeatedly. If only he’d know that I was the one that was going to find him. He’d never known freedom. And that angered me. I decided that I would not perish in the bowels of some ancient aquatic creature. I was going to escape, and I was going to take him with me.
I marched back to Betsy, and an excited Jay and David greeted me. I ordered them to unload all the explosives we had. While they did that task, I went off to find out where exactly we were inside Blue’s inners. She was just like any fish, just bigger in scale. I found a glorious spot to place all the explosives. Once that was all set, we gathered the remains of my brother.
After putting on our diving equipment, we sheltered behind Betsy, allowing her to protect us one final time. The impact tore Blue from the inside. As I swam to the top, I noticed her monstrous body descend to the bottom of the dark sea.
For an hour, we were adrift until the Agency eventually located us. I gave my brother a proper burial. He will surely be missed, but I will always carry his spirit with me. I pray that when it’s my time to croak, he will be the first face I gaze at.
And that’s the tale of Big Blue, a creature who has finally gotten her comeuppance. Now enough of these tales, let us drink until the blood in our veins turns sour.
-——–
Frederick seemed relieved in regaling me with his tale. He showed me pictures of Betsy. She certainly was beautiful, a fine vessel she was.
I spent most of the night with them. Frederick told me more stories pertaining to unique fishes he’s captured over the years. He’s planning on retiring in the next couple of months.
I explained to him about what I do, the interviews, the strange things I’ve seen, and about Bizarra. I told him what I think she is and what she looks like. His ears perked up the more I described her.
He doesn’t know much, but what he does know is that the Agency has classified her as Ostensible.
Whatever she is, she’s getting clearer to me. When I left the bar, Bizarra was again in the rearview mirror. Her features are more discernible. She had starry eyes, a benevolent smile, unblemished skin, and shoulder-length hair.
She waved but quickly dropped her hand. She looked sad when I didn’t reciprocate the gesture.
The storm passed, and uncertainty loomed again. I was unsure of where to go next. But I know that it didn’t really matter. She’ll take me to where I need to be. After all, she always does.
[Next]