It promised to be a lovely adventure. Brad and his friends had just graduated from high school. Soon, all of them would go their separate ways to different colleges in the country. So, the boys had decided to have one last outing together. With their parents’ permission, all of them went on a picnic to a little island near the town. There, they hired four small boats and some nets, and decided to try their luck at catching some fish. The boys bobbed along on their boats the whole day, talking and joking. Soon, they realised that it was evening. Not a single one of them had caught any fish. Brad switched on the oil lamp on his boat; then straightening his pink cap, he said, “Let’s catch some fish, before we call it a day.” His friends nodded back in agreement and soon all of them were busy with their nets.
The Uninvited Guest
Brad could see the streaks of pink in the sky yonder. It would be completely dark any moment. ‘I have caught enough fish for the day,’ he thought. So, finally pulling up his fishing net, he emptied his catch on the deck. Brad then turned towards his friends and called out loudly, “Time to pack up. Let’s head back to the shore.” Suddenly, Brad felt a strange chill run down his spine. The air around him felt colder than usual and he thought he could hear some crunching noises. Brad turned back in haste and was stunned to silence. Standing right in front of him at the other corner of his boat, was a scary man with dishevelled hair in a white robe. He stared at Brad stonily, with blood red eyes and an open mouth, showing big white teeth. Brad quivered. The man had appeared out of nowhere.
Brad Collapses
Brad did not like the look on the man’s face. ‘How did he get into my boat?’ he wondered. In the faint light of his oil lamp that flickered in the chilly air, Brad felt the man would attack him any moment. He looked around for this friends but no one was within sight. The man continued to gape at Brad. Then, he picked a fish up and took a large bite, making a scary crunching sound. Brad noticed that his menacing face was covered with seaweed and slime. His long white robe also looked dirty. ‘What kind of a dress is this?’ thought Brad. Also, an unpleasant odour emitted from his body. Brad could not tolerate the stench on the boat and started throwing up. When Brad tried to get up, he felt everything whirling around him. Before he knew it, he had collapsed on the deck gasping for breath.
Brad Falls Ill
At first, when Brad opened his eyes he could not remember where he was nor what had happened to him. “Brad, you are home; wake up,” he could hear his friends call out to him softly. Then like a flash it all came back to him. “You have very high fever, son,” said Brad’s mother, checking his temperature. Brad was stuck to his bed for another three days. Finally, as he slowly recovered, he told his friends about what he had seen. “We saw you fall down, and immediately, rowed towards your boat to see what happened,” said one of his friends. “Did you see that man in a long, white robe?” asked Brad. “No, there was no one else on your boat,” said his friend. “But we did see some half-eaten fish on the boat. We were wondering if you had eaten them and fallen ill.” Too stunned, Brad never went out to fish again.
