The endless, shining sea, stretched out before me. In the distance, a school of bottle-nosed dolphins followed our ship. They weaved in and out of the sea. As birds who play among clouds.
"Arthur! I got something!"
I turned around as Lin started to reel the line in.
"Get the harpoon. I can handle it; it's not too strong."
I went to the bow of the ship and grabbed the harpoon. I stood by her and waited as she reeled the fish in. She was struggling but, conceivably, not as much as the fish. After a minute of wrestling with it, the line slackened and it came in without a further struggle. Spanish mackerel, decent size. I shot it with the harpoon when it was 20ft from the stern. She reeled the body in and pulled it up into the boat.
"It's decent," I said.
"Yeah, it'll make a good dinner," she said.
I sighed, "We've had the same dinner the past three weeks. I don't think there's anything you can add to make it 'good'."
"At least we've got something to eat," she said.
"Yeah, well, we haven't tried the mainland in just as long. I'd kill for at least a slice of bread to stuff with sardines," I said.
"Not this again. We've gone over it; it's not worth the risk."
"C'mon, last time was one time. There's no guarantee it'll happen again."
"Even then, it's hardly worth going to the mainland if all we have to trade is one mackerel."
I looked off into the horizon, the sun was already starting to dip below the horizon, "Say we catch a few tomorrow, would you be willing then?"
"I'll consider it if it's a good haul. But I ain't helping you."
"Fine by me."
She handed me her fishing rod and I took the mackerel off the hook. I went below deck, skinned it in the kitchen, stuck the gut's in the fridge and put the two filets to grill on the stove. We ate dinner in silence, as usual. The stars were out when I went back to the deck. I leaned against the railing, looking up at the glimmering fleck that had shown up a few nights prior.
Three weeks. Three weeks left of lazily floating on the Atlantic and eating nothing but fish.
Lin came out from below deck. She leaned her arms on the opposite railing, looking out at the sea. She took out her 'last' (she'd been saying it was her last for the past three weeks) box of cigarettes and lit one. She turned around and looked up as she let out a cloud of smoke, "It's bigger than yesterday."
"Yeah. Although, it's still smaller than a star," I said.
"Wonder how long it'll last," she said.
"Who knows. It'll probably be larger than the moon the last night."
"I'd rather not make it that far."
I looked down from the stars and straight at her. She noticed me and shrugged.
"Rather not have it feel so eventual, you know?. Hopefully, I'll stick a bullet in my brain before then. Won't tell you when but throw my body off deck once I do. At least then, I'll be useful to the sea."
"Swallowed by la mar, instead of impact and heat. Yeah, it's a nicer way to go," I said.
She laughed, "Don't go stealing my idea. At least not until I go."
"Ah, so you want me dealing with your body but you won't deal with mine."
"It's my ship," she said and took the last drag from her cigarette. "Well, I'm calling it a night. Goodnight Arthur."
I nodded and she walked down into the cabin. I stayed in the same spot, swearing I could see the distant spot grow. It didn't take long for me to grow tired. I walked to the bow of the ship and grabbed my backpack from where I'd stowed it that morning. I took out my carelessly folded sleeping bag and wrapped myself in it.
When the headlines about the astroid started popping up, my first instinct was to head out to the sea. Most of what I had to my name was wrapped up in stocks. When the headlines started popping up; it was already too late. The world's markets crashed and I was left with nothing. The morning after the news was out, I went down to the docks and stole a sailboat. I was 60 miles out when I realized I wasn't alone.
The boat's owner came out from below deck, staggering and holding a bottle of rum in one hand.
"Who's arr you?" she asked as she attempted not to collapse on the swaying ship. Lin was no villain and I proved myself useful. But, she still saw me as a freeloader on her vessel. I wasn't allowed to sleep bellow cabin on account of it being, "an area exclusive to tenants who paid for the sailboat."
I closed my eyes. The stars lingered in my vision for some seconds before dreams of lost sea kingdoms took their place.