Chapter 3 Delilah
THREE
DELILAH
“Did you bring my suit and skates?” Cherri beamed, exiting the double doors of the police department as the afternoon sun weighed down on us.
“It’s all right here.” I smiled, holding out her roller blades and a bag with her swimsuit and clothing. “Need me to cover you?”
“Yes please.” She smiled, grabbing her things as she quickly ducked behind a large bush alongside the building and began to change.
I stood, keeping watch as cars drove by, completely unaware of the stunning goddess changing in public.
Their loss. “I overheard the Chief and Dale talking about going out on the water and looking for that killer shark,” she spoke in my direction, tying the straps of her bikini around her neck, careful as to not snag the tiny under-hairs of her voluptuous afro.
“Oh yeah?” I chimed over my shoulder. “Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. I mean, what do they expect? It’s the fucking ocean; there’s going to be sharks in it.
Besides, what do they think hunting this one shark is going to do?
Make Golden Coast a safer place?” I scoffed, annoyed by the stupid idea.
“Not with the Angel of Death still running around.” Despite being roommates and lifelong best friends, Cherri had no idea the infamous killer she mentioned was, in fact, me.
She rolled to my side, gripping my arm for stability. “You ready?”
“Let’s boogie.” Together, we swayed our legs and skated down the street in the direction of the beach. In the back of my mind, I secretly hoped that by going to the beach, we’d somehow run into Reef, though that was probably just wishful thinking.
“Man, it’s such a stellar day today, isn't it?” Cherri shouted, standing on the sandy beach in her golden sunflower colored bikini, a matching silky hair scarf tied across her head and a cute pair of vibrant, red heart sunglasses shielding her eyes from the beaming sun.
“I’m so glad I let you convince me to come out today.
” She placed her hands on her hips, breathing in the salty air.
“I don’t know how you could ever want to leave this behind. Life in Golden Coast is so peaceful.”
I looked down at my hands, brushing the sand off my palms as my mood saddened. Not all of us had a good life here. I scrunched my nose, moving the white rimmed, cat eye sunglasses further up my face.
“Hey, foxy mamas.” A random man approached us, obviously drunk and feeling himself.
“Woah, gnarly.” He pointed to the bite mark on my stomach, fully on display, as my red bikini barely covered me.
“You two ladies want to join us in a game of chicken?” He pointed to a group of young adults just a few feet away, drinking and laughing, enjoying the summer afternoon.
“We could use two more people.” He smiled, bags hanging from his eyes as if he hadn’t slept in days.
I looked up at Cherri, wondering what she thought. She glanced down at me, sighing. “What the hell.” She threw her arms up. “Let’s do this.”
“Right on!” The guy clapped his hands, elated. “Hey, they’re in!” he yelled back to his friends, who all clamored in excitement. “Come on.” He held his hand out to me as I hesitated before accepting it. “You two are on my team. Let’s kick some ass.”
We all slowly waded into the water, the salt lightly stinging my wound as we gathered around.
Cherri climbed onto the shoulders of the guy’s friend.
“You better not drop me, or I’ll kick your ass.
” He laughed, nodding as he helped her up.
“Come on, Delilah, let’s take them down!
” she cheered, her competitiveness on full display.
I laughed as the guy helped me onto his shoulders.
“Try not to get too comfortable,” he teased.
The statement was slightly off putting, but I tried to brush it off, focused on just having a good time.
“Alright! Losers buy the winning team a round of shots at the bar! Now, you guys ready?” The other two women nodded, cheering as they readied themselves. “Let’s go!”
We all waded through the water, wrestling the other team, laughing as the men splashed one another.
Cherri shouted playful threats to the ginger woman in front of her, wrestling her.
She yanked her arms back, knocking the woman into the water.
“Yes! One down, one to go! Get her, Delilah!” she shouted, high fiving her partner between her legs.
My hands grappled with the brunette woman in front of me, my thighs tight around the man’s neck as we all laughed and playfully fought one another.
My side ached, the rough movements pulling my still-healing wound.
“Take her down, Delilah!” Cherri shouted, shaking her fists in the air.
“Hey, what’s that?” I shouted, pointing to the water behind her.
“Oh no, I’m not falling for that!” The woman laughed, leaning closer. Shit, I need to be smarter.
“Oh my God, is that a shark?” I shouted, faking my concern.
“What?” The man between her thighs whipped around, the woman losing her balance as the two fell into the water.
“Yes!” Cherri cheered, hooting and hollering her excitement. “We win!” She pointed to the losing team as they splashed the water with a pissed off attitude. “You fuckers are buying us a round of shots.” She stuck her tongue out and danced around, still perched perfectly on the man’s shoulders.
“Good game, Delilah,” the man shouted to me as I held his hands for stability. He helped me down into the water, refusing to let go as I tried to swim towards Cherri. “Hey, what do you say we wade a little further out and celebrate?”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Oh, you’re serious?” I asked, noticing his upset face. “No, I think I’ll pass, but thanks for the offer.” I snickered, attempting to swim away.
“Not so fast.” He yanked me back, trying to grab onto my body. “I think you just need a little bit of convincing.” He tried to lean forward and kiss me, his breath heavily soaked in alcohol.
My hand pushed his face back, my feet kicking his gut as I lunged away from him in the water.
“I said no!” Water splashed nearby, as if someone was swimming around us.
I looked around, annoyed by the drunk and horny man, noticing Cherri stepping back on the sandy beach.
“I’m going to head back and join my friend,” I said, swimming away, my cheerful mood ruined by his advances.
“Your loss, bitch,” he spat, remaining in the water, only slightly offended by my refusal. What a prick.
I swam away, quickly reaching the beach, and stomped towards Cherri. “Everything okay?” she asked, glancing over my dripping shoulders at the man as he drifted further off in the water.
I picked up my towel and began wrapping it around my body as I looked over back to where he was. “Yeah, just another drunk beach dweller trying to get laid.”
“Ew. Those are the worst,” she drawled, crossing her arms as we stared at the man. “What is it about the beach that makes people so…”
“Horny?” I smiled.
“Yes!” we giggled.
“I guess it’s just magical.” Our eyes returned to the drunk man when Cherri dropped her arms. “Oh shit.” Her face sank as we both noticed something big moving swiftly in the water. “Is that—”
The dark fin pierced the surface, confirming her question. “A shark,” I stated. The two of us stood there, frozen with fear and shock, watching as the shark aimed directly for the man, who was completely unaware of what hunted him.
“Hey!” Cherri screamed, waving her arms in an attempt to catch his attention. “Hey! Shark! Shark!”
Fellow beach dwellers and swimmers turned, hearing her screams, immediately frightened by the single word.
They looked around, spotting the dark fin that cut through the water and aimed towards the man.
Screams erupted, filling the sky as panic ensued.
Cherri and I watched helplessly as people dashed from the water, tripping over one another in a frenzy.
“Shark!” Cherri continued to scream at the man, finally catching his attention.
“What?” he shouted as Cherri screamed again, pointing. The shark fin disappeared as the man turned, his expression completely flustered and frightened. His eyes frantically searched the water around him. “I don’t se—”
The man’s words morphed into pain-filled howls as his body was forced from the water, tightly clenched between the jaws of a giant Great White shark.
The shark’s teeth were piercing through his flesh, his blood staining the blue ocean water.
People on the beach screamed in terror, watching as the shark fell back into the water, rotating around as it devoured the man, drowning him in sea water and blood.
My side ached as I stared at the gruesome scene, unable to peel my eyes away as Cherri’s hand gripped mine.
“Cherri.” I shook her arm while she stood there in complete shock.
“Call my dad,” I whispered, unable to break my gaze.
She remained still, gawking at the blood-stained water, the man and shark now absent.
“Call my dad!” I screamed, her eyes breaking as they met mine.
She nodded, releasing my hand before rushing to the nearest pay phone.
I glanced back at the muddled water, the red waves calming from the attack.
I had lived in Golden Coast my entire life, and not once had I ever witnessed a shark attack.
They didn’t exist out here in this tiny, summer paradise, but now, a killer shark was indeed lurking in the waters.
Well, looks like I’m not the only murderer haunting this town.
The idea of existing in the same town as another excited me.
“I’m standing here on the shoreline of a small, humble beach town known as Golden Coast, where a terrifyingly brutal attack took place earlier this afternoon on one of its many beaches.
” The female reporter continued to speak her bullshit into her microphone as her crew stood by, recording her whole speech.
Police rushed by, attempting to tape up the beach, urging everyone to return home as Cherri and I remained, huddled in our towels.
“Why am I not surprised to find you two here?” my dad groaned, smoking a cigarette as he approached Cherri and myself. “Now I thought I told you to stay away from the beach?” he whispered, standing only a few inches away, towering over me.
“You said no night swimming.” I glanced up, the sun burning from behind his silhouette as he glared down at me through his dark aviators. “Sun’s still out.”
He removed the cigarette from his lips, blowing the exhaled smoke into my face as I coughed. “Hmph.” He stood there, glaring down at me for a brief moment. “I suggest you get your ass home and let the men handle this.” I furrowed my brows, infuriated by his ordering me around like I was a child.
“Chief Bailey!” The female reporter rushed to my father’s side, her crew shadowing her as she frantically began questioning him about the attack.
“Come on.” Cherri delicately grabbed my arm, ushering me away when a commotion near the shoreline caught everyone’s attention.
“Where is he?” a young woman screamed, tears falling down her face as she fell to her knees.
“Lee!” she screamed out towards the sea.
The same man who was partnered with Cherri earlier during our game of chicken tried to comfort her.
They spoke to one another before he glanced at me, the female quickly glaring in my direction.
“You!” she screamed, bolting in my direction.
The reporter and my dad watched as the man tried to stop her, holding her back as she flailed, screaming and shouting through her tears.
“You slut! You did this! You killed my boyfriend!”
My dad quickly intervened, trying to calm the hysterical woman as Cherri lightly pushed me behind her, protecting me. “Hey! Delilah didn't do anything. Your boyfriend was harassing her—”
“His name is Lee!” she screamed, sobbing as she crumbled into my dad’s arms.
“Alright, that’s enough.” He patted her back.
“Cherri, I want you to take Delilah home.” She nodded, grabbing our things as we began to walk away.
“Maybe next time, you’ll listen when I tell you to do something,” he spat in my direction, the abhorrent response hitting my back.
I clenched my teeth, forcing back my words as we left the beach.