A short story by rachelmeow

They warned me not to fish too far out.

I didn’t listen obviously, it was probably just a trick because all the good fish were there. And I was a novice fisher.

Now here I am. In the middle of the deep blue sea, reeling up my catch.

First catch, a dumbo octopus. Could be better.

I put it in the tank, watching as it swam around happily. I continued my fishing, sipping my stale cup of coffee. At that moment, I felt a strong tug.

Huh?

I walked up to the front of the boat. Pulling up the reel, I gasped in shock – a hammerhead shark?! Hoping up and down, I did a little celebratory dance. I knew they were lying to me! I proudly sailed back to port, holding up my catch, smirking at the group of fishermen who warned me not to go. Passing a group of fishermen sharing tales of ‘The Big One’, I marched to the fishmonger. I counted the gold as the fishmonger dropped the coins on my palm.

Five gold.

‘Didn’t listen huh?’ the old one coughed, approaching me.

‘So what, I got good fish and good fish equals good money.’ I said, pocketing my gold greedily.

Well, beware kiddo, you’re quite a young lad aren’t you?

I sighed, straightening my bucket hat, glancing away.

‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” he yelled as I walked away oblivious to the mess i was getting myself in.

Find out what happens to Bert in Deep Regrets Day Two.

Preamble

rachelmeow is the pen name for Rachel Au, our resident OTK Imp. Ever since we brought her along to Essen Spiel in 2015 – when she was just a 6 mth old baby – she has picked up the board gaming bug. These days, you can spot her at most of our meetups; usually joining a game, sometimes teaching or facilitating, sometimes just chilling. She plays all sorts of games, tho thematic coop is her fave.

During one of the Casual Fridays, instead of jumping into a session, Rachel decided to sit back, followed the game play from the sidelines, and turn what she observed into a short story. And that’s how this short story piece came about. I thought this is a refreshing change of pace as it offers a narrative departure from the usual game reviews, sessreps, and board game news. Hope you enjoy the read!