The one that got away (title to be revised later)

An old fisherman's tale.

The one that got away

Any fisherman can tell you this story. When I was a boy, my father told tales of a four metre long skurret fish that bent the hook and managed to get away. I grew up around fishermen, so it was no surprise to my peers that I too went into the fishing industry. I moved away from the lake my father had over-fished and lived in a village that overlooked a secluded beach on the eastern side of Northern Ilatia.

Any well-versed or amateur fisherman can tell you this story. When I was a boy, my father would tell me tales of a large skurret fish that slid off of his boat when a large wave hit the starboard side. I never much liked fishing though. I was told that fishing was everything in this area, and that there were no other career paths to follow. So when I moved out as a fifteen year old, I quickly formulated plans to move away.

A few years later, I had done what I had never wanted to, I proved my father right. I had been fishing since I left home, but I knew that I would one day have the opportunity to leave.

When I turned nineteen I met Saefara, we fell in love and I finally made a real plan to leave the small fishing village I was brought up in. The day before I was leaving, my then wife had gone out to run some errands and my dad had insisted we take a final father son fishing trip. I didn't particularly want to, but I felt sorry for the old man in many ways, so I took him up on his offer.

We headed out and sat in the calm, misty sea for hours, barely speaking. I guess that was my fault though, I might as well have taken a vowel of silence after I moved out. I felt a twinge on my rod, a heavy weight immediately being transferred to my hands. My father glanced over and placed his rod on his seat and shuffled along to sit next to me. We glanced at each other and he nodded. I slowly began to draw the line from the water, a pale shape emerging from the blue mirk beneath the wooden boat's stern.

The shape slowly elongated, I thought it might've been a dead Daefar but I was unsure. I keep pulling, and noticed the groove under which the line was threaded beginning to crack. My fathers arm shot up as it gave way and firmly grasped it. I looked at him, but his eyes remained focussed on the water. 'Let go, I'll fix it,' I said, taking the line from his grasp. I wrapped it around the rod a few times and tied it around the stub of a long forgotten twig. He motioned for me to keep pulling, his eyes still not leaving the water.

I pulled faster and a brown clump of something emerged from the water, I realised it was hair, human hair. I almost let go of the rod but he gripped my arm so hard it drew blood and whispered firmly, 'Keep going.'

I kept going and more hair emerged. The woman's body turned under the water and her whole face emerged at once. Pale white skin, bright blue eyes and a freckly nose. My wife's eyes looked at me, but she didn't see me. I fainted and dropped the rod. Losing my consciousness along side of all hope of recovering my wife's body.

Author's Note

Pick apart anything and everything.

I know grammar needs some work, but I wouldn't mind hints as to where it can improve.

Thanks!