Flash Fiction #12: Best Chum Sue and Kirstie had been inseparable since they were little girls. They stuck together through high school, through a degree in marine biology, all the way to their postgraduate jobs at the aquarium. There they became a double act, delighting and educating visitors with their twice-daily shark tank demonstrations. Sue did the talking, standing in front of the thick glass wall of the tank, while Kirstie – who had the body for a wetsuit – swam inside among the sharks. It was 12pm, the first demo of the day, and Sue recited her carefully rehearsed routine to an audience of middle schoolers while Kirstie listened in on her headset. “The shark has a reputation for being a fearsome, deadly creature,” Sue said, “but as you can see today, it’s capable of appearing docile; trustworthy even.” Behind the glass Kirstie went still. Sue had gone off script. Sue never went off script. “Don’t be deceived by appearances though,” Sue went on, “the shark is a cold-hearted, vicious machine… not unlike our Kirstie here.” Kirstie, halfway through taking a breath of oxygen, coughed it up, causing bubbles to cloud the tank. A sand shark circling her rear turned its head and fixed her with its coal black eyes. “A remorseless, unfeeling predator,” Sue continued, “the kind that pretends to be harmless only so its victim lets its guard down… much like a girl who only acts like your best friend so she can close in on your man.” Kirstie began to swim for the surface but the twenty pounds of equipment she was carrying made tough work of it. Her thrashing did not go unnoticed by the sharks. “The kind of girl you spot in a Pizza Express one day, sharing a portion of dough balls with your boyfriend; talking, laughing, kissing. You didn’t think I knew about that, did you Kirstie? I saw you though – saw you through the window and watched. I wanted to bang on the glass but I stopped myself. I won’t stop myself this time.” Sue pounded the flat of her palm against the glass of the tank, causing the sharks to go into a frenzy. As the first one sunk its teeth into Kirstie’s thigh, Sue wondered what lesson the middle schoolers would take home from this. She knew the lesson she’d taught Kirstie at least. Behave like an animal and prepare to get treated like one.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 09:59:44 +0000