Writing Exercise 110

110 writing exercises already! Time sure flew by fast.
This week I was prompted by a member of the Dead Pete Society, but it took me all week to complete the prompt. Here it is:

2018/01/21 – Write about someone you hate who is in love with you

On a remote island, far from any civilisation, there lived a savage tribe. Their village was situated at the shore, a neat cluster of stilt houses. Most of the inhabitants were fishermen. Every morning they sailed with their little cockleshells to the nearby reef to fish. Zath was one of them. Even before sunrise he would get up, load his net and sail to his favourite fishing spot.

But he was not alone there. Every day he would try to outdo his neighbour Leann as they squabbled over who caught the biggest or most fish. Their rivalry dated to their youth, and they hated each other with a passion. Not one day passed when they wouldn't at least throw insults. It hadn't always been like that. Zath remembered a time when they had played together as kids, when they were inseparable and the best of friends. But somewhere sometime something had gone terribly awry. Yet Zath couldn't even remember the trigger incident of their broken friendship. He wondered if Leann did. But it mattered not. There was no way back now. Their fronts were hardened, their words bitter and spiteful.

But they wouldn't go as far as messing with their boats or nets; they were honourable fishermen. So Zath trusted Leann when he suddenly shouted: “Sharks! Pull in your net!” And while he hauled in the load of thrashing fish he heard a splash. Zath turned around. Leann's boat rocked back and forth on the waves. But where was Leann?

A shadow glided beneath Zath's boat. Without a second thought Zath grabbed his spear and jumped into the cool water, dove and searched for Leann. He saw three sharks lurking about and circling, and between them there drifted his rival. With two, three strong strokes Zath hurried there and thrust his spear at the sharks to shoo them away from Leann's body. A cloud of red surrounded the body and Zath didn't know how much longer he could fend off the sharks. He had to get the both of them out of there immediately! So he grabbed Leann by the midriff and dragged him to the surface, where he perceive the hulk of his boat. And once they broke through the surface and Zath drew in huge gulps of air he hauled Leann's body into his boat then climbed after him. Panting hard he lay on the planks. Then he remembered the blood.

“Leann! You alright?” He heaved himself up and examined the body. There was so much blood and Zath could see Leann had several bite marks; chunks of meat were missing. “Leann! Stay with me. I'll get you to our shaman as fast as I can,” he promised and was about to trim the sail when Leann grabbed his arm and groaned. “Zath,” he rasped, “never mind. We're too far out, aren't we? You won't make it… I… won't make it.” Zath shook his head, looked back to the small black dots at the horizon where their village lay. Leann was probably right, but he didn't want to acknowledge that.

Leann tugged at his arm until he grasped his hand and squeezed it. “Listen, man, let me...let me say this at least for once in my life,” Leann murmured laboriously, “you know, I never really hated you, Zath. The truth is… the truth is I love you. Always have.” Zath's eyes went wide with disbelief. “What?!” he exclaimed. This couldn't be true, could it? Zath was shocked. Leann closed his eyes, smiling, never to open them again.

As Zath sailed home as fast as he could, the body of his rival tucked between the planks and the net full of fish, his mind was in utter turmoil. There was so much left unsaid, so much said which couldn't be undone. But most of all he was upset and confused by Leann's last words. For years he'd thought Leann hated him. Yet, whatever he would have answered if he ever figured out what he felt for his rival, his long lost friend, it would remain unheard. And there would hardly be any closure to the rift between them.